A Principle or Two
This page is written according to the principle that the purpose of one's dress is to demonstrate and perform good taste. One could well argue for other principles for dress: piety, seduction, social identity, et cetera. For our purposes, we will consider the personal style of the gentleman to be the primary matter of concern, understanding that some elements of the other, aforementioned principles can be subsumed under this one.
It is necessary to qualitatively define taste. 'Good taste' exists, but is not absolute, can be cultivated, and is mediated by culturally-specific aesthetic principles alongside one's place and company. Kant (1790) once described appreciation of beauty as a “disinterested pleasure"; appreciation of a sort that does not produce desire. This applies, to some extent, to good menswear: it is not the clothes themselves that are appreciated by the viewer, but the mastery and taste of the wearer.
Good taste can be understood as a mastery of forms. The ability to show you understand aesthetic ontologies such that you can manipulate them to your whim. I believe this is really what people like about good taste, which seems to me sort of elided with the definition itself. Once cannot describe taste without describing how people respond to it. In this way, it can be said to phenomenologically constituted. It seems that people like, in men particularly, a mastery that permits either restraint or overwhelming exercise—restraint particularly. Picture this: You're at the lights, you make eye contact with the bloke in the Ferrari next to you, the light goes green, you roar off: he just coasts along in your rear-view mirror at 30kmph. Good taste is thus this mastery applied to abstract sets of forms. A tie is tasteful because it exists within a tradition (regimental, preppy, formal, bohemian, whatever) and is the minimum exercise of that tradition necessary to show the wearer is capable of completely understanding and integrating it into his particular personality.
There is a lot of 'ought' that a reader will sense in this writing, but the object of this page is not to prescribe so much as to provoke; to give rules with the understanding that some will be broken, and to provide a stage for such breaking as will lead to fruitful, deliberate chocies, which are ultimately the bedrock of good taste.
From Head to Toe
Hats etc etc
Hairstyles A matter of almost infinite variation, about which much can be written. Some general principles apply: in all cases, a hairstyle should complement and frame the shape of a man's face. Short hair often looks good on a man, but long hair, when well-maintained and tidy, can look elegant. A man with a receding hairline should consider either medium-length, swept-back hair, as worn by many Golden Age Hollywood actors; or else opt for a close-cropped or shaven head. As in many elements of this essay, a man can often look most handsome wearing a traditional hairstyle from his own particular culture.
Facial Hair
All men should shave and groom, unless medical considerations prevent doing so safely. There are three varieties of facial hair that can be worn universally by a man: a clean shave, a moustache, and a beard. Other styles, such as muttonchops, goatees, or stubble, are to be reserved for certain contexts and personalities.
When in doubt, a clean shave is often to be advised. If complete and consistent facial hair coverage cannot be achieved, a beard or moustache should be avoided; a clean shave will always look tidier than a patchy beard. A clean shave is convenient and pleasant for the summer. A clean-shaven man often looks best in a tie, as the lack of facial hair can make a further display of skin (i.e. with an open collar) excessive.
A moustache should be well-kept, tidy, and conservative. Any moustache that extends beyond the corners of the mouth should be worn with caution; such a style can be worn well, but depends largely on the shape of a man's face. Twirled ends should be avoided in most circumstances. Excessive combing, waxing, and oiling looks pretentious and should be avoided, unless done for hygeine reasons.
A beard should not be allowed to grow too long. Charles Darwin's beard in his later life is an example of a formerly tidy beard that was allowed to get out of hand. A beard should be generally square at the edges, and should compliment and extend naturally from the straight lines of a man's face. A sense of masculine mystery and dash can be achieved by growing a beard for the winter only, particularly in continental climates, and shaving it in the summer. Again, excessive waxing and oiling should be avoided, but care should be taken to avoid dandruff and other undesirable hygeine issues.
Stubble in general should be avoided, unless on holiday in warmer climes or on an adventure of some kind. It is a trend for young men to wear a moustache with stubble. This look is undoubtedly inherited from Hollywood leading men, on whom virtually any style of facial hair would look flattering, given their handsomeness. This style should be avoided in all professional and formal settings, and worn only on weekends and in informal company. It should not be worn to a date, until the couple has spent sufficient time together as to embark on informal weekend activities. If a man insists on wearing such a style, a Hawaiian shirt is a nice pairing.
Goatees should generally be avoided by European men, as the implication of a greasy salesman or diabolic violinist are too strong. However, a bohemian gentleman, especially of non-European heritage, can occasionally integrate the style effectively into his style. It pairs particularly well with open collars and two-piece suits.
The above being said, in many cases a man will actually look most handsome when wearing his own cultural hairstyle. Examples include a Nordic man with a beard, an Indian man with a thick moustache, a Chinese man with a fu manchu, and a British man with muttonchops. Care must be taken to integrate the style naturally and with restraint; one never wishes to appear as a stereotype of himself or his culture.
Earrings
A man looks fine without earrings. However, a man can add a touch of mystery and flourish with fine, simple ear-wear. A straight man typically wears a single earring on his left ear, whereas a gay man will wear his on the right. A single gold earring can be rakish, but too large and it will be unmistakably (and unflatteringly) swashbuckling. A stud is generally less flattering, but African-American men have mastered the art of the square, thick stud, which will suit some men well. More than one piercing should be avoided, although can be appropriate for queer or nontraditional contexts. The features of a man's face should be taken into account; a man with thin, sharp features can look striking with a gold earring, whereas a man with stronger features or a square jaw can accentuate them with a squarer ring or stud. Pure, unpolished ("raw") gold can look exceptionally beautiful in an earring.
In all cases, cultural ear-wear are to be encouraged; examples include Māori jade and bird feathers, Maasai traditional ear hoops, or various northeast indigenous American styles. Where these types of ear-wear are colourful or otherwise draw the attention of the eye, they should be paired with appropriate cultural dress, or else plain and conservative Western dress.
Neckwear
Neckwear can be a fraught affair; a thin silken line separates the tidy with the affected. The purpose of the tie is to add a brief flash of colour to a man's neck, which draws the eye into one of his most alluring regions. Generally speaking, simple patterns are best; plain colours, simple regimental stripes, a seal or crest, or else a sublte paisley. Neckwear should complement, but not match, the handkerchief or pocket square. One way to achieve this is to choose your neckwear first, and pick a secondary colour within the tie to match to a primary colour in your pocket square, or vice versa. If wearing a patterned sahirt, it is often best to choose a plain-coloured tie. The reverse is also true.
Avoid excessively shiny ties, such as the sort that are common in America; they look cheap. That's not to say silks, grosgrain, satin, and even velvet are unacceptable choices; a well-made tie will look subtle and elegant. As always, seek natural fibres where possible, and feel free to experiment with cotton or linen ties in warm climates. Knit ties should be worn only with American "Ivy" or "Preppy" stle. Traditionally, it would be considered indecent for a man to show a bare neck, but today these standards have been relaxed. Whilst best to wear some kind of neckwear, an open collar is often de rigeur in casual settings, and should be worn only with a two-piece lounge suit. As a rule, the more colourful and bold your neckwear, the more plain and conservative should be the rest of your dress.
There are a few types of neckwear that flatter the modern man, here listed from safest to boldest.
- Necktie. The most common form of tie. A thin necktie is best; avoid the thick ties commonly sold in America. Wear a necktie with a four-in-hand knot, never any variation of a Windsor. Other knot variants are reserved for showmen and cads. The four-in-hand is pleasantly asymmetrical, and should sit with the knot slightly to the left-hand side of the wearer's collar, with the blade subtly angled back towards the centre of the shirt. In Europe and the Commonwealth, a tie's stripes run from heart to hilt, that is to say, left to right. In the United States, the direction is reversed. The tip of the blade should, ideally, end about your belly button, with the inner blade only just shorter than the outer. Do not use the loop on the back of the main blade when not wearing a waistcoat; it is much more elegant to let the tie fall about the chest naturally. When wearing a waistcoat, the loop may be used and a tie bar or pin worn. Position such objects so that they are only partially visible from the break of the waistcoat.
- Bow tie. Pronouced by my grandmother with the stress on "tie". Choose a self-tie (not pre-tied or clip-on; adjustable can be acceptable) bowtie in either butterfly or batwing shape. In all cases, it is best to find a bow tie that is neither too thin, such as the bow ties of the early twentieth century, nor too thick, like the comical bow ties of the 1970s. About 2.75-3.00 inches is the most classic option. Worn best in the evening; a bow tie worn in the daytime can sometimes evoke a stuffy maths professor or an affected intellectual.
- Ascot. A form of neckwear about which there is a great deal of confusion. Sometimes incorrectly called a "cravat" (traditionally a generic term for neckwear), there are actually two varieties of the ascot: the formal ascot, or simply ascot, held together with a pin and often worn with morning dress, and the day cravat, the form more commonly seen. The day cravat today carries connotations of aristocratic haughtiness, despite its soldierly origins amongst seventeenth-centuary Croation mercenaries. Care must be taken to avoid giving such an impression; a dark red day cravat with a navy lounge suit is often a good option for casual evening settings, as is a light yellow with a summer suit.
- Pussybow. Also known as a lavallière, the pussybow is a tragically lost style of early twentieth-century writers, artists, and men-about-town. Essentially a bow tie with elongated ends, which drape gracefully over the chest. Best worn with an open three-button jacket and a white shirt in the summer. Now mostly associated with women's blouses, an artistically-inclined or bohemian gentleman can make a real statement with a pussybow.
- Neckerchief. A simple piece of fabric knotted loosely around the neck, with working-class and peasant connotations. Best worn with a tunic-style shirt, rolled sleeves, and a flat cap.
| Formality | Spring | Summer | Autumn | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | The best context for experimentation. Try pussybows, day cravats, and light-coloured neckties, even into the evening. Colours and patterns are fair game; paisleys and floral patterns can be pleasantly paired with a white shirt. An open collar is acceptable, but can be a missed opportunity. | Light neckties, with conservative patterns. Day cravats remain acceptable, as does an open collar in some settings. A pussybow in warmer climates will give an artistic touch to any outfit. | Warm-coloured neckties, knitted neckties, and even tartan patterned neckties are acceptable. Other styles of neckwear are to be worn with caution, but a well-executed neckerchief or even pussybow can look elegant. | Sober colours. Subtle, darker patterns. An open collar is to be avoided if possible. |
| Informal | As for Casual, but an open collar should be avoided where possible. | Light regimental or club ties are acceptable; darker colours may feel somewhat forced. Cotton and linen ties look smart. A pussybow may be considered too casual, but can be worn elegantly by the discerning gentleman. | As for Casual, with the option of a warm-coloured bow tie acceptable in the evening. | In the daytime, sober, traditional colours. Regimental and club ties are comme il faut. Change to darker colours for the evening; a rich red is amost always acceptable, as is a sober bow tie—especially for parties. Dark paisley is often beautiful when worn with a dark suit. |
| Semi-formal | In the daytime, a black necktie. In the evening, a black silk bow tie. Avoid wearing a bow tie in the daytime; the evocation of Churchill is inescapable. | |||
| Formal | In the daytime, a black necktie, or else a grey, silver, or black ascot. In the evening, a piqué (marcella) white bow tie. | |||
Collars
For men, a choice of collar is tied closely to the formality of his dress. For casual settings, many different styles of collar can be worn, although more formal detachable styles such as imperial or wing collars should be avoided. As a rule of thumb, a man cannot go wrong with a turndown collar—the only exception is formal white tie.
| Formality | Morning | Evening |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | Polo/rugby collar, turndown collar, club collar, mandarin collar, or other tunic-style collar. | Turndown collar, typically worn open. |
| Informal | Turndown, club, or mandarin collar. | Turndown collar. |
| Semi-formal | Turndown or imperial collar. | Turndown collar. The wing collar, sometimes worn by Americans with black tie, is rightly reserved for white tie. |
| Formal | Turndown collar, imperial, or wing collar. The latter to be worn only with an ascot. | Wing collar or "poke" collar. |
Chest Accessories
Several adornments are available for a gentleman to wear on his chest; the most classic options are the handkerchief (pocket square), the lapel pin, boutonnière, pocket watch chain, shirt studs, and pens. As a general rule, it is best to stick to just a couple of understated accessories, or else a single, more flamboyant option. For example, a classic white handkerchief, white boutonnière, and mother-of-pearl shirt studs are de rigueur for formal evening dress, whereas a single colourful pocket square is often sufficient for an informal outfit. Diplomats will often wear a lapel pin featuring the flags of their native and host countries, paired with a simple white handkerchief. A boutonnière should ideally be a real flower, or else a very convincing fake. Posies (also known as nosegays or tussie-mussies) were a forerunner to the boutonnière and offer a very old-fashioned but very beautiful splash of colour to a man's lapel.
A small posy worn on the lapel.
Pocket watch chains are old-fashioned, and should be reserved for semi-formal or formal attire. Chains should be real gold or silver, and attached to a functional pocketwatch in a matching metal. Pens should be worn in the chest pocket of a casual shirt, never a jacket; the exception to this is the lab coat or other professional garment.
Outerwear etc etc
Jackets and Coats etc etc
Waistcoasts etc etc
Shirts
Very preppy men may wear a classic, loose-fitting rugby jersey over a button-down shirt and under a sport coat.
Gloves etc etc
Belts & Bracers etc etc
Trousers etc etc
Underwear
Natural fibres, always. Choose boxer briefs or other square cuts; all but the most extraordinarily muscular men should avoid jockstraps or thin briefs. Ensure the relevant areas are roomy. Grey or black are classic options, though white suits a man with darker skin.
Socks
There are two approaches to socks: that they should act as an extension of the shoes or an extension of the trousers. Matching the colour to one of these items is best; colourful or novelty socks should generally be avoided. Classic patterns such as argyle will suit almost any outfit. Calf- or crew-length socks are the safest options; ankle socks are acceptable with loafers in the summer. With dress shorts or breeches, high-rise socks are old-fashioned but still desirable—if one can avoid looking like a schoolboy or Australian car salesman. White, athletic socks with stripes should be worn with athletic wear.
Shoes etc etc
Accessories
Always carry at least two handkerchiefs; one for your pocket, one for a lady. If prone to a running nose, carry an extra for yourself, and wash it regularly.
Traditional Clothing etc etc
Some References
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Advice for Second-hand Shopping
go to tangent lol