HOW TO DRESS LIKE A GENTLEMAN

Dressing well is a nightmare for most guys. There are so many questions to be answered: how do you choose the right colour? How do you find the right tailor? Do you wear a blazer or a suit? With or without cufflinks? In this piece, we try to demystify it all for you.

Let’s face it, guys. How we dress matters. Even if you’re the kind of man who loves to laze around in shorts and sandals, there will come a time when you will be invited to an event where you have to ‘suit up’. We know, we dread times such as these too, but when it happens, we think that all men should be prepared.

The funny thing is that it doesn’t take much to dress like a gentleman and add a touch of class to your appearance. Granted, you may not turn heads for the right reasons, but you won’t be turning them for the wrong ones either.

Here are some tips you can use to spruce up your dressing sense.

1 Know your measurements

This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised by how many guffaws can be avoided by having your clothes stitched for your measurements. Keep a spreadsheet with a record of your numbers, and keep updating them every six months or so to keep up with your weight loss and gain. In addition to this, be aware of your body’s individual quirks so that your clothes can be made to address them. For instance, one of your shoulders may hang lower than the other, or your left thigh may be bigger than the right, etc.

2 Know your surroundings

It’s important that you know your clothing style and needs. If you’re in a corporate office, a full-sleeves shirt and a pair of pants will probably do. If you’re a senior manager, you will perhaps need to invest in a few suits. A lawyer, a student and an artist will all have different needs. Make a list of all the places that you go to generally, and the kind of clothes you’re expected to wear at each place. Then narrow it down to the pieces that are most versatile and buy just them.

3 Know your alterations tailor

No matter how well you get your clothes made for yourself, you will find that garments need alterations now and then. This could be either due to your body shrinking or expanding, or the same happening with your clothes. (Yes, even expensive linen can shrink with washing.) Have a good alterations tailor that knows you well, and make sure you know what can and cannot be altered. As a rule of thumb, do not buy anything that is one size too small or too large because alterations then will be costly.