Styleforum’s members have built a reputation for offering fantastic, if highly opinionated, tips for great men’s style. They range from simple suggestions to take to your tailor, to complete philosophies encompassing life, the universe, and everything.

Are you looking for rules? Guidelines? Confirmation that your own way is the best way? Here, some of Styleforum’s best-regarded members give their take on developing your style

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“Instead of spending so much time and energy learning about clothing and style, I spend more and more time taking good care of my health (physically and biopsychosocially) as Mr. Armani alluded to with exercising, eating, drinking, and sleeping well. I am also more choosy about who’s ideas I take to be of value (his “friends”).

As much as “what’s stylish?” is on my brain and pursuits, so is “whats physically, mentally, and socially healthy?”

In short, less collecting and more selecting, while maintaining a healthy overall balance.”

– @mmkn

 

“Why do we really needs such extensive rules??????????

Surely good sense and style are entirely unwritten things – rules are for those of little discernment.”

– GBR

 

“Style often has to do with strategically breaking the rules. Certain stylistic tendencies can be a product of upbringing or social class and almost impossible to articulate. Mostly, it’s a matter of what one — and others — finds aesthetically pleasing, and this depends more than anything on innate sensibilities. It’s not amenable to lists of rules, and going by the pronouncements of various fashion magazine idiota pushing some hidden agenda is bound to confuse the issue.”

– Nantucket Red

 

“I hesitate, in the context of “modern” dressing, to ever use the words “should”, “never” and “always”. I think that it is much more accurate to use the phrases “For most men, and especially for those who are becoming interested in clothing and style for the first time, the following guidelines will usually prevent them from looking ridiculous”, “On most men, XYZ usually does not look good for the following reasons ABC”, and “In general, I have found that”.

If you adhere to a prescribed, archaic style, then determining a set of rules is relatively easy, because that style has come and gone, and thus, static in history. However, “modern” conventions are extremely fluid, and what may be acceptable in 2007 may be ridiculous, or at least quite dated, by in 2010 (if the style is directional) or in 2015 (if the style is quite conservative.)”

– LA Guy

 

“Keep in shape – the single most important thing you can do. Then deal with the clothes…”

– Gutman

 

 

“When working from home a jacket and tie is simply self serving. It would be like wearing a football helmet to watch the Sunday game. However nothing says you can’t look good no matter where you are. What is a person to do when an unexpected guest comes over? Magically insert oneself into stylish clothes? No, always be able to answer looking respectable enough to confidently greet a colleague.

In Canada, where the weather is colder, it is perfectly acceptable to wear a dress shirt with a sweater around the house. Comfortable trousers and house shoes might be a good bet also. If you want to be even more casual you can still wear a t shirt but make it a v neck in some interesting colors with chinos and house shoes. During warmer weather I will sometimes wear something similar so that if I need to go out I can slip on some shoes and a flat cap and be on my way.”

– Caustic Man

 

“The best advice I think any of us can give you is peruse the WAYWRN threads…see what our poster boys wear and then take what you like to make your own style.”

– KPO89

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