Five style tips for beginners

The basics to upgrading your sense of style

Not interested in keeping on top of trends? Can?t be bothered delving into the endless internet wisdom on how to dress? These simple style tips are all you need to know to look presentable on a daily basis.

Wear one statement piece

Every outfit should contain one distinctive item. Wearing an ill-fitting white tee shirt with plain jeans is a terrible outfit, because there is nothing interesting about it. Swap the jeans with a pair of sand colored chinos but keep the baggy tee shirt, and you have an interesting outfit. Or, swap the plain tee shirt for a grey vee neck tee, and retain the jeans. Having a focal point to your outfit is the key to looking stylish. Do not go overboard and wear too many statement pieces at once, or you will look like an eyesore.

Overdress rather than underdress

Not sure if you should wear a tee shirt or a collared shirt to an event? Err on the side of overdressed, and wear the collared shirt. Wearing an outfit that is slightly too formal for a situation does not reflect badly on you, but being dressed too casually is a faux pas. Short of wearing a full suit on a daily basis, you cannot go wrong with being overdressed.

Get a leather jacket

Give your casual wardrobe a serious upgrade by investing in a well-fitting leather jacket. You want one that is not too busy, with few buckles and zips. A motorcyclist?s leather jacket will not do the job. A leather jacket gives attitude and style to any simple, casual outfit.

Stay in theme

Do not mix and match pieces that just do not go together. Those with a refined sense of style have more freedom to make clashing pieces into a fashion statement, but if you are just trying to look decently styled without rocking the boat, make sure that everything goes together. For example, do not pair formal suit pants with a casual shirt. A casual shirt needs casual pants such as jeans. Some men make the mistake of picking out aspects of formal dressing and making them casual, such as by randomly wearing a tie or a top hat. Do not do this. You can also create clashes by pairing different prints together. Again, this is a possibility for men who are well-versed in fashion, but a beginner should stick to one print at a time.

Be well groomed

Improve your self-presentation by taking care of the small details. In regards to personal grooming: maintain your facial hair (even bearded guys need to keep their facial fuzz looking neat), remove any traces of a monobrow, take care of your skin, wash your hair and style it as needed, and add a spritz of cologne. Groom your clothes by always ironing your shirts and taking care of repairs, and throw out any pieces that are too old and worn. Good grooming is the difference between looking sloppy and looking casually stylish in a plain outfit.