Men’s Style Manual

Men’s Style Manual : The Ultimate Guide For Making Your Clothes Work For You

Author : Daniel Peres and the Editors of Details

Goodreads Link

Amazon Link

Rules of Style

• Be honest about how you look, and be okay with it. Dress for your body, not a model’s.
• It’s okay to dress in a dull and uniform way. Signature looks are classics for a reason. Being a trendsetter isn’t for everyone. If you don’t feel like one, it’s okay to follow the herd, and dress classy. Don’t try too hard.
• Dressing appropriately for the occasion is the bulk of the work.
• Be inquisitive, and learn from the well dressed people around you.

Classics You Should Already Own

• Overcoat - Should complement custom suits, and make jeans look elegant.
• Navy Blue & Grey Suits - Single breasted, medium weight (to wear all year round). Perhaps a classic black suit should also be added to the list.
• Navy Blue Blazer.
• Formal Shoes - One black pair, one dark brown pair.
• Formal Shirts - 2 white, 1 blue.
• 1 Polo T-Shirts.
• 1 Slim, Dark Coloured Tie.
• Pair of Basic, Straight Legged, Blue Jeans.
• Black Belt.
• A Few Pairs of Black Cotton Socks.

Shirts

• Fit is the single most important thing.
• Neck
• Collar should fit snugly around the neck.
• 2 fingers should fit between neck and collar, when buttoned.
• Torso
• Buttons should lie flat and the fabric between buttons should not pull.
• But it should still be snug at the chest.
• Back
• Slim guys should go for fitted styles which contour towards the waist.
• Bigger built guys should get box pleats for more space without volume.
• Waist
• The shirt should be tucked into trousers, without ballooning out of them (don’t fold over the belt).
• While seated it should leave just enough room.
• Sleeve
• Cuff should lie between the base of the thumb and your wrist.
• Tails
• Should lie under your rear while seated.

• Some Classic Shirt Types:
• Plain White - Super classy with a suit, jeans, under an overcoat or a sweater.
• Plain Blue - It goes with everything. Pick the shade as a function of the rest of the outfit.
• Plain Grey - Goes well with a navy blue suit, without standing out too much.
• Gingham Checks - This is a useful way to bring a dull outfit (like a grey suit) to life.
• Striped Oxford - Oxford is a fabric which is light, lustrous and soft. Combining this with stripes makes for a good casual shirt to go with jeans or khakis. Sleeves can be rolled up here, and a fun/plain tie can be thrown in (optional).
• Contrast Collar - If you’re wearing a dark suit, a collar which is a different (matching) shade from the rest of the shirt can work.
• Variegated Stripes - These stripes blend into each other and are inherently more casual, for an evening out.
• Pencil Stripes - With slender stripes, they add a nice element to suits, while remaining formal.
• Band/Mandarin Collar - There is a subtle difference between the 2. But both maintain the smart look of a shirt, while making the outfit look casual.
• Floral Print - For relaxed days, if you have the confidence, an oversized floral shirt screams fun.

• Collars - Regular is the most universal and works in all situations. Spread, button-down, tab and long-point are options for more advanced styling.

Pants

• Waist - Know where you wear your pants and your measurement. Probably best just above the hip bone.
• Fabric - Pick a fabric which is durable, but also comfortable for the weather.
• Pleats - It’s better to get flat fronted pants than those with pleats in the front.
• Break - Should cover the top of your shoe and part of the laces (while standing). Jeans would break lower (a quarter of an inch above the ground).

• Types of Pants:
• Grey - This is the ideal neutral colour for pants, and goes with almost every kind of shirt. Works with a sports jacket (+shirt and tie), shirt & sweater, overcoat (+shirt and tie) or polo shirt & jacket.
• Khaki - They’re durable and good for everything ranging from office wear to casual wear.
• Black - An office classic. Avoid wearing black with white shirts, to avoid looking like a waiter.
• Navy Blue Chinos- Works as casual wear or office wear, and works well with a white oxford shirt.
• White - White jeans can work with a colourful polo, white linens are great summer comfort, and white/cream trousers can work damn well with a contrasting shirt and a blue blazer.
• Pinstripe - As long as the stripes are pencil thin and the collared shirt matches, this makes for great dinner casuals.
• Linen - Great for super casual wear, and pants that you can sleep in. They look good even when crumpled.
• Tweed.
• Cargos - A youthful alternative to jeans and khakis for casual occasions.
• Wool Flannel - Works better for colder weather.

• Shorts - Be careful about when you wear shorts. Never wear them in a moderately formal setting, and avoid them in social settings. Shorts are really meant for sports and casual occasions.
• Types of shorts: Denim, running/sports, cargo, trouser, simming.

Blazers

“The navy blazer is your [men’s] little black dress.”

• Types of Blazers:
• Navy Blue - The ideal navy blue blazer is in a rich and plush colour. It pairs well with bright white, light blue or pink shirts.
• Corduroy - In dark brown, rich maroon and other warm hues, it’s great for winter wear.
• Plaid - A simple plaid jacket with a white shirt and jeans is best, rather than doing something too complex.
• Tweed - A classic in grey or brown, especially worn with elbow patches, for a professor look.
• Velvet - Makes a strong statement on its own. The rest of the outfit should be understated.
• Khaki - A new, modern blazer, never to be worn with khaki pants.

• Fit
• Slimmer is more formal. But roomier is also acceptable.
• Sleeves should leave space for a quarter inch of shirt cuff to show.

Ties

Good ties are thick and soft.

• Types of Ties:
• Pattern - Can add colour and make the outfit more fun, while still formal.
• Bold pattern, small pattern, polka dot, stripes.
• Solid - Add sophistication to any outfit. Work particularly well with striped shirts.
• Solid Bright - Playful, and match well with equally eye catching pocket squares or socks.
• Knit Ties - Add texture, as an underrated element.
• Bow Tie - A little more youthful and fun, less formal.

• How to tie a tie:
• Position - Knot should lie between the points of a collar (at the throat). THere should be a dimple in the tie, just below the knot.
• Length - The tie should never cross the waist. Uptil the belt is best.
• Width - This varies with season. Go with a width corresponding to your own frame.
• Knot - While there are many acceptable options, the four in hand is the simplest and usually quite acceptable. The half windsor is more symmetrical and is also fairly simple. Generally avoid a large knot.
  How to tie 8 different tie knots

Suits

• Shoulders - It should make your shoulders look broad (in proportion to your body) and overall make your frame and posture look good. The seams should fall at your shoulders.
• Lapels - All styles (shawl, peak or notch) are okay. Notch is the customary and straightforward one. Make sure that the lapels are neither too broad nor too narrow. They should lie flat on your chest, otherwise the suit is too tight. They should be close to the tie knot.
• Buttons - They should be high quality, not break or come off. Either 2 or 3 buttons are okay. 3 is more American while 2 is European. In a 2 button suit only wear the top button, in a 3 button suit, only wear the middle one.
• Patterns - Usually they are so subtle that they aren’t noticeable. The solid (plain) suit is the classic.
• Pockets - They can be kept open, but avoid using them to store much.
• Stitching - It is better to get a hand tailored suit than an off the rack one. The quality and fit will both be better. It should have a trim line that follows the line of your body (making you look slim). It should gently hug the body without restricting you.
• Sleeves - The length should allow quarter of an inch of shirt sleeve to show.
• Vents - Double vented makes it easier to wear the suit close to your body, especially for solidly built guys.
• Single vs Double Breast - Single breasted is the default, especially if you’re either short or bulky.

• Types of Fits:
• British Fit - Hugs the body and brings out a lean look with a defined waist, strong chest, narrow arms and tapering pants.
• Italian Fit - High padded shoulders, longer draped jacket and thin pants

• Types of Suits:
• Midnight Blue - This suit goes with everything. It’s a few shades darker than navy blue. It matches with blakc or brown shoes and most shirts and ties.
• Black - The classic suit. Works very well with a soft blue shirt or a crisp white shirt with a thin black tie.
• Grey - After midnight blue, this is the ultimate neutral suit. It goes with all shoes, shirts and ties and can be worn every day.
• Herringbone - A more rough texture and zigzag pattern to give an old school look and warmth in the winter.
• Cotton - A good suit for the summer, keeping you cool, while looking much the same.
• Linen - Another summer suit, which is much cooler, but also less formal.
• Prince of Wales, Windowpane & Pinstripes - Different patterns for rarer and dressier occasions.

Formalwear

For “formal” occasions, the book recommends a tuxedo as opposed to the suits recommended most of the time. This section is a bit much for me to process, because everything thus far seemed formal anyway. But here’s the basic difference between a tux and a suit.
Differenced between a suit and a tuxedo

Added niceties for these balck tie events include:

• Bow tie or straight tie (thin tie).
• Cuff links How to wear cuff links
• Pocket squares.

Jeans

This is the closest you can come in clothing to a life-long partner. The Levis 501 are the quintessential classics.

• Fit of Jeans:
• Hip - The jeans should not fall below your hips. It should stay snugly there.
• Legs - A little roomier around the legs is better.
• Length - A quarter of an inch above the ground is ideal.
• Style - Straight leg jeans are the easiest to pull off. Relaxed jeans can also work for everyone. Skinny is only for very few lanky people.

• Types of Jeans:
• Blue - Deep blue and straight legged jeans are the classic that goes with everything.
• Dark Blue - This pairs better with man collared shirts and with blazers.
• Grey / Black - This work best with a t-shirt and a black sweater.
• White - This is tougher to pull off, but can work with a single solid colour sweater. The jeans have to be spotless.
• Distress / Faded - As long as the embellishment and fading is to a minimum, this can work. But it’s not the classic jeans.
• Wash of the Jeans - Stick with stone wash (if any) instead of acid wash.

Casual (T-)Shirts

• T-Shirt Fit:
• It shouldn’t hug your body, but should be a bit looser, while still having a clear shape.
• Length - It should be long enough to tuck in, but shouldn’t go below your hips.

• Casual Shirt Basics:
• White T-Shirt - Pairs with a wide range of pants, jeans, sweaters and blazers. A few white t-shirts is a must.
• V-Neck /Deep Neck - This is for a casual setting at home or on the beach.
• Polo - A smart and well fitting polo matches with a wide range of trousers, and can be worn in many colours.
• Henley - The collarless t-shirt with many buttons towards the top is a sharper version of a t-shirt and pair with all the same clothes.
• Rugby Shirts - Looks a lot like a polo, with some more colour (but not too much more).
• Solid Colour (round neck) - Always a good casual option and pairs well with simple jeans.

Sweaters

• Fit - Follow the same rules as followed with shirts. Remember that there will be another layer below the sweater. And the neck should follow the same rules as a blazer or jacket. The length should be such that it doesn’t bunch up at the bottom, but ends at the hips. The best judge of fit is when the seams sit perfectly in the centre of your shoulders.

• Styles of Sweaters:
• Crewneck - This is a simple roundneck. It works well on shirts (and ties) and t-shirts. Cotton works well on t-shirts and cashmere is brilliant on shirts.
• V Neck - The cut shouldn’t be too deep. And the material should be either thin wool, or cashmere.
• Turtleneck - The sweater should be slim cut (not bulky) and the material should also be light. The colours should not be very eye-grabbing.
• Cardigan - This is a button-up sweater. A thin, black or grey cardigan can pair very well with jeans and light t-shirts.

• Material
• Cashmere - This is the most versatile and adds warmth with minimal thickness.
• Cotton - Is a little less warm.
• Wool - Provides maximum warmth.

Outerwear

I have skimmed here, since the weather in my part of the world just isn’t cold enough for this. The ideal outerwear is a smart, slimming overcoat.

• Material - Cashmere is ideal, and camel hair is also good.
• Style - Chesterfield. This has a slim hem, and the length is upto the knee.
• Fit - Shoulders should be loose enough to go over inner-wear. Sleeves should end at the wrist. Length should ideally come up to your knees.
• Belt - It is better to get an overcoat that has a belt at the waist, so that it maintains a clear shape.

Underwear

• There are boxers and there are briefs. Pick which one you are most comfortable in. That’s all there is to it.

Shoes

• Shoe Basics:
• Material - Glossy leather is a fail safe choice. But suede and other such materials add interesting textures and options.
• Colour - Black is more formal and goes with more clothing. But a brown is also a very nice match with navy blue and other such combinations.
• Lacing - Lace is the more formal and classy option than slip-on.
• Toe - A Pointier toe is classier than a blunt one.
• Sole - The sole should be at least a quarter of an inch thick for style and comfort.

• Types of Shoes:
• Loafers - The basic shoe (not sneaker) for a casual occasion. Pairs well with jeans.
• Monk Straps - An elegant alternative to loafers. They work well in alternate materials like suede or velvet.
• Oxfords - The classic black, lace shoe. Keep them well shined.
• Wingtips - They add flair to a business setting. They look great in brown.
• White Shoes - Add a powerful neutral to footwear, when paired with the right clothing.
• Sneakers - They’re a classic for jeans and a casual social occasion.
• Sandals - For summery and casual occasions when you are wearing linen or cotton.
• Flip-flops - Only for personal use, at a beach or pool.

Accessories

• Accessories mainly serve so that you can add some personality to your outfit, with a little subtlety. Some accessories are:
• Leather gloves, fedora hat, driving cap, knit hat, baseball cap, cotton scarf, college scarf, winter scarf.
• Belts
• A black belt and a brown belt are essentials.
• Belts should match your shoes.
• The buckle should be plain and classy, without any words. The width should be slim, not large.
• Glasses Based on Face Shape:
• Triangular Face - Glasses which mimic bone structure and accentuate eyes.
• Oval Face - Accentuate the width of your face. Maybe heavy plastic wraparound and larger lenses.
• Round Face - Contrasting angular shape and squarer look.