Which Color Makes Me Look Like Crap?

“That really isn’t your color.”

You may have heard this before. It’s a nice way of saying “That color makes you look like crap.”

See, we all have good colors and bad colors.

• Our good colors bring out all our best features, making us look younger, healthier and more energetic.
• Our bad colors bring out all our worst features, making us look like we’re about to die from sleep deprivation. (Just watch the video below… YEESH!)

As a rule, when you wear colors, you want them to fall into the first category.

But many guys are blind to this difference, and some even try to get one of each color in their wardrobe. They’re like color collectors. Gotta catch em all!

But your wardrobe doesn’t need em all. It only needs the ones that make you look good.

So I’m gonna help you figure out what those are.

But first I’m going to show you a video, so you can see exactly what a terrible effect the wrong color can have on your face.

Watch One of My Bad Colors Drain the Life From My Face

To show you just how terribly the wrong colors can affect the way you look, I created the following video. I will slide from a blue to an orange background and you’ll see the life drain from and return to my face as I slide back and forth.

Check it out!

See what I mean?

Then you understand how important it is for you to know what your good and bad colors are.

Why You Have Good and Bad Colors

Tyrion Lannister: Coolest of Cool, But Warm of Skin

So, people come in three flavors; warm, cool and neutral.

And no — no matter how cool you think you are, I’m not talking about your personality.

I’m talking about your skin-tone.

See, we all have natural undertones in our skin.

• Warm people have yellow undertones
• Cool people have blue undertones
• Neutral people have no dominant undertones

These undertones determine how colors look on you. They determine whether a color flatters your face or washes it out.

Knowing which undertones you have will help you pick colors that make you look awesome and avoid those that make you look ill.

And I happen to know a quick test you can do to figure out where you belong on the warm-to-cool spectrum.

The Gold/Silver Test

The gold/silver test works as follows:

Grab two pieces of jewelry; one silver, one gold.

Now, hold each against your skin and see which looks best on you. (Get a couple of second opinions if you’re not 100% sure.)

• If gold looks best, you’re a warm
• If silver looks best, you’re a cool
• If both looked equally good, you’re a neutral

And there you have it.

Take this test, and then come back here to find out which colors you can safely wear, and which you should avoid.

(Alternatively, you can run a similar test with white and off-white fabric. Pure white will look better on cool people, while off-white will look better on warm people.)

Left: Off-White. Right: Pure White. That Means I’m Cool, Yo.

What Are Your Good and Bad Colors?

Now that you know whether you’re a warm, cool or neutral, you can figure out which colors you look best in.

• Warm people look best in warm colors — yellow, orange and red
• Cool people look best in cool colors — green, blue and purple
• Neutral people look good in everything — lucky bastards

Stick to Colors That Fall In Your Camp

And when you know your good colors, figuring out your bad colors becomes easy. When you’re a warm, avoid cool colors. When you’re a cool, avoid warm colors.

Now, this is a very black-and-white guideline, and exceptions exist to these rules, but in general it will steer you in the right direction.

Still, when you’re a cool and a green shirt looks very off, trust your judgement.

Might be it’s not your shade. Might be it’s a yellowish green. Might be it’s a matter of personal taste.

In any case, you won’t feel great wearing it, so put it back on the rack.

Note: If you want to go much deeper down this rabbit hole though, check out this seasonal color analysis, which is on a women’s fashion site and in womens-fashiony language. So be warned: It’s pretty fucking confusing. (I’m still not sure exactly where I land on there.)

Try it Out

Go to a mall and try on a whole range of colors.

Try on both warm and cool colors, and see the difference it makes on your overall look. Try on colors you never-ever considered trying on before. Try on everything.

Don’t buy, just try and try and try. Make the salespeople think you’re a lunatic.

Seeing the difference between your good and bad colors will help train your eye. When you have a trained eye, you no longer need guidelines like these to help you decide whether something looks good on you or not. You’ll just know.

Your gut will tell you.

You just need to train your eye and trust your gut.

But until then, stick to your recommended colors.

And rock the shit out of them.

I don’t blame you — it’s pretty confusing.

But you can’t wear color until you figure out how to do it, right?

You’ll wear colors that clash and look like a fool.

So you just avoid colors for now. You stick to black, white and grey, with the blue of your jeans being the sole exception.
But that stops today.

Because you can wear colors — even if you don’t know how to match them. And you can do it without looking like a fool.

You just need to know how to avoid clashes.

And today you’ll learn how to do just that.

Basic Color Wheel

Color Matching is Confusing

Keeping track of which colors match and which colors clash is hard.

Even if you ignore the full color spectrum, and only look at basic colors, you still have a ton of possible combinations.

Just look at the basic color wheel pictured right.

This color wheel only has 12 colors in it, but that means you can combine them in 66 different ways. (Yeah, you got me, I had to look that up)

Figuring out which of those combinations match and which clash would be a pain.

So Let’s Try Something Else Instead

Instead of racking your brain trying to learn color matching, you should use the one color trick.

But before I tell you the one color trick, I need to explain about neutrals.

Neutrals are colors that work well with all other colors. They are impossible to clash, which is why they make great supporting pieces. If you’ve begun building your Restart Capsule, you should already have a few neutrals in your wardrobe.

Examples of neutral colors are:

• Black
• White
• Grey
• Navy
• Brown

(Note: Navy and brown are not technically neutrals, but work so well with such a high number of colors, they are considered as such in the world of fashion)

The One Color Trick

Since neutrals won’t clash, you can match them to any color you wish.

So instead of trying to match colors together, you simple wear a max of one color in your outfit, and keep the rest neutral.

This little splash of color will be enough to add a little pop to your outfit, and you’ll be completely safe from clashes.

I’ll show you some examples of outfits using the one color trick:

• Red shirt, grey blazer, black jeans
• White shirt, green jacket, khaki pants
• Grey T-shirt, black sweater, purple pants

Get the idea?

Now, Add Some Color to Your Wardrobe

So now I want you to go out and add some color to your wardrobe.

Go out and buy a colorful shirt, and then go home and try it on with some of your neutral items. You’ll see how well they play together.

You’ll be completely safe.

You don’t have to wear every color in the rainbow every time you leave the house. Just one splash of color is enough to add a touch of visual interest to your outfit.

One color per outfit is all it takes.

It’s a pretty simple trick, and anyone can pull it off.

So now you have no more excuse.

Start rocking some colors, dude.

How versatile is this T-shirt? Find out here!

If you’re a frequent reader of fashion blogs, you must be very familiar with the term “versatility”. It has become somewhat of a fluff-word, since it is used so often that it has almost lost its meaning.

Since I will probably make myself guilty of this on my own blog, I want to make clear what I really mean when I use the term.

I’ll also give you an easy system for judging an item’s versatility.

So without further ado…

What Does Versatility Mean in the World of Clothes?

The definition of versatility is: “having many uses or applications.”

In the world of fashion, this means that an item can be worn in many different ways; or a lot of different looks can be created with an item. You can measure an item’s versatility by looking at how many other clothes can be worn with it.

A white shirt is a men’s wardrobe staple. It’s something most men will (and should) have in their wardrobe. I have found basic items like these to be the most versatile types of clothes.

Now that doesn’t mean non-staple items aren’t versatile; there are varying degrees.

That’s why I’ve come up with a simple grading system you can use to judge items against each other on their versatility.

The Grades of Versatility

I’ve chosen to create this system, because I want to help you figure out what the most versatile items in your wardrobe are and which type of clothes are the best investments for a style novice.

So here are the different grades:

Grade A: Solid & Neutral

Solid clothes in neutral colors are easily the most versatile.

You can pair solid neutrals with any other swanky colors or patterns you can think of.

At first glance they may look a bit dull to you, but it’s actually their simplicity that makes them such valuable garments. Without these items you will have nothing to wear your more prominent items with.

Grade A’s are the building block of your wardrobe. They are the support that will make your statement pieces stand out.

The white shirt mentioned earlier is a prime example of a Grade A shirt.

Grade B: Solid & Color

Solid clothes in chromatic colors are the second most versatile items.

You can easily wear them with Grade A items, but you need to be careful wearing them with other colors.

You would first have to learn basic color theory and figure out which colors work together and which don’t.

Grade B items are an easy way to add a little zest to an outfit. A pop of color will make the look just a bit less ordinary. It will usually stand out more than a full Grade A ensemble.

Grade C: Patterned & Neutral

Patterned clothes in neutral colors are just a bit less versatile than Grade B’s.

The two are so close, that I contemplated putting them in the same category. However, it’s much harder to properly wear patterns together than it is to match colors.

In fact, don’t wear patterns together at all, until you have moved on to a more advanced stage.

Feel absolutely free to combine them with the previous two types of clothes though.

Grade D: Patterned & Color

Patterned clothes in chromatic colors are the hardest to combine.

Remember what I said before about not mixing patterns before you’ve developed a better sense of style? That means you can only wear Grade D’s with solid colors, providing the colors even match or are of the same hue.

Try wearing these items as the focal point of your outfit, and keep the rest toned down. This will stand out enough on its own. It doesn’t need any help.

Final Words of Advice

This system should prove very helpful to a style novice such as yourself. It will help you build a solid wardrobe filled with compatible clothes.

You should invest mostly in Grade A items, because for every statement piece, you need a couple of supporting pieces.

In the beginning, stick to wearing one grade B,C or D item at a time, and you can’t go wrong. It’ll keep your outfit basic, but not dull. Once you’ve developed your basic skills, you can try wearing higher graded items together.

Now I want to know what you think of this system. Do you think it will help you make better decisions on what to buy and/or what to wear? Let me know in the comments.

Image source

Time to Stop Looking Like You Robbed Your Daddy’s Closet

What follows is a guest post by Brock from The Modest Man. He shares some great tips for the shorter guys among you. 

The vast majority of men’s clothing companies make clothes for the average man, who is 5’9” and slightly overweight.

Your problem is that you’re shorter than average, so finding clothes that fit is a total pain. Sleeves are way too long. Dress shirts billow out at the waist. Pants always bunch up at your ankles.

You put on a suit for an interview or wedding and feel like a kid who got into his father’s closet. Your favorite Saturday-night button-down looks like a hand-me-down from an older brother.

And this sucks!

Because even if you’re ready to take your first steps to restart your style, you can’t find clothes off the rack that fit. So you’re at a disadvantage from the get go.

I feel your pain.

As a 5’6” guy, I struggled my whole life to find clothes that fit well — clothes that I felt confident in.

A few years ago, I decided to solve this problem. I hunted down the best clothing stores for short men and explored custom clothing options. I taught myself about alterations and starting getting my clothes tailored for a better fit.

It paid off.

Today, I love every article of clothing I own. The clothes in my closet all fit perfectly, and getting dressed in the morning has gone from a frustrating chore to a genuine pleasure.

I want you to experience the same delight getting dressed, so I’m going to give you seven very simple tips that you can use right away to step up your style game regardless of your short stature.

Hemmed Pants

1. Get Your Pants Hemmed

When you are below average height, almost every pair of pants you find in stores will be too long.

When your pants are too long, they puddle at your feet and make you look like a child.

The good news is, solving this problem is cheap, quick and can be done at almost any tailor or dry cleaner for 10-20 dollars.

Whenever you buy a new pair of pants, just tell your local dry cleaner you need them shortened.

If your pants have a hem (the extra material at the bottom of the pant leg), ask the tailor to keep the original hem. This is especially important for jeans!

Slim Tie

2. Pay Attention to Proportions

Ever wonder why even small and medium sizes don’t fit well?

They are sized down from the larger cuts, but the proportions aren’t altered for smaller body types.

Try these three easy ways to use proportions to your advantage:

1. Wear slimmer ties. If you are shorter than the average male, you are probably also smaller in general (narrower, thinner limbs, etc.). Thick accessories, like ties and scarves, will only make you look smaller. I recommend slim ties — not skinny ties — for a balanced look. (Bonus Tip: Try the Four-in-Hand knot instead of the standard Windsor and Half Windsor.)
2. Avoid thick belts and large belt-buckles. Same concept here. A thick belt with a large buckle will look too big for your body, thus making you look shorter than you really are.
3. Try medium or short-rise instead of low-rise pants. Low-rise pants make your legs look shorter by lowering the perceived waistline. If you have long legs and a short torso, this is fine. But if you have shorter legs (in proportion to your torso), you’ll want to avoid low rise pants (despite their current trendiness).

These tweaks can work wonders for your perceived proportions.

3. Stop Worrying About Dressing Taller

Most style tips for short men focus on dressing taller. They assume this is your goal, so they tell you to wear pinstripe suits and avoid horizontal stripes.

While some of this advice can help elongate and streamline your profile, most of it should be ignored. If you see a shirt with thick horizontal stripes that fits well and makes you happy, buy it and wear it proudly.

4. Avoid Heightening Shoes (a.k.a. risers).

Heightening shoes have unnecessarily thick soles to make people look taller. These shoes are very ugly and low quality. Avoid them at all costs.

Say NO to Risers

You can’t fool anyone. Height is genetically determined, and we can’t change it.

So embrace it. Find confidence elsewhere, despite of what you’ve been given physically.

You’ll feel much better about yourself in a sweet pair of polished Oxfords than a chunky pair of black risers.

5. Shop at the Store, but Buy Online

Have you ever found a great pair of shoes at the store, but the smallest size was an 8, when you needed a 6.5?

Next time, write the model number down, and buy it the right size from Zappos or Amazon.

Same goes for pants. Most stores carry jeans down to size 30×30, but they have smaller sizes online. Be patient, go home and order the correct size from your comfy chair.

Most companies have free returns these days, so stop fearing that it won’t work out and you’ll suffer buyer’s remorse.

You won’t. You’ll be glad you took the extra effort.

6. Use Specific Colors and Patterns To Your Advantage

I said you shouldn’t dress to look taller, but you can use certain patterns and colors to downplay your shortness.

You can do this two ways:

1. You can use solid, similar colors for a unified look. Dark pants and a dark shirt always work well. Or, if you prefer lighter colors, tan chinos with a white shirt. Another great option is dark blue jeans with a lighter blue shirt.
2. You can use vertical stripes to create a heightening effect and draw people’s attention toward your face. For best results, look for narrow stripes or herringbone patterns.

Try it, and see the results for yourself.

7. Go Custom

When all else fails, you can still have something custom made.

I still remember the first time I put on my first custom dress shirt. I had never before experienced such a feeling. Wearing a shirt that fit perfectly not only felt great against my torso, but seeing myself in the mirror shot my confidence through the roof.

Since then, I’ve become quite comfortable with the world of online, made-to-measure clothing.

I highly recommend that you give this a shot. Companies like CottonWork, Blank Label and Indochino make custom suits, blazers and pants for very reasonable prices.

Once you go custom, you will never buy another dress shirt or suit off the rack. You’ll avoid hours of sifting through the racks at crowded, overpriced department stores.

Parting Words

Using the tips outlined in this article, you will be able to find clothes that fit your body perfectly. Some extra effort is required, but it’s worth it to look great and feel confident.

You can find more style tips and advice for short men at my site TheModestMan.com, a blog dedicated to men under 5’8” who want to dress sharp, regardless of their height.

You Don’t Need to Spend it All to Create a Killer Wardrobe

Don’t you just hate rich people?

Life is so easy for them. Not only do they have everything they need, they get to look amazing as well.

When something catches their eye, they just throw a wad of money at it, never even bothering to look at the freaking price tag.

They’re always dressed to kill, without even thinking. Their personal stylists and shoppers tell them what looks good and what doesn’t. They don’t have a worry in the world.

If only you had their money, their bank accounts, their credit cards. You’d be looking just as good. Better even.

But you don’t.

You’re stuck with a second-rate salary, and you can’t spend too much of it on your wardrobe. You only go shopping once in a blue moon, and it already costs way too much. Spending more would break your bank account.

The price tag for looking good is just too high.

But what if it wasn’t?

What if you didn’t have to break your bank account to afford stylish clothes?

You Can Reinvent Your Wardrobe Without Spending a Fortune

Back when I decided to rebuild my wardrobe, I only had a part-time job, so I had very little money to spend. Clothes were already pretty costly, and now I had to start investing in the stylish stuff. I assumed I’d have to go full-on frugal to afford it.

But I was wrong. I didn’t need as much money as I thought. Most of my beliefs on the cost-to-style relationship for clothes turned out false.

Many of you have emailed me that your second-rate salary holds you back from improving your wardrobe. Well, today you’ll come to understand a second-rate salary is plenty to do so.

We just need to destroy a few of your false beliefs. (Remember Rule #2?)

So let’s get started on that.

False Belief 1: Clothes Shopping is Expensive

In the past, I considered clothes shopping an expensive endeavor. I would spend around $300 every time I went, so I always put it off.

But now I realize it only seemed expensive, because I put it off. I only went about once every six months, which amounts to a lousy $50/m on clothing cost.

What sounds better to you? Spending $300 in one day or spending $50/m for the next six months?

In both cases you spend the same amount, but the latter seems more doable, right?

So instead of shopping sporadically and buying in bulk when you do, go shopping regularly and spread your expenses over time.

False Belief 2: You Need to Buy a Ton of New Clothes at Once

This belief is false on two fronts:

First, you don’t need as many clothes as you think.

When I built my wardrobe foundation, I discovered I could combine the various pieces in different ways, giving me plenty of outfits. Invest in versatility, and you can do the same.

Versatile clothes allow you to create 36 different outfits with just 10 clothes.

Second, you don’t need to overhaul your entire wardrobe at once.

As I built my foundation, I just wore my new clothes with the ones I already owned.

My old clothes didn’t fit the new look I was going for, and they certainly didn’t fit my body perfectly. As I built the wardrobe I wanted, I got rid of them, but I was in no hurry.

Remember your style journey isn’t a race.

False Belief 3: You Need to Invest in Expensive Clothes

Many guys assume they need to buy expensive goods to improve their style.

Who can blame them? Just open a GQ, and look at the prices of the items they promote. They’re pretty damn steep.

But buying expensive clothes won’t fix your style. Learning how to put a great outfit together will.

You could buy a $700 blazer from Versace or a $100 blazer from Zara, but the only thing that matters is how it looks on you.

Maybe the Versace blazer is somewhat higher quality, and maybe it will last somewhat longer — honestly, I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say — but the biggest part of the price difference comes from the brand. And nobody, except for a few fashion-nuts, will care or even notice.

I recommend you stick to affordable clothes, especially when you’re in the early stages of your style education. Mistakes you make will hurt a lot less when you haven’t sacrificed half a month’s paycheck on them.

You’re better off learning the ropes with clothes you can actually afford.

False Belief 4: Cheap Clothes Can’t Be Stylish

Shirt: $20, Jeans: $50, Belt: Err… Can’t remember.

You think cheap clothes can’t be stylish, because you assume they’d be more expensive if they were — which seems like a logical conclusion.

I held this belief once. I cry myself to sleep sometimes over all the money I’ve blown on overpriced jeans.

Assuming stores would charge more for their most stylish clothes makes sense, but style doesn’t decide the price. Consumers decide the price.

Statement pieces are more expensive, because they make you go “Ooh! Cool! Me want one!”

People are more willing to spend on them.

Supporting pieces are cheaper, because they don’t invoke much of a reaction on their own.

Who’s gonna spend $30 on a plain white tee, $70 on a plain grey sweater or $200 on a pair of plain blue jeans?

Nobody.

Most people see supporting pieces as boring, because we have a blind spot for them.

When we see a magazine ad, the statement pieces catch our attention. We don’t even see the white shirt, the camel chinos, or the grey sweater. We only see the bold red, polka-dotted tie. (And that’s the point)

Supporting pieces are the building blocks of a great outfit, so you’ll be happy to hear stores practically try to give them away.

Not only are they incredibly cheap, stores often offer buy-in-bulk deals.

• “2 for the price of 1!”
• “Buy 3 and get 30% off!”
• “Buy 2 and the 3rd is free!”

Just don’t get too easily persuaded by these deals. You still have to make sure everything fits, because spending so much as $1 on a T-shirt that fits poorly is still a waste.

And don’t use this article as an excuse to skimp. Use it to resists overspending.

Start Shopping Smart

Okay, enough belief-shattering for today.

Let’s turn you into a super-smart shopping machine, yeah?

With the following plan, you’ll discover the best stores for you, protect yourself from overspending and focus on the clothes you need without getting sidetracked.

Step 1: Unearth Your Best Stores

The first step is determining which stores sell the clothes that fit your body closest.

You have to identify the stores selling your best-fitting shirts, the stores selling your best-fitting pants, the stores selling your best-fitting blazers, etc. These may be three entirely different stores.

Take a day for each type of garment, and visit every — and I mean EVERY — store in your local shopping center.

The rules:

• Focus on one item at a time. You won’t find enough time to visit every store, and you won’t memorize all the proper fits of all the different types of clothes at once. Focusing on one item at a time will be less overwhelming.
• Forget past prejudices. Try out the stores you assume too crappy or too expensive. Maybe they are, or maybe you find out they’re not as bad as you think.
• Don’t stop when you’ve found a good store. You may still find better ones.
• Leave your wallet at home. Bringing your wallet will tempt you to buy something, which could prompt you to drop your search.

You’re not shopping. You’re evaluating. You’re finding stores for future reference.

You want to end up with a short list of the best stores for you, so when you start the shopping process, you’ll know exactly which stores to visit, and which to skip. You’ll be done in a jiffy.

Step 2: Set a Monthly Style Budget

Your Awesome Style Budget

Instead of blowing a big wad of money every so often, you will spread your spending over time.

Every month you receive your paycheck, you will withdraw a set amount and put it in an envelope marked “My Awesome Style Budget”.

The rules:

• Withdraw your budget as soon as you’re able. Putting it off will make you forget.
• Go shopping on your first off-day after you receive your paycheck. Postponing your clothes-shopping will tempt you to take money from your envelope to spend on other things.
• Take only the money in your envelope. Leave your wallet and credit cards at home. You’ll keep yourself from overspending and from wasting money on impulse buys.

When an item costs more than your budget allows, simply save the money in your envelope for a month, and buy it the next one.

Building some early momentum is important, so I suggest you set your starters budget around $100/m. After you’ve built a solid foundation, you can decrease the budget a bit, if you want.

Step 3: Create a Shopping Plan

Before you go out, make a list of the clothes you need. Start with foundational items, like the ones in the Restart Capsule.

Find out the average price of each item on your list. You don’t have to be ultra-specific as you’ll only use these as guidelines. Try websites and online stores.

When you’re done, you’re ready to plan your shopping.

Simply divide your list in segments, making sure each segment’s combined cost matches your budget, and every month you go out and buy one segment.

Let me give you an example:

Now Go Build a Killer Wardrobe

As humans, we operate under a set of beliefs.

Beliefs can empower you, but they can also limit our progress. They tell us we can’t do something, and then our minds develop evidence to back it up.

I’ve done my best to shatter your false beliefs, but the only way to truly erase them from your mind is to take action and see for yourself.

You have to replace your mind’s so-called evidence with your own, seeing-it-with-your-own-eyes experience.

By shopping smartly, you’ll quickly discover that the cost of rebuilding your wardrobe is far less than you imagined.

You have plenty of money to get started.

Don’t worry about expensive clothes at this point. You don’t need a Porsche to learn how to drive, and you don’t need fancy designer clothes to learn how to dress yourself.

Learn to create awesome outfits with affordable clothes before you even consider the high-priced items.

And once you’re ready to spend big, you’ll already have a killer wardrobe at your disposal.

You need to trim that shit!
source

We all want a bit of variety in our outfits, since we don’t want to be sporting the exact same look day in and day out.

Most guys try to add variety to their wardrobe by filling their closets up with tons of clothes. This isn’t necessary.

In fact, having a wardrobe bulging with clothes is very impractical. It will take you a long time to find what you need, and most of the clothes in there will hardly ever be worn.

Seriously, open your closet and take out every piece you haven’t worn in the last 3 weeks. I bet you’ll find a lot.

It doesn’t have to be like this.

You can actually have a lot of outfit variety with just a few clothes, as long as you pick the right ones.

The Flawed Assumption: More Variety Equals More Clothes

Most people assume you need a full wardrobe to have a lot of choice.

The reason they assume this is that their current clothes only work well in a couple of outfits.

They go shopping, see a really cool shirt and buy it on impulse. Then they start looking around for items that work with the shirt, until they feel they have compiled a nice looking outfit.

This seems like a smart shopping method, but it’s usually applied very inefficiently.

While they may add a really great outfit to their wardrobe, they’re not adding a lot of variety.

Why Your Clothes Aren’t Adding Variety to Your Wardrobe

The thing about most guys is that they don’t want to wear “bland” outfits, and they think bland outfits are created with bland clothes.

So when they go shopping for something new, there has to be something about it that sets is apart.

Then, when they have made a purchase, they start looking for something to combine the piece with.

But of course, this item can’t be too dull either.

Let me show you why this system doesn’t work.

Example

Imagine a guy buying a really eye-catching red graphic tee.

Something like this?
source

He wants to have something to combine it with, so after searching a while he comes across this cardigan:

Bingo!
source

Now he goes home feeling great about the wicked new clothes he’s bought himself, and adds them to his wardrobe.

So what has this guy achieved?

Since this is his usual shopping method, you can be sure that neither of the two items will match with the rest of his wardrobe very well.

He’s purchased 2 items, but he’s only added 1 outfit to his wardrobe.

There’s got to be a smarter way of doing this, right?

How to Increase Your Options Exponentially with Each Purchase

The secret to adding maximum variety to your wardrobe with each purchase is to invest in versatile items.

You want to buy clothes that can be matched to as many other pieces as possible, rather than just what you buy them with.

The more versatile clothes you have, the more outfit options each purchase will add.

You’d be amazed how fast your choice can grow with just a few wardrobe additions.

Check out this guest article I did for Image Granted to get an idea.

36 options with just 10 clothes

If any item you bought would add 12 (or more) new options to your wardrobe, how many clothes would you really need?

Action Step: Invest in Versatility

What I want you to do is create a list of Grade A versatile items that you could add to your closet.

List items from different categories of clothing, such as shirts, pants, jackets, etc.

Then, go out and buy them.

Items you may have previously considered “bland” can be used to create very interesting outfits. It just takes a bit of creativity. Try mixing and matching them in different ways, and you’ll quickly develop a couple of looks that you like.

Investing in versatility will guarantee you a whole new bunch of outfit choices with every purchase you make.

Not only that, but you’ll be able to buy whatever you like, and you won’t have to scour the shops for any matchable clothes. They will already be present in your wardrobe.

How great would you feel being able to make any purchase you like, knowing you have plenty of clothes to combine it with? Let’s hear it in the comments!

One of Many Looks in This Article

Think you need a lot of clothes if you want to have some variety in your wardrobe?

Think again!

You don’t need a lot of clothes if you make sure all of them match together well. The easiest way to do this, is by investing in versatile items.

Now, I’ve mentioned before how versatile items can be mixed and matched in different ways to create a plethora of different outfits, but today I thought I’d actually show you.

I’m going to show you how to create 20 different looks with a set of only 8 clothes, which I’ve taken from the Restart Capsule.

These are the clothes:

• Solid white T-shirt
• Solid white shirt
• Dark blue jeans
• Camel chinos
• Grey V-neck sweater
• Navy blazer
• Brown leather shoes
• Brown leather belt

And these are the looks:

Let’s Start With the 3 Ultimate Wardrobe Staples

4 Looks with 3 Classics

Now, I know what you must be thinking, but you’re wrong… I’m not a professional model and I didn’t hire a photographer for this. I realize the pictures turned out beautiful, but they were taken in my own backyard with my own piece-of-crap camera.

On to the point: In these picture I’m wearing only 3 different items (not counting the shoes and belt), but I’m creating 4 different looks, simply by wearing the items in slightly different ways.

This is why I love shirts. You can button them, unbutton them, tuck them in, leave the untucked, roll up the sleeves, etc. There’s just so much you can do with them.

Note: Though these outfits work fine on their own, you may want to add one of more accessories to make these looks more you. 

Notice the Difference When We Change the Jeans for Chinos

Wow, I Look Like Another Person!

These are the exact same outfits as the ones above, but I swapped the jeans for a pair of chinos. See how much much different the looks become when we change the bottom half?

We’re going to be continuing this trick for the next couple of pictures.

Now Let’s Add a Sweater…

Fall is Coming, Time to Start Layering

Time to start the layering fun.

A grey sweater is great to wear over a shirt of T-shirt. I’d usually wear a crew neck T-shirt under a V-neck sweater though, but I didn’t want to cheat. Just saying…

Or Maybe a Blazer…

Man, I Heart my Navy Blazer

Ah yes, the blazer. Need I even say anything? That is sharp, baby.

Try wearing one unbuttoned to create a few more looks.

Or Hell, How About Both?

Completely Layered Up

Start wearing your blazer over your sweaters. It’s such an easy way to create new looks for yourself, and it just looks awesome. It’s warm too!

Try These Out for Yourself

These are all great looks that you can emulate, but remember that they are examples. I’m not telling you to dress like me.

You have to try these outfits out yourself, and create the looks that you like wearing.

Experiment with them, expand on them, and create a look of your own.

Stop This Guy!

Have your friends ever made fun of the new clothes you wore?

I’m sure they have. It’s a pretty common occurrence among guys.

Whenever you try something new (e.g. a hat, a scarf, or a leather jacket), your friends will notice and they will feel an unconquerable need to comment on it. It’s unavoidable.

Now you may have some friends that will give you a compliment, but more often you’ll receive mockery instead.

Some guys will be self-assured enough to shrug these comments off, but others will lose the confidence to ever wear the item again.

It’s a problem that holds a lot of guys back from improving their style.

That’s why I’m going to tell you how to deal with it.

How Most Guys Try to Deal with Mockery

Most guys go into defense-mode when they’re being mocked.

They’re on the road to improvement and they’re expecting a few jabs along the way. Their favorite blogger has told them they shouldn’t care what anyone else thinks.

“Your friends make fun because they’re jealous. They don’t want you to improve yourself, because they don’t want the group dynamic to change. At least you have the balls to try new things and work on your style.”

So when their friends attack, they start repeating those words.

“You’re all just jealous! Wah!”

Of course, this only adds fuel to the fire. It won’t make their friends stop. It will only make them more motivated to take you down a notch.

Why do you think they’re cracking jokes in the first place?

You’re Changing Their Reality

Your friends crack jokes, because you’re changing their reality with your newly improved style.

You’re changing your look, but you’re also changing their perception of you. They’re not used to seeing you dressed up, and they need time to adapt. Joking about it is their way of dealing with it.

They may even be a bit afraid of the change, because they worry they might lose you as a friend. They might feel like you’re outgrowing them, and it’s a lot easier to mock you than to grow with you.

Instead of fighting back against their comments and insulting them, you should try and show them you’re still the same old you… Just dressed a lot sharper.

So how do you do it?

Join in on the Fun

What you need to do is start cracking jokes about your new clothes along with them.

This accomplishes a couple of things:

• It shows them you’re still the same guy they know and love. They can still have fun with you. You’re still part of their group and you’re in on their jokes.
• It show them you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing, and nothing they say can break that.
• It alleviates all their commentary.

If you’re the one laughing the hardest, they can’t hurt you. They will see you’re not going to break under their pressure and they will be quicker to accept your new look. Heck, they may just start coming to you for fashion advice. Just ask Barron.

Show them you’re still part of their group

Now, I’m not saying you should instigate your own mocking, but when your friends inevitably start, you want to top each one of their jokes with one of your own.

The “Yes, and…” Technique

The “Yes, and…” technique, which comes from an old improv exercise, is excellent for dealing with mockery.

It works as follows: Whenever someone makes a joke at your expense, you simply agree with it, and then expand on it.

You just say “Yes, and [insert your joke]” That’s all there is to it.

Let me give you some examples:

See how easy that is? You’re taking their joke, and you make it an even bigger joke. It puts you in control of the conversation.

If you’re worried that you don’t have the improvising chops to pull this off, then remember that your joke doesn’t have to be comedic gold. Your friends will probably like your sense of humor already, so you don’t have to try hard. Just say whatever pops into mind.

Alright, Let’s Put You to the Test!

Let me show you how easy it is to use the “Yes, and…” technique.

Imagine I am one of your friends and we made plans to go out for a few drinks. You’re looking a bit dressier than usual, so I say…

“Oooooh la la! Look at you all dressed up. I had no idea this was a date!”

What is your comeback to that? Let’s hear it in the comments!

A Yellow Blazer Will Catch Some Attention

A movie star is nothing without a supporting cast, a star football player is useless without a supporting team, and a statement piece is worthless without supporting clothes.

You need both items to create a great outfit, but guys often fall into one of two categories:

1. Guys that wear too many statement clothes without any supporting pieces.
2. Guys that only wear supporting pieces.

The first type is trying too hard to stand out and the second type is trying too hard to blend in. Neither of which is desirable.

You want your outfits to have a little pop, but you don’t want to overdo it.

The way to do this is by finding the right balance between the clothes that catch attention and the ones that let them shine.

The Clothes that Catch Attention

Statement pieces are the items in your outfit that catch people’s attention. Things like bold colored clothing, leather jackets or accessories. They are that little bit of extra flavour you add to your outfit to make it pop.

Statement pieces: The striped T-shirt, the red pants, the leather jacket

Statement pieces are the clothes that tempt you to buy them, which has led to many men suffering from statement-overload.

Wearing too many statement pieces, as I mentioned in last week’s article, will make you look like a try-hard.  It’s like you’re begging for everyone’s attention, and it sends the wrong message.

It also creates a look that’s too busy. There’s too much going on, and the eye can’t decide what part of your outfit to focus on.

That’s why statement pieces need to be anchored, and that’s where supporting pieces come in.

The Clothes That Let Them Shine

Supporting pieces: Grey sweater and camel chinos

Supporting pieces don’t get nearly as much attention as statement pieces. They’re the items that make sure your statement pieces get to shine. They are simple, understated items, like plain white T-shirts, grey sweaters or camel chinos. (Wait, those are all in the restart capsule!)

On their own they don’t seem that special, but I’ve learned to love these under-acknowledged items a lot more than their attention-hogging counterparts.

Supporting pieces are the cornerstone of your wardrobe. They are the items that make sure you always have something to wear with whatever you buy. They are the foundation on which you build your wardrobe.

If your outfit is a masterpiece, then the supporting pieces are its canvas. It’s up to you to make it look amazing.

Now, while too many statement pieces can make you look too busy and try-hard, you actually can create pretty good outfits with supporting pieces alone… You just run the risk of looking a bit dull.

That’s why the best way to create a great outfit is to find the right balance.

You Need to Find a Balance That Works For You

I can’t tell you exactly what the right balance is for you, because you’re just going to have to experiment with it a bit, but I can tell you that you will need more supporting pieces than statement pieces.

Think: 3-4 supporting pieces for every statement piece.

Although you can wear multiple statement pieces within the same outfit and look amazing, I suggest you style novices don’t get ahead of yourselves.

Wear Only 1 Statement Piece at a Time

A scarf, for example

If you fall into the second category of guys mentioned at the start of this article, you don’t want to jump into wearing too many statement pieces at the same time.

If you fall into the first category, you need to learn how to dial it down.

In either case, I want you to start wearing just 1 statement piece in all your outfits.

Keep your whole outfit understated, but add a single item that will catch the eye. Whether this is a neckchain, a bold red shirt or a hat is up to you.

Just make sure to keep the rest of your outfit supportive of that 1 item. Make that 1 item the thing that people will notice about your outfit.

I’m willing to bet you’ll receive some compliments on that item, but you should never forget, that even though the statement piece is taking the limelight, the supporting pieces are letting it shine.

So now it’s time for you to share…

What statement pieces do you already have in your wardrobe? What are your favorite ones to wear? How will you wear them from now on? Share it with us in the comments below!

And if you think this post could benefit other guys, please share it on Facebook, or click here to tweet about it. 

At least he gets sponsored for it.

You know how they say branded clothing makes you look like a walking advertisement?

Well, when I was young and stupid, I looked like Times Square on legs. I carried more brands on my person than a formula 1 race-car driver.

I was billboarding from head to toe.

But now, when I see somebody wearing a big obvious brand, it just makes me fall to my knees, throw my hands up in the air, and scream “WHY, GOD, WHY?!”

And that’s only a slight exaggeration.

Everybody should know by now that billboarding is a big fashion no-no. So why do guys still do it?

Well, God has never given me a response, but I’ll try to answer that without devine assistance.

Why Does a Billboarder Billboard?

I totally understand the brand’s perspective for producing these clothes. The more their brand gets seen, the more they get recognized. It’s not just free promotion for them. It’s promotion they get paid for.

But why do we choose to put them on?

If you do a search on the web for most-common men’s fashion mistakes, you’ll find billboarding is included in almost any list. (See here, here and here) So you’d think that any guy, at one point in his life, must have read about it. It’s just that common.

So what’s the deal? Why are so many guys still wearing a big logo on their chest?

Reason #1: They Want to Show Off

There’s one type of guy who just wants to show off that they can afford brand clothing.

If you’re one of these guys, here’s a piece of advice: Stop being a douche.

It’s never a classy move to show off your wallet. It just comes across as compensation for your insecurities, which is never attractive.

Reason #2: They Want to Belong

The other type of billboarder just wants to show people they belong to a certain social group.

Social groups tend to have their own style of clothing, and they often have specific brands that they wear.

• A preppy guy could be seen wearing Ralph Lauren, Lacoste or A&F.
• A hip-hopper could be seen wearing Karl Kani, Evisu or Phat Farm.
• A jock could be seen wearing Nike, Reebok or Adidas.

So if you want to be recognized as a hip-hopper, or if you want to be accepted into the hip-hop community, a big fat Phat Farm logo across your chest just might do the trick. It’s not necessary though.

An Obvious Prep

If you just want to belong, then don’t worry. I’m not going to call you a douche. (Phew!) Just know that even though it might not be your intention, you still come across as a show-off. I’m sure this is not how you want people to perceive you.

Besides, do you really need to put a label on yourself, to tell people who you are?

Instead of Relying on a Brand’s Identity, Create Your Own

The clothes you wear tell other people something about yourself. They communicate part of your identity.

When you go around billboarding, you’re communicating some company’s identity instead. Wouldn’t you rather have it be your own?

Then you need to find a personal style for yourself.

What’s Your Identity?

Okay, calm down. I can almost hear you crying “But Robert, I don’t know what my personal style is!”

Well, I can’t really help you there. Like I said, it’s something that you need to find for yourself, but investing in some grade-A versatile items is a good start.

Like I explained before, these types of clothes can serve as a blank canvas on which you can paint your personality. (Not literally!)

Once you have developed a good wardrobe foundation, you can add some interesting items to it that are characteristic of who you are. That way you rely on your own creativity, rather than someone else’s.

This is not a process that you’ll complete within a month. You’ll need time to find your style, and you need to experiment. You have no idea how many crap I bought before I figured out what I wanted to look like.

But my journey to find my own style took a giant leap when I stopped billboarding. So here’s what you need to do ASAP:

Get Rid of Clothes with Excessive Branding

Throw them in the trash. Don’t even donate them to charity, because even poor people don’t deserve to look like walking advertisements. (I’m only half kidding)

And then just STOP buying clothes with excessive branding. A tiny, subtle logo is acceptable, but I suggest you try out some clothes, on which the only branding you find is on the tag.

So don’t feel ashamed if you’re a billboarder. I’ve been there myself, as have many other people. You’re actually lucky, because you can now take a very easy step to improving your style. You just need to stop billboarding.

Do you agree that this crime against fashion should stop? Then let’s hear from you n the comments, and share this article with your friends, or tweet about it.