If you want to be always well-dressed then you have to understand that perfect fit is paramount. And by fit, I mean:
Photo: @victoriabeckham
Photo: @vacinityreynolds
Photo: @sterlingkbrown
An outfit that is never too tight neither too loose, that just follows the body silhouette with no extra volume neither any bulkiness.
A shirt, coat or even a jacket that has the shoulder’s break at the person’s shoulder’s break and the cuff that never swallows the hand.
Trousers that have the proper length without adding any volume over the shoes and stays put at the waist (wherever the waist for that model is if low, mid or high rise) with no belt assistance.
The belt thing could be said to skirts as well.
Things like that.
Having said that, of course that from time to time trends will incite you into breaking this style rule. Baggy clothes, oversized pieces are all around to prove it, but yet, it is always a good idea to know how clothes should fit properly in you so when those “trendinites” show up you can break the rule with property. Because that is how you break the rules and get elegantly away with it.
And yes, I will post a guide to how clothes should fit for her and for him. And yes, this post is for both. Because both should mantra this rule. Fit is paramount to anyone.
The only difference here is that, usually man tends to make a mistake regarding fit because he bets in pieces that are bigger than he is, whereas woman get it wrong because she goes for pieces too tight for her.
Go figure.
And besides all that, a perfect fitted outfit looks expensive; one that is not looks cheap, regardless the price tag. So, it does worth invest on it.
Pretty simple: if you are betting on suspenders, forget about the belt. If you are going for a belt, don’t wear suspenders. Visually, it gets way too much wearing them together. Plus they are both there to hold your pants in place, so wearing both in the same look is kind of redundancy.
Having said that, your pants should never need a belt or suspenders to be on its place. If you need one of them for that, then your pants’ fit is a bit off.
And yes, you could wear none of them even if your pants have the belt’s loops. It is an option.
Yes, you can wear your single cuff opened as an alternative to vary. If, it is that kind of detail that is very much you. If not, just keep on wearing it closed.
Photos: Pinterest.
But if it is for you, then be aware that you can wear it opened with a blazer, a coat, a jacket or a cardigan framing it for you. Or you can wear a shirt with an opened cuff with nothing over it. That is another possibility.
This will give a stylish fashion forward touch to your look. And yes, it is a bit more casual, but still a possibility to wear with a suit even. It will all depends on you, your style and whether or not the occasion would welcome that little detail. Detail that can make a difference.
What you need to have is a wardrobe with key pieces that could be mix and match to multiply your options for every occasion you will have ahead from day to night, from week to weekends, from work to happy hour, from work out to vacation. And to accomplish that you will have to have a foundation wardrobe with essential pieces. Which pieces? Well, that will vary greatly for everyone because your lifestyle, your daily routine, your taste and personal style, all combined will dictate that.
What I can do is to give you an idea of which pieces they could be. But this will come in other posts later on, for ladies and dudes. So, stay tuned.
And the perfect shirt cuff length is at the very beginning of your hand, without advancing on it, without biting a little bit of your hand or without showing a little inch of your wrist’s skin. Pretty much how the photo illustrates below.
Photo: Brooks Brothers.
And this length is essential for a shirt with a single cuff, double cuff or any cuff, wearing a shirt solo or with a blazer, a jacket or a coat.
This way your shirt cuff detail will always be spot on.
These two always own their looks. What a stylish couple! Olivia Palermo and Johannes Huebl. Photo: @johanneshuebl
Regardless of what you are wearing and how you are wearing, nothing will matter most than your ability to own your look. And by own your look I mean, feel comfortable in it, not only in terms of fitting but feeling great, at ease wearing it. As if you were the queen or the king of that particular look. Because if you don’t, it will show and that on its own could compromise the whole look. Even if you are wearing the right shades of color. Even if the look is perfect for your body type and suits your style. If you don’t feel amazing and at ease, this little detail can ruin it all for you.
If you find an especially flattering fit from a particular piece that you absolutely love it and feels it is so much you, go ahead and buy doubles. Triples. As many as you like. In different colors or prints, obvioulsy. Cause when it works, works and that is all you need to look fab.
I personally love a wrap dress. I have some in my wardrobe. All in different prints but still a wrap dress. I can dress up or down as the occasion requires and to suit my mood as well. Love them. And I feel as if they are trademark dresses. Actually, I think dresses in general are my trademark. Love them. Most of the time I am on a dress. That is me.
And how about you, do you have a certain clothes’ style that figures often in your wardrobe?
Take a good look at the photo. This is the perfect spot for your tie bar. It could have been placed to two fingers up or down, not more than this.
And yes, a tie bar is a nice accessory to have to jazz up your tie look a little. And you can wear a blazer or a jacket or a suit jacket or a coat with it or just a shirt and tie.
Actually, I should have said the right shades of colors for your skin undertone, because it is your skin undertone that will dictate which shades of colors will complement your skin. And yes, you read it right: I said shades of color and not color, because for each 12 seasons (yes, you read it right again!) there will be different shades of blue, green, yellow, red, purple, pink, orange, gray etc that will be perfect for each. In another words, if you want to find the right colors for your skin you will need to think about which shades of colors are your best friends.
And by your best friends shades of color I mean that shade of color that will make you look your very best, that will uplift you, that will enhance your best features and that will make you glow even with no makeup on or sans a nice healthy tan to back you up.
What I am gonna teach here is a test you can do on your own with each shade of color you come across. So, you can do it with every piece on your wardrobe or with every piece you are buying from now on. Having said that, the fitting rooms are not the best place to decide wether or not that shade color is for you or not. Below you will understand why.
To the test:
First, you will need a natural light from a window or a door or from being outdoors. And a mirror. It is a good idea to have no distractions in your background or simply choose a gray one. Make sure you have no make up on. Then get the piece of clothing with the particular shade of color and place it right below your chin. Then pay attention to the effects that this shade of color causes in your face such as:
The white part in your eyes looks sparkling whiter.
So your teeth. (smile to check this out)
Your skin looks healthier.
If you have dark circles or bags under your eyes they will look smoother, suddenly.
Even without makeup you look refreshed, glowing, your best.
The wrinkles might look smoother.
If you got those effects when testing a shade of color, then yes, this is a friendly one. If by any chance the results you get when you test that shade of color is:
Unhealthy, opaque or dull looking skin.
Opaque eyes.
More than usual yellow smile.
Wrinkles look more visible.
Then that shade of color is not your bff.
By the way, your friendly shades of colors are your best bet to wear near your face in tops, scarves, coats etc. When you wear them near your face they will do their magic. If you like a shade of color that doesn’t belong to your friendly palette you can wear it in a place away from your face as a bag, a shoe, a skirt or pants, for example with no side effects.
Of course that if you wear only friendly shades of color head to toe it would be the best, but it is not necessary.
And if you are testing a printed top or scarf, well, let’s say that 70% to 80% of that should be in friendly shades of colors. At least.
If you have a tan, you can do the test and take a note that this shade of color is great for you with a tan and when you no longer have one, retest it to confirm if it is a good shade of color for you. I am saying it because sometimes makeup and a tan can help a shade of color be your friend, but without them, not so much. And here we are trying to establish which shades of colors are the very best for you under any circumstances. That will make you look great even waking up in the morning after a bad sleeping night.
Having said that, of course that if a shade of color looks good on you wearing makeup or a tan and you do intend to wear that shade of color with one or the other, than that color will be a good friend of yours then.
Got it?
Another way to know if a shade of color is your best friend: take a mental note to the compliments you get every time you wear a particular shade of color. That can help too.
By the way, if you are not so sure about the outcome of certain shades of colors you can always invite a dear friend that can help you with that.
Yes. And no. I explain. If you are going for a classic look or want to follow the fashion rule on this, then yes they should match. However if you want to break the rule or is betting on a more casual look or even if you have a more alternative look, then they don’t. Let me illustrate it better.
With a suit, usually it is a good idea to match shoes and belts not only in the color (and preferable even in the shade of it) but also in the vibe (dress up or down vibe). If you want to go absolutely classic on that. If you want give a little edge to it, then you cam mismatch the shade of color, betting in a dark brown shoes and a medium brown belt. Or in a opaque black shoes and shiny black belt.
And yes, even with a suit there is a possibility of going beltless. Even if your pants have the place to wear a belt. Even without suspenders. It is up to you.
To be honest, I don’t like the idea of wearing, let’s say a brown belt to a black shoes. And vice-versa. Mostly. The only exception for me is in the case that your pants are black and you are wearing brown shoes. The vice-versa here sometimes don’t work as well.
And if by any chance your fashionable self are betting in a gray shoes then your belt could be gray, brown or black.
In a more casual look, then you don’t have to match shoes and belts. Although the deal with brown and black is the one to approach with caution here. Not always is gonna be a good idea.
And speaking of brown… this is a great bet to pair with colored shoes like sneakers, driving shoes, espadrilles etc. Beige is also a good bet. Black? Not so much. But it is possible.
And yes, it is a good idea to bet on belt that is more casual. I will talk more about it in another post.
And although I did this post with men in mind, women can also take a clue from it.
Been Caught Styling 