Sometimes, when I’ve seen men’s closets, they’ll tell me how they wound up with a certain item.

They'll say, "Oh, the guy at the store told me it was trendy," or "It's my wife's favorite color".

These items typically sit towards the back of the closet and never get worn.

Most guys don’t understand that style is something unique and should not be based on the opinions of others.

When you base your style on other's opinions of what is "in", or their opinions on what they find attractive, your wardrobe is in constant flux and has no cohesive direction, making it a jumbled mess.

Imagine if you were remodeling your home, and at every turn, you invited someone off the street to pick a random fixture, countertop, or piece of furniture to add in.

The aesthetic of your home would drive you so mad you'd want to burn it down.

Why, then, would you do the same for your closet?

The clothing you wear should be a reflection of who you are and what looks best on you. If it’s not, you’ll always feel uncomfortable in your clothing, like you’re wearing a costume.

Even if you get help figuring out the right clothing, it should always be in the context of what works for you, not what works for them.

This is the difference between fashion and style if you weren't aware.

Fashion is what they tell you to wear. Style is what you like to wear.

Trends come and go, but style is forever.

Your job is to cultivate your style - Your unique point of view of how you want to appear in the world.

Part of what we do is help men determine and decipher their personal style and get clothing that suits it.

Here are tips to get you thinking about it...

Look for inspiration in your life - your car, your home, your hangouts, and your hobbies are a good place to start. Identify the aesthetics there. My guy driving an old Ford Bronco is going to (likely) dress differently than my younger client, who drives a yellow Lamborgini. Neither is right or wrong; they both just have different points of view on how they present themselves.

Then, find visual examples. Find photos of guys' outfits that represent something you like, even if it's not the entire outfit. You'll start to see some common items emerge from the grouping of outfit photos.

Those are the items you then go out and shop for, and only those items.

When in doubt, build a base of timeless stuff that is immune to the tides of fashion. Things like a great-fitting white tee or a pair of dark wash jeans. Then, you can slowly sprinkle in some distinguishing items for your personal style.

Remember, you are always the captain of the ship. Whether you like it or not, you're always going to be wearing clothing, so you may as well enjoy it.

Hope that helps.

x Patrick