Coco Chanel said, “Fashion changes, style endures.” And if you take anyone’s advice on this subject, it’s Coco Chanel.
Learning how to be more stylish as a man is far more worthwhile than becoming more fashionable. It will help you dress for every occasion, and figure out what looks good on you and what clothes to buy.
But it is also a less tangible quality that is difficult to measure. How do you know if you are stylish or not? What are the dos and don’ts of men’s fashion?
If you follow this complete step-by-step guide full of great fashion tips, you will know how to answer those questions yourself.
Step 1: Identify Your Style Icons
You might not know it yet, but you already have a signature style. Your issue is likely that you do not know how to express it. Or, you may think the clothes that fit the style you like might not suit you.
But there are tons of clothing options within a certain style, so you need to unlearn the idea that certain styles are off-limits.
From there, you can start to figure out how to be more stylish by choosing your style icons. Here are some examples of well-known men who have different styles that you might admire:
- Hipster – Jake Gyllenhaal and Sam Fender
- Rock n Roll – Russell Brand and Jared Leto
- Clean cut – Victor Cruz and Chris Pine
- Jock – Zac Ephron and Channing Tatum
- Effortless cool – Ryan Reynolds and Ryan Gosling
- Experimental – Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet
- Bohemian – Johnny Depp and Lenny Kravitz
Once you find a famous person whose style you like, dig a little deeper. What is it that you like about their style?
Do they dress in colors or patterns and are very bold, or do they often wear understated and monochrome outfits? What shoes and jackets do they wear?
The more you can understand why you like the style, the easier it will be to work those traits into your own wardrobe.
Step 2: Try the Project 3:33 Challenge
When learning how to be stylish, many men think that buying more clothes is the answer. But in reality, having fewer but better clothes and understanding how to mix and match outfits will serve you better.
To achieve this mindset, try the project 3:33 challenge. Choose 33 items of clothing from your wardrobe to wear for the next three months. Yes, three whole months!
This includes shoes, pants, tops, outerwear, and accessories. It does not include gym clothes, sleep clothes, or underwear.
By doing a restrictive challenge like this, you will soon learn what pieces are versatile and which aren’t. You will also learn which items of clothing you like, which fit you well, and what pieces you want to invest in once the three months are up.
Step 3: Adopt a Capsule Wardrobe
Start your wardrobe overhaul by donating anything you don’t 100% love and clothes that don’t fit you. Then, you can start buying more items.
But before you splash out on five pairs of jeans and three knit sweaters, consider adopting a capsule wardrobe approach. A capsule wardrobe is a smaller selection of clothes fitting one style and color palette. They offer you many different outfit choices without having to make room for lots of clothes.
This is one of the best pieces of fashion advice for men because many men do not want to buy lots of clothes!
Everyone is different, but the following items should be in most men’s capsule wardrobes:
- One or two pairs of jeans
- One pair of khakis or chinos
- One pair of shorts
- One sports blazer
- One well-fitting dark suit
- One casual jacket (e.g. denim or leather)
- One formal shirt
- Two or three casual shirts
- Four or five t-shirts and/or long-sleeves
- One knit sweater
- One hoodie or sports sweater
- A pair of smart shoes
- A pair of sneakers
- A pair of sandals
- Everyday satchel or backpack
Focus on buying versatile, high-quality garments in complementing colors. Jasper Holland Co t-shirt brand for men, Patagonia, Reiss, and Nordstrom all sell quality goods that will last you years.
Make a list of all the occasions and events you tend to have in one year. Reprioritize them in order of how often they occur. Then, make sure you have a couple of outfit options for the common events and one outfit option for the less common ones.
And if you want to learn how to be fashionable too, you can buy one or two fashionable pieces a season to pair with your existing capsule wardrobe. But you want to steer clear of too many “fashion” items because you will be discarding them soon enough, which is bad for the environment.
Step 4: Overhaul Your Personal Grooming Routine
Style goes way beyond your clothes. To be stylish, you need to have a solid grooming routine, too.
You can have whatever hairstyle works for you as long as it is neat. If you need an update, find a quality barber and ask for their advice. Men with short hairstyles need trims around once a month.
Facial hair is fine as long as you shape and care for it. Keep your nails cut short and don’t shy away from cleansers and moisturizers. Skincare is not masculine or feminine – everyone has skin.
Take the time to choose your signature cologne scent. Find one with sandalwood or cedar base notes that isn’t too heavy so it will work for all occasions.
Step 5: Choose the Right Accessories
You don’t want to ruin your newfound style by piling on the accessories. Keep things simple. Invest in a good watch and two or three ties.
Add jewelry to your look if you have a bohemian or hipster style. If you are not sure how to style it, look at photos of your style icon and see how they wear jewelry. They likely have a team of people dressing them so they will know what they are doing.
How to Be More Stylish in Five Simple Steps
You might think that some people are born with style and some aren’t. But this isn’t true, you can 100% learn how to be more stylish. And now, you have the knowledge and tools you need to begin your journey to a more stylish you.
Want to learn more cool fashion tips to overhaul your wardrobe? Check out our website for tons of helpful guides and advice!
