Sharp-dressed Man

It is well-known that the primary purpose of fashion for many men (myself included) is to impress women. Now before diving into the Do's and Don't's of men's fashion I should point out the three things that women notice first about any man in their vicinity:

1. Teeth
2. Hands
3. Shoes

Not necessarily in any order of rank, and not all strictly fashion factors, these are worth mentioning. Keep your hands in good condition, use moisturizer as needed, especially if you do any amount of manual work. Keep your oral hygiene as a priority and get that toothpaste and floss working regularly if you want to get past that first smile. Chewing gum is good on the run just don't be chewing it when you're on a date. Shoes, which are a fashion factor, are always of vital importance and remain one of the foundations of your style.

So for the fashion factors, we will start with the shoes. When asked, I continually inform people about the immense weight that a good pair of shoes has in a person's style repertoire. They may not salvage a bad suit but they will definitely help it out. A good suit will never salvage a bad pair of shoes. If budgeting for a particular outfit or even your entire wardrobe, spend at least one third on shoes (personally I spend at least half of my clothes budget on shoes). A good pair of shoes is so substantial and beautifully understated that the rewards are practically never-ending.

If you know nothing about good shoes, check these brands for starters: Church's, Allen-Edmonds, Alden, Gucci, Bass, Florsheim, Cheaney, Tricker's, J.P. Todd, John Lobb. You may miss a beat when you see some of the prices, but you will at least get the idea of what good shoes are and if your budget does not allow for the above brands then you can pursue other less-expensive avenues with more knowledge of what a good shoe looks like.

Clothes in general look better when they fit you. This sounds obvious but is a mistake made more often than you may think. To get this right you want to talk to tailors or find books on men's clothes and see how they should fit. Length of the cuff, the lapel of the jacket, the waist of the trousers and so on are all important. Beware getting the advice from the salesman who is currently trying to sell you something. A good salesman will give good advice, a not-so-good salesman will give you trouble. Books on style and clothes are probably the best source of unbiased advice and information that you can get on this factor of fashion.

If clothes look better when they fit you, then they look best when they also suit you. For this you may require the advice of a friend (who you can trust) or again, a book that covers different body-types and respective clothing-types for them. Nearly everybody has some aspect of their body or face that is unusual. A long neck, short legs, too skinny, not skinny enough, no hair, too much hair, glasses, and the like are aspects that can be wonderfully disguised by the clothing that we choose. Remember, good clothes look very good on the rack (or on the showroom dummy) but not always so on you. This is where try, try and try again applies. Get out to those shops and try on as many jackets and suits and shoes that you can. You need comparison to define your personal style. Don't take the first thing that looks impressive. Many times I have bought an item in the past which looked great at the store; then a few months later, after getting a few better garments, I suddenly saw all the flaws in the first one.

The last touch and easily the most subtle is the accessory touch. If you get this right, you will be impressing women all the way home. The right sunglasses, the perfect cuff-links, the Swiss watch (steer clear of the chunky-monster watch if you can help it), the belt, all of these and many others draw the discerning eye and almost sub-consciously win you over with your present company. So always go for quality with accessories.

Being sharp is a rare thing and involves finding out about your own character and your own style. It can be a long road but a greatly rewarding one. When you get that perfect balance of shoes and clothes and accessories and can choose your items effortlessly, you may well find people treat you differently, people suddenly notice you more. And the women that have impressed you so often in the past are suddenly smiling your way.