How to be well dressed in the city

As with all things in life, if something is worth doing, it is worth doing right. This applies to fashion in the same way as it does to a new business venture. One must commit to what they’re doing and put in the work to achieve success. Being well dressed is less about impressing strangers, and more about presenting your best self to the world. The well-dressed individual will emanate confidence because he or she feels good, and confidence is a tremendously powerful attribute to have in your arsenal – you won’t get very far without it. Of course, this shouldn’t be confused with arrogance or vanity. Being well dressed is also about creating first impressions.  After all, human beings (for better or for worse) tend to formulate opinions on those they meet right away, so we should do all that we can to get off on the right foot and present our best selves. In today’s article, we are going to look at how to be well dressed in the city, so that you can feel confident and radiate success, in all things you do.

When it comes to dressing well we should all be aware of the danger of trends. After all, “Trends” are (by definition) temporary, and the powers that be have a financial stake in making sure that these trends are always changing. This can, of course, mean that your wardrobe is at the height of fashion one minute and out of date the next. A rather expensive habit to get into! And friends, we must remember that with the pressure labels are under to push out the latest trends, what is current isn’t always what looks good, especially as we are all unique individuals. We must discover what works for us, within the reasonable parameters of good sense. No single look will work for everyone, but there are general principles that should be adhered to.

Looking good and dressing well is largely down to fit. Now, I don’t necessarily mean the fluctuating fitting trends of men’s suits, though this is certainly one trend to pay attention to, but rather what clothes fit you, what works well for your own unique self. A good fit lies at the heart of a well-dressed individual, but a bad fit can have dramatic consequences, quickly making a person look sloppy no matter how fashionable the outfit. An inadequate fit can also make certain clothes uncomfortable – and if you don’t feel good, this will translate into the lack of confidence you emit to the world. If a piece of clothing is hanging loosely off your frame, or conversely, if it is too restrictive, this indicates that the fit is wrong. Knowing your measurements before kitting out your wardrobe is essential.

The antithesis of a well-dressed person is he or she whose outfit looks haphazard, not thought through, or thrown together. One of the key planks of dressing well is an appearance that looks deliberate and cultivated. One way to achieve such a look is to focus on the details. This will instantly convey that you know what you are doing and that your appearance isn’t accidental. Such details can include ties and pocket squares of different colours and patterns that bring much-needed variation to a person’s suit. Belts, hats, and watches also fall under this category, as long as they are in keeping with the tone of your outfit, and can add a great deal to your appearance and help present a positive image to the world.

Another point to remember in our quest for dressing well in the city (and across the board), is that fashion isn’t applicable to all situations. We can’t exactly go to the supermarket in a tuxedo! So, we must remember to think about what it is that we are doing and what type of outfit the circumstance calls for. This is doubly true when it comes to job interviews (remember what I said earlier about first impressions?). You can turn up in the latest trend but if it’s not appropriate to the situation it will matter for nought. This important rule also applies to the weather – an outfit in line with this winter’s biggest trends isn’t going to work when the sun is beating down in the city. Friends, I shouldn’t have to tell you that hot and sweaty isn’t a look to pursue. 

As touched on earlier, but well worth recapitulating here, confidence and dressing well go hand in glove. While what you wear and how good you feel in your chosen outfit will radically affect your confidence, which, of course, impacts all other areas of life, we must all be confident in the final choice we make. Wearing your clothes with confidence is key, especially when, perhaps, trying something new. An outfit that you are not entirely at ease with can create a sense of self-consciousness which can be devastating to your confidence. If you first, however, know your fit, find colours that suit you, and dress for the occasion, you can feel justified in the decisions you have made and wear that outfit with the sureness deserving of your unique self.

Beyond the clothes we wear, it’s also important to believe in ourselves, and belief starts in the Mind. Stand up tall with your shoulders back, keep your chin up, walk with purpose, all of which will release the chemicals necessary to invigorate your body with confidence and self-esteem.  Marry this with solid fashion foundations and you’ll be more than ready to be well-dressed in the city and present to the world all that is great about you.