To help further, here are some specifics on how items should fit. These are directly taken from our client education material where I’m actually teaching you how things should fit and what looks best on you.

These are just the basics that every guy should know...

For Tops:

Length: For most untucked shirts, the hem should land around the middle of the zipper or groin area, give or take an inch.

Sleeves: Should end right at the hinge of your wrist and follow the natural shape of your arm, leaving just a pinch of fabric through the entire arm.

Shoulder: The seam should land right at the end of your shoulder bone, right before the curve of your shoulder.

Chest + Torso (Cut/Fit): Be able to grab a pinch of extra fabric away from the body, but not a handful. It should follow the natural contour of the body without squeezing. There should be no strain on the buttons.

For Bottoms:

Waist: The waist should be loose enough for two fingers to fit inside but tight enough to stay in place without a belt. Tension lines around the fly or the pockets popping open mean the waist is too small.

Rise: The pants should sit as high on the waist as possible without discomfort.

Back/Seat: The back pockets should be squarely on your butt, not below it.

Thigh/Taper (Cut/Fit): Think of this as how wide the pant legs are. The pant leg should mimic the way your actual leg looks - larger in the thigh and then narrowing or "tapering" down the leg. You should be able to grab a small pinch of fabric anywhere throughout the leg.

Inseam (Length): The overall length of the pant should end at the shoe. There should be enough fabric to cover the top of the shoe, but not enough to pool up.

Just remember, it’s actually very easy to tell if something fits you or not. When you try on an item, look for two things: excess fabric or tension. Excess fabric means it’s too loose. Tension means it’s too tight.

The goal is to have just enough fabric that it drapes your body cleanly without squeezing it. This typically is just a pinch of extra fabric away from your body.

That’s all there is to it. Not too tight, not too loose. Items should just fit.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick


P.S. If you know your clothes don’t fit the way they should, and you’re tired of guessing, this is exactly what we help with.

We’ll show you what fits your body, what colors and styles work best on you, and build a wardrobe around your life with items you actually love.

Here's how you can work with me:

1. You can work with me online with our personal styling transformation package, where my team and I will show you what looks best on you, from hairstyle to colors to brands, and then build you a full shopping list and look-book of new items specifically tailored to you, with 1-on-1 support as you're getting your items and putting it all together.

2. You can work with me 1-on-1 in-person to completely transform your wardrobe in one day. We'll go through and edit your existing wardrobe first. Then, you'll go on a personal shopping trip where we've got all your clothing preselected for you, waiting in private dressing rooms for you to try on. All your clothing will be tailored to fit perfectly as needed. By the end of it, you'll have a completely revamped look and a wardrobe of items you love that actually fit.

3. Apply for a 20-minute call with me here, and we can chat about what would work best for you. If you're unclear on the options and you want feedback on your unique situation, this is the best place to start. The call is complimentary with ten open slots per week.

If you said the lamp looks too large for the space, you'd be correct. Notice that your eye jumps right to it, and it overwhelms the space and the items that surround it.

The goal should be to have all of the elements in balance, whether that's a room or an outfit, without one visually overwhelming the other.

Let's use an example with clothing.

The pants on the left look much too large; that's easy to see. But think about what this is doing visually. It exacerbates both areas - his top half looks much too small, and his bottom half looks much too big.

On the left, we can see that everything is equally balanced and proportionate, making his silhouette look much more balanced and attractive.

Let's take another example...

You can see that with a narrow and tapered pant, a wide and chunky shoe looks unbalanced, leading the leg to look even narrower and the foot to look even larger.

On the right, you can see harmony between the pants and the shoes, leading to a much better-looking outfit. The proportions aren't fighting each other, and no one piece is overwhelming the other.

The pieces you put together in an outfit should feel like they belong together and always pair like with like. If you're pairing an item with a slimmer fit, pair it with other slimmer items, and vice versa.

Below, you can see an example of how, regardless of whether you're wearing a relaxed fit or a slimmer fit, the outfit looks good when the items are kept in proportion to each other.

The key takeaway: A good outfit is not just about whether each piece looks good on its own. It’s about whether everything makes sense together proportionally.

This is why most men struggle to dress themselves by guessing what to buy and what to wear. They buy individual pieces instead of understanding the full picture

Getting style right is usually less about buying tons more and more about learning what is works for your build, shape, and overall look.

So as you put together outfits this coming week, think about how each item relates to the others and make sure everything stays proportionate. You'll create a lot better outfits just by using this one trick.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick


P.S. Here are three ways I can help you:

1. You can work with us online with our personal styling transformation package, where my team and I will show you what looks best on you, from hairstyle to colors to brands, and then build you a full shopping list and lookbook of new items specifically tailored to you, with 1-on-1 support as you're getting your items and putting it all together. 2K minimum budget required.

2. You can work with me 1-on-1 in-person to completely transform your wardrobe in one day. We'll go through and edit your existing wardrobe first. Then, you'll go on a personal shopping trip where we've got all your clothing preselected for you, waiting in private dressing rooms for you to try on. By the end of it, you'll have a completely revamped look with a wardrobe of items you love that fit perfectly. 4K minimum budget required.

3. Apply for a 20-Minute Style Strategy Call with me here, and we can chat about what would work best for you. If you're unclear on the options and you want feedback on your unique situation, this is the best place to start. The call is complimentary with ten open slots per week.

01 | TAKE A TRIP TO THE NEAREST TAILOR

After working with 1200+ guys, I can tell you that every one of them would have benefited from having some of their clothing tailored.

You probably already have a few items in mind that could use a bit of an adjustment. If there are a few items you love but you know they don’t fit you as well as they could, start there.
I’ve found that for most guys, 20-30% of their wardrobe usually needs to be tailored. If you’ve got more nuanced issues with sizing, such as being taller, shorter, more muscular, etc., expect that number to go up. I'd guess tailor close to 40% of my items.

The best thing about tailoring is that you don’t have to be exactly sure how it’s supposed to fit - you just need to know that something is off. A tailor can help you work through what that is. If it can’t be altered, they’ll let you know. But you can tailor a surprising number of things.

Almost all the alterations I see a client needs when I’m working with them in our personal styling service are either shortening pants and shorts to a better length or taking in the sides of tops so they don’t look so boxy. You’ll likely be doing the same to most of your items.
Get a small pile of items together and head to the closest tailor to you. You don’t need the best right now. Your alterations are likely very simple. You need someone close by so you’ll actually use them.

02 | GET RID OF COMPLICATION

Most men think they need to add more. More patterns, colors, items, etc.,

This mostly creates complexity and mental strain when you’re trying to get ready.

Think about it like this: When you’re learning to cook, do you want to try a recipe with 50 ingredients and pages worth of instructions? Instead, you’d be better off starting with a dish made from simple ingredients and clear, easy-to-follow instructions.

Walk before you run. Most guys' style issues stem from trying to do too much. Simplify. You do this in two ways:

First, simplify your closet. There’s stuff in there you haven’t worn and will never wear. Your mind is trying to look at all the available pieces to put together an outfit, and it’s burning out trying to figure out what actually works and what doesn’t. We need to free up mental space.

Pull the weeds.

Once you do, you’ll have an easier time creating outfits because you’re only left with good ingredients. I promise you this is a much more important step than purchasing new clothing right now.

Second, simplify your outfits. Less is truly more here. You don’t need more color. Everything doesn’t have to have a pattern on it. You can wear something without logos or graphics.

The more you simplify your items, the easier it is to pair things. When you add color, pattern, etc., you now have more elements to consider when pairing. It’s like the more ingredients you add to a dish, the more you have to worry about them all blending well together.

Stop and simplify. Use neutral colors and solid items, and you’ll see how much easier it is to pair things together.

If you want to add some spice to your outfit, you can always:

03 | ADD A THIRD PIECE

Layers. You need them.

This is one of the easiest ways to elevate an outfit. Instead of adding more color, pattern, etc., just add a layer. This can be anything you put over the top of another item.

Start with something like a plain white tee, then add an overshirt or jacket.

This adds depth and dimension to the outfit, spicing up something that may otherwise be considered boring.
I find that a lot of the clients I work with just don’t have many options here, so if that’s you, it’s one of the first pieces I would think about adding in when you…

04 | SHOP FOR ONLY 5 PIECES

Yes, only five.

Most of your issues with shopping come from the overwhelm of not knowing where to go or what to buy. You feel like you need to rebuild a huge chunk of your wardrobe when you go out shopping, and you feel pressure to make purchases, even if you probably shouldn’t.

The goal is not to leave with the most clothing; the goal is to leave with the most useful clothing.

5 items can change a lot. A fun layering piece, a good pair of shoes, a better-fitting pair of trousers, etc., and you’ve not only got a good outfit, but you’ve got pieces that can elevate all of your existing outfits.

You may have a sense of what you need already. If you don’t, you can use this wardrobe guide I’ve developed to help get you started. It’s free.

05 | DON'T BE LAZY

A quick reminder that a lot of this is effort-related.

I live in San Diego, one of the worst dress places in the country, where flip-flops are acceptable (and often encouraged) for every occasion.

When you’re surrounded by casual attire and guys who don’t care, it’s easy to slip. Most guys don’t actually give a damn. Don’t let that be you. It’s your strategic advantage.

Because of most men's complacency, you’ve got an edge. If you even attempt to put together something smart, you’ll do better than most. It’s never been easier. Don’t let that opportunity go to waste.

So next time you’re putting together an outfit, apply yourself a little. Wear something more elevated than you might normally choose. Think about how to pair something differently than you normally do. Just think about it. Even 30 seconds of effort can yield you a better-looking outfit.


Quick wins are helpful. They give you a good place to work from.

Style itself is a quick win. There is no better way to instantly increase your attractiveness, status, and self-confidence than by putting on clothes that look good on you.

So building out your wardrobe and improving your style is something you should take seriously.

And if you want help with it all, you can work with me to do it.

You’ll have me and my team 1-on-1, personally build your wardrobe and style you so you never have to worry about shopping or putting together the right outfits.

It's what all this was all designed for - we've taken over 1200 guys through this personal styling process, getting them looking and feeling their best.

You can schedule a complimentary call with me here, and I’ll give you the details.

Hope this helps.

Patrick

Think about it like grocery shopping.

You don’t just head to the store, wander the aisles, and hope the right stuff somehow ends up in your cart. You go in with a list. And usually that list is based on what you want to make or how you want to eat that week.

Your wardrobe should work the same way.

Once you’ve got the strategy handled, shopping becomes a whole lot easier. Now you know what to look for, where you’re likely to find it, and why you’re buying it.

Strategy first. Shopping second.

If you confuse the order, you’ll waste time, money, and a lot of mental energy.

If you don’t know where to start, that’s what we do here.

My team and I work with men who want to take the complexity out of all this and have a clear path to looking incredible and building a wardrobe full of clothes they actually love.

We handle both the strategy and the shopping. We figure out what looks best on you, and then we source the right pieces to make it happen.

You can learn more about the service here, or apply for a quick 20-minute call with me and I’ll see if I can help. The call is complimentary, and if I’m not the right fit, I’ll point you toward someone or something that may be.

Hope this helps.

Patrick

Here are a few that I think are worth knowing:

For basics, these are solid starting points for things typically made from cotton, like tees, polos, simple knitwear, and foundational wardrobe pieces.

• COS: clean, modern, elevated basics. The construction and fabric here is great. 

• Uniqlo: affordable essentials like tees, polos, jeans, and underwear. The quality for the price is insane. 

• Asket: strong wardrobe staples with a simple, understated feel. Great if minimalism is your vibe. 

• Sunspel: premium basics with a more refined edge. James Bond wears Sunspel. You should too. 
  

For knitwear, when you want pieces typically made from wool with a little more richness, texture, and refinement.

• John Smedley: excellent knitwear. The go-to name. 

• Quince: Great pricing on cashmere and super good quality. 

• Drake’s: Beautiful texture, character, and personality

• Ghiaia Cashmere: luxurious knitwear with an elevated Italian flair

• Filippo De Laurentiis: strong modern knitwear with an Italian vibe
  

For elevated casual and business casual, which is a category a lot of men live in. Think polished, versatile clothing that works for dinners, dates, meetings, etc. 

• Reiss: sleek, tailored, modern. I get a lot from here. 

• Pini Parma: elegant menswear with a classic Italian feel. Great fabrics. 

• Todd Snyder: stylish, masculine, and easy to wear. Almost anyone can find something here.

• Suitsupply: solid value, especially for tailored clothing like suits and dress shirts, but I like their knitwear too. 

• Officine Générale: understated and tasteful with a more fashion edge

• Massimo Dutti: clean, versatile pieces that punch above their price point
  

For shoes, here are a few brands worth looking at...

• Koio: sleek minimal sneakers

• Meermin: excellent price for dress shoes and boots

• Morjas: A go to for almost every type of shoe

• Allen Edmonds: classic American dress shoes. Buy once and you're good. 

• Bruno Magli: More polished, dressier options in Italian flair 
  

The key, though, is this: Don’t shop based on brand alone.

Shop based on whether the piece actually works for your body, your coloring, your lifestyle, and the image you want to project. That's why when I'm working with a client, we always focus on strategy first, and only then do we figure out what brands will work for him and start shopping. 

That’s where most men go wrong. They buy from "good brands" and assume that means they’re well dressed. It doesn’t.

The right item on the right man will always beat the wrong item from the "right" brand.

If you want help figuring out which brands, cuts, and pieces are actually right for you, reply to this email with the word STYLE, and we’ll point you in the right direction.

And if you want to explore what working together looks like, you can explore our personal styling packages here, or book a call with me here, and I'll see if I can help you.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick

There’s a lot of different styles of clothing out there. We hear terms like “preppy” or “classic” or even “gothic,” and they all conjure up a different look.

But after ten years of working with men in our personal styling business, I’ve come to realize that most style lives under two umbrella terms: Rugged or Refined.

If you learn these two terms, you’ll be able to pair outfits easily, and you’ll be able to select clothing that gives you a look you love.

First, there’s no “right” style, despite what influencers tell you. Rugged or Refined, there’s only a style that’s correct for you and how you want to appear in the world. Second, both Rugged and Refined can look masculine and stylish. It’s just the subtle details that change the way they’re perceived.

Let’s define them, then we’ll figure out which one you prefer, and finally I’ll show you how to use this to put together outfits.

Polished and posh vs. wear and tear

Of course, all of this sits on a continuum. You’ll have items that are extremely polished on one end, and on the other, items that are basically destroyed, and then everything in between. Most guys aren’t 100% one way or the other, but you’ll almost always lean rugged or refined more often.

The goal is simple: pick your lane most of the time, and you’ll look more put-together with way less effort.

A quick way to tell which way you lean:

• Do you like clothing that looks crisp and clean, or worn-in and tough?
  

• Do you prefer smooth, solid pieces, or texture and grit?
  

• Do you naturally gravitate toward sleek shoes, or heavier boots?
  

What Does Rugged Style Mean for Men?

Rugged style for men describes items that look like they could stand up to real-world use. The items look like they’ve been through some stuff. It could be natural wear and tear, sun fading, or just a fabric that can stand up to the elements. More texture. More “grittiness.” More utility. Things ranging from just a little fade to “woah that thing has gone to hell and back.”

Typically, we’re looking at fabrics that are heavier or more durable. Think denim, waxed cotton, leather, flannel, canvas, etc.

Key rugged signals:

• Matte finishes
  

• Visible texture
  

• Fading, patina, or distressing
  

• Heavier fabrics
  

• Utility details and hardware
  

You’ll see things like visible stitching and reinforced seams, patch pockets, hardware like rivets and zippers, and a worn or faded appearance to most items. It’s like the items appear “old” or “vintage” even if they’re brand new. Picture items you might find in workwear or military-inspired gear.

This style suits the outdoorsy gent. The rocker. The motorcycle man. The coastal guy. Someone who spends time working with their hands, or at least wants to look like he could.

Rugged outfit examples (easy formulas):

• Dark denim + flannel overshirt + rugged boot
  

• Waxed jacket + henley + jeans + suede boot
  

• Denim jacket + heavyweight tee + chinos + lace-up boot
  

What Does Refined Style Mean for Men?

Refined style for men is smooth, solid, precise, and clean. It’s what people commonly refer to as a tailored look. The opposite of rugged.

These are items that have no fading or distressing, and instead look fresh and crisp. The items have very little texture, if any, and are usually done in solid colors with minimal patterns.

Key refined signals:

• Smooth finishes
  

• Clean, sharp lines
  

• Minimal hardware
  

• Little to no texture
  

• Crisp, “new” appearance
  

These are the types of items that would never see outdoor use. They’re not meant to, and the fabric simply couldn’t hold up to the job, and that’s the point.

Refined style is meant for indoor use. This is why in formal attire, you almost always find dress clothes made from fabrics falling under the refined banner. There’s no need to wear workwear in those settings.

This style suits the classy gent. The thinker. The CEO. The man who loves luxury and wants to signal a crisp, clean appearance.

For fabrics, we’re looking at fine wools like merino and cashmere, silks, and smooth cotton. If using leather or denim, there’s a level of sheen to those items. You won’t see them faded, distressed, or worn. Everything looks “new” and “fresh.”

Refined outfit examples (easy formulas):

• Crisp button-down + tailored trouser + loafer
  

• Fine knit polo + clean dark denim (no fading) + minimal sneaker
  

• Blazer + smooth tee + tailored trouser + sleek leather shoe
  
  

How to Pair Outfits: Rugged vs. Refined

The one rule of pairing that will make all your outfits work:

Do not mix Rugged and Refined. This is the quickest way to make your outfit appear disjointed.

If your outfits feel off, a lot of times this is the problem. You’re pairing one rugged item with another item that’s more refined.

In order to create a cohesive outfit, pair rugged with rugged and refined with refined. It’s why lug-soled boots look great with jeans, and why a shiny cap-toe oxford looks great with worsted wool dress trousers. They share the same style, so the outfit flows.

A quick checklist if you’re unsure:

• Are the fabrics both rugged or both refined?
  

• Is the finish matte and textured, or smooth and crisp, across the outfit?
  

• Do the shoes match the lane of the pants and jacket?
  

Remember, no style is better than another. You might personally gravitate toward one, but both can look great. The point is that when pairing outfits, stick with one style. This creates a cohesive look and feel and makes sure everything works.

To make your life simpler, decide which style you want to lean toward more often and then buy most of your clothing in that style.

This makes it so your whole wardrobe pairs seamlessly together, and you spend a lot less time trying to figure out what to wear.

And that’s one of the things I help you with inside our personal styling service. I’ll show you what looks best on you, and then get you the clothing that does it, personalized to your style, colors, body type, and budget.

You’ll work with me 1-on-1:

• Virtual personal styling service
  

• In-person personal styling service
  

• Apply for a call with me here
  
  

No more guesswork, or wasted time and money shopping.

Hope that helps.

Patrick

It’s not where you think.

Men have it in their heads that there is some secret store they just haven't uncovered yet, but once they do, all style woes will be solved. 

Most men are dismayed when I tell them the secret - the place you probably hate most….

Department stores.

Although you might not want to believe it, these stores are your fast track to style. 

Why? 

Because where else can you get access to dozens, if not hundreds of brands under one roof? A certain brand doesn’t work well for you? No problem. On to the next without leaving the store.

Shopping online from a department store? Great. You can try all the brands you want and have it shipped to your doorstep, all in the same box. 

Department stores generally have better customer service as well, not in the bougie “pour you a glass of champagne while you shop” way, but in a much more practical and useful way.

For example, the return policies are almost always better than those of individual stores. They also typically offer on-site tailoring for a lower cost, or even free. They even have "personal shopping" services, so if you tell them what you want, they can go and find it for you. 

If you’re new to clothing and don’t have any go-to brands or a particular style yet, there is no better place to start your journey than a department store. You can check out different brands side by side and quickly see which ones fit your body best.

The only downside is that department stores don’t have the depth that an individual brand’s store will. 

So once you identify a handful of brands you really love (and that fit you well), you can dig deeper by shopping those brands directly after you’ve exhausted the department store options. But you really need to start wide before you do this. 

One more reason department stores are underrated: they have a built-in filtering effect.

All the major department stores have buyers whose sole job is to filter through what brands put out every season and decide what they’ll carry. Naturally, they’re going to look for pieces they think will sell, which helps cut through a lot of the noise.

The only downside to that is if you’re searching for something fun and funky, you’re less likely to find it at a department store, since it’s usually not what gets purchased. But that’s not much of a concern if you’re building out a capsule wardrobe, or you’re a more conservative guy.

The ones I like best are Nordstrom, Bloomingdale's, and Saks. They'll carry a mix of price points, brands, and styles so you can almost always find brands that work for you. 

Skip everything else for now; you truly don't need it. In ten years of working as a personal stylist for men, I've yet to see one of these stores not be able to fit the bill for one of our clients in some way. 

So, don’t overlook department stores. Even if they can feel overwhelming, they’re your best option to finding the right pieces to build out an incredibly stylish wardrobe, especially if you're just starting out or need a lot of options. 

But if all that sounds overwhelming, and if you want help navigating it all, you can see more about our personal styling service for men here, built exclusively for busy guys who hate shopping but want to look good and have a wardrobe that just works. 

Or book a call with me here to see how it works, and I can provide feedback on your current wardrobe and how to take you to the next level. Happy to guide you. 

Hope this helps.

Patrick

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like the same level of top-tier style guidance that politicians and celebrities use, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

1. Do you actually like it?

2. And do you actually look good in it?

You might spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours buying, trying, etc., and end up with clothing you hate that makes you look awful.

Because trends don’t care about your taste, and they certainly don’t care about your body.

Let me give you an example:

A silhouette that’s "in" right now can make you look shorter, wider, sloppy, or just off. A fabric that's hot today can look amazing on one guy, but then it bunches, sags, or collapses on another.

The trend doesn’t change, but the way you look does.

A guy can look great and not be trendy at all. And a guy can be trendy and still not look great.

Trends are basically mainstream culture pushing a certain aesthetic. And yes, part of the point is to keep you buying. If things never changed, you’d stop shopping. That’s how the machine works.

But none of that means trends are evil. It just means you should stop treating them like rules for what to wear and instead start questioning what would work best for you.

You need to know true style is built by the individual. It’s your taste. Your preferences. Your identity. It’s why two guys can look completely different and both look objectively great.

Let’s take an example with cars: One guy drives a classic vintage Porsche. Another drives a blacked-out Range Rover. Both turn heads. Which one is the stylish one?

Both.

But they’re stylish in totally different ways. Neither is wrong. One may just be wrong for you.

And that’s the work: Getting clothing that is actually right for you. The stuff that you love AND that makes you look good.

That’s what we do inside our Online Styling Program: we help you figure out your style, then build a wardrobe that actually fits you, looks great on you, and feels natural to wear.

We’ve done it for 1200+ guys for ten years, and I can tell you that everyone’s style and body is unique. There’s no one size, and certainly not one trend that fits everyone.

So yes, incorporate trends if you want. There’s nothing wrong with going with the flow.
Just make sure it looks good on you and you actually like what you’re wearing.

Because if your outfit doesn’t feel like you, it turns into a costume. And it’s obvious from the outside when a guy is uncomfortable in what he’s wearing. And no clothing item in the world can cover up your lack of confidence.

So remember that the game is simple: Wear what you love. Make it look good.

If you want help, you can check it out here.

Hope that helps.

Reply and tell me what you’re struggling with, and I’ll see if I can help.

x Patrick

1. Proportion to space

Your furniture should be in proportion to the space it is in. It would be absurd to have a couch that eats up three quarters of your living room, or a bedroom you can hardly walk into because your bed hogs the entire space.

In the same way, your clothing should be in proportion to your body.

I get questions constantly from readers and news outlets like, "Should clothing fit tight or loose?" I always want to say, "It should just fit."

Just like you shouldn’t have a couch that is too big or too small, your clothing should match the size of your body and follow your frame. That is it. If a shirt is pulling, sagging, or ballooning, it is the furniture equivalent of a an extra large couch jammed in a studio.

2. Quality over quantity

When I first started buying furniture, I thought I could be cheap and "get away with it." Every one of those pieces ended up being returned or sold off. It has been a massive headache and I ended up getting a designer to help me with it all.

I beat myself up over it because this is something I would never do with clothing, and it is something I constantly tell clients to avoid.

When needed, spend the money. You will be far happier. Most guys learn this lesson the hard way, both with furniture and with clothes. You will learn it too. The only variable is how much time and money you waste before you get there. Most guys circle back to work together only after thousands have already been spent.

Buy the right stuff. It'll last a lot longer, you'll look better, and you'll be happy with what you own.

3. Set it up once and forget it

The biggest lie in menswear is that you need to constantly buy clothing and "refresh" every season.

You can. But why?

Imagine how ridiculous it would be to buy a new couch every season. You would never do it. Yet the fashion industry and subscription box services love to tell you that you always need more stuff. You do not.

If you set up your foundation correctly, you will spend a shockingly low amount of time shopping. Build a wardrobe the way you build a well-designed room: invest in the right anchor pieces once, then stop fiddling with them.

If you do not buy furniture every season, you do not need to buy clothing every season either.

4. Congruent theme and appropriate style

You would never style your home with three competing themes, trying to smash together Spanish Gothic, Mid Century Modern, and Farmhouse in the same space. It would look off, and there would be no cohesive direction.

This is exactly what most guys do with their wardrobe.

They have random styles smashed together: preppy, gothic, modern, streetwear, whatever item or brand caught their eye in the moment. Then they wonder why they cannot create outfits. Their closet has no cohesive look or feel because all the items are chosen randomly, so every time they try to get dressed, something feels off.

You might know that feeling where you look in the mirror and think, "Something is wrong here, but I don’t know what." This is often the culprit.

A simple fix: choose a clear theme for how you want to look, the same way you choose a direction for your home. Then stop buying outside that theme.

5. Negative space and clutter

In a well-designed room, you do not fill every inch with stuff. You leave negative space. Blank wall, empty floor, room around the furniture. That space is what makes the pieces you do have actually stand out. Style works the same way.

Most guys have way too much visual noise in a single outfit. Loud competing colors, patterned shirts, branded items, etc.

You need "quiet" pieces in your wardrobe that act like negative space. Simple tees, clean jeans or trousers, solid knitwear, minimal sneakers. These are the empty walls and clean floors that let your better pieces breathe.

A few simple rules here:

• One focal point at a time. If your jacket is bold, keep everything else simple.

• Not every item can be a statement. For every "loud" piece in your closet, you should have several quiet ones that support it.

• If you feel "overdone" and you cannot figure out why, remove one item or one pattern. Same idea as taking one accessory off before you leave the house.
  

If your outfits always feel a bit chaotic, it is rarely because you need more clothes. It is usually because you have no negative space.

Strip things back, give your best pieces room, and your style will instantly feel more intentional, the same way a decluttered room suddenly feels expensive.

As you can see, there is a lot of overlap between interior design and style. Having style is simply the act of putting together items in a way that is visually pleasing and aligned with you. It simply science.

Style, like any other discipline, can be learned. It is just visual principles put into action. Once you know those principles and you have the right clothing, much like having the right furniture, you will look good with very little effort.

That is what we do here at Pivot: Show you what looks best on you and then actually get you the clothing and build the wardrobe to make it happen.

If you are tired of guessing and want help setting up your wardrobe the right way, you can see more about my personal styling services here, built exclusively for men.


If you want to talk through what this would look like for you, you can schedule a short call with me here.

-Patrick

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance that will help you look your best on special occasions and every day in between, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance that will help you look your best every day, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

Subtraction comes before addition

In almost every case I’ve seen with our 1250+ personal styling clients, subtraction comes before addition. We have to pull the weeds before we plant the garden. Only then do you have a clean slate to build upon and you can clearly see the gaps.

The problem with subtraction is that it’s not intuitive. It triggers feelings of loss and reminds you that you wasted time and money on things that didn’t work. But if you aren't wearing the clothing, it’s like it never existed anyway.

The goal is to work down to the very core of your wardrobe until what’s left are the items that look good on you that you love.

It feels hard to do. Some of those items you’ve had with you for a long time. The best advice I can give you is to be ruthless with it. I never think about what I spent on an item - that money is gone anyway.

All I think about is what the clothing is doing for me in the present moment. And if it doesn’t work for some reason (fit, color, style, etc), it’s gone. Spare your emotions, it’s all just fabric anyway.

Before you start adding, think about subtracting out of your wardrobe. This is the first step in our process when we work with a client both with our online package and our in-person package.

Anything you have't worn in a year. Those pants you think you might fit or not fit into again. The 20th shirt you can "just wear for yard work". The shoes that you convince yourself aren't that beat up. All of it should go. Give yourself some breathing room. Create space to build up to something wonderful.

One you’ve subtracted, you will significantly reduce your decision fatigue when putting together outfits. You’re only playing around with the winners that work well.

And then and only then, once we’ve pulled the weeds, we can then start to plant the garden, filling your wardrobe with great stuff you’ll love.

Hope this helps.

Patrick

 If you want to improve your wardrobe and your style in record time, our personal styling services developed just for guys like you can help. If you have questions or want to get some insight into how we can help, you can apply for a call with me here.

Hope this helps.

x Patrick

If you’d like expert guidance for building your personal wardrobe, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance for building your personal wardrobe, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance for building your personal wardrobe, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance that will serve you for special occasions, daily wear, and everything in between, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance for building your personal wardrobe, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.

Because each brand has its own aesthetic direction, it’s easy to pair an item with another piece from the same brand. If it sounds simple, it’s because it is.

So we can say, “what is designed together goes together”. Just like food and wine from the same region, clothes from the same brand are designed to complement each other.

Once you identify a few brands you like and what works for you, it’s smooth sailing. The designers at those brands have already done the hard work to make sure their items all pair together.

A second way to apply this is with fabric. We can quite literally apply “what grows together goes together” here.

If you’re stuck trying to pair an item, look at what fabric it’s made from and then pair it with the same fabric.

E.g., Linen paired with linen, cotton paired with cotton, wool paired with wool, etc. Pairing the same fabric together almost always works because those materials naturally look and feel right next to each other.

Here are examples of those three fabrics paired with each other, starting with wool on the left, cotton center, and then linen on the far right.

Using the “what grows together goes together” principle gives you two easy ways to put together better outfits in the future (and might help you next time you’re looking at a wine list).

Hope this helps.

x Patrick

You can read the full article here.

If you’d like expert guidance for building your personal wardrobe, click the button below to apply for a complimentary Style Strategy Call.