Last night, we had the chance to check out a restaurant here in San Diego, June et Jolie. It's been on my list of places to hit for some time. But, until recently, reservations were hard to come by - there's a reason for this: it earned itself a Michelin star last year, aside from the fact the food is really that good.

It's hard not to be impressed with their cuisine. The dishes weren't overly complex, but what really shined through were the ingredients; everyone felt like it was the best version of that thing you could find. The lemon was picked at the apex of its ripeness. The beef was perfectly marbled. There wasn't a wilted herb in sight.

When you have good ingredients, creating a great dish becomes easy. In fact, it becomes hard to mess up. It's no different with style and putting together outfits.

Guys often ask me something to the extent of...

"Why is it that some guys look great in jeans and a tee, and I look like a slob?" - Ingredients.
"Why do all my clothes look worn and beat up after I've hardly worn them" - Ingredients.
"What's the secret that all the stylish guys know that I don't" - Ingredients.

Whether putting together a great dish or a great outfit, it comes down to this: How good are your ingredients? Most guys pay no attention to the quality of the items they're buying or who they're buying them from.

Let's use an ingredient example - a pair of jeans. Despite how they may look, all jeans are not created equal.

A good pair of jeans are well thought out and well designed. Someone highly skilled thought out...

How it's going to sit on your waist.
How it's going to make your butt look.
How it will stretch squatting down and sitting.
How it feels to have your hands in your pockets.
How it will look at the end of the day still wearing the same pair.
How it will pair with other items.
How the fabric will fade over time.
How it will wear out through the years, and what areas to reinforce so it doesn't rip.

But most guys still think their mass-produced pair stocked at Walmart next to the fuel filters are just as good.

If men just start buying better ingredients, they'd see how easy style becomes, but they refuse because they don't think it will make a difference.

They want to buy dollar store chicken and want it to taste like a Michelin-starred dish. It ain't happening. I've tried. And after almost a decade, I've seen how this plays out for clients.

You will save yourself so much time and money (and look so much better) if you just start buying better ingredients

So, how do you find those ingredients? There's a simple trick for this to find the best stuff. I use it for myself and clients every time I shop.

Buy from the place that specializes in the thing you're looking for who has been doing it the longest.

You don't buy milk from your fisherman, but guys do the equivalent with their clothing. They think just because a store offers EVERYTHING, they should buy it all from them.

Find a brand that makes ONE thing really well and who has been doing it for a long time, and then buy that thing from them.

Many guys are familiar with Allen Edmond, which is a great starting point for dress shoes. They've been around for over a hundred years and only specialize in shoes, allowing them to deliver a focused, higher-quality product. If you're looking for dress shoes, you can bet you'll get a good result by shopping there.

You can do this with any item - Jeans, shoes, leather, etc.- by doing so, you'll find shining examples of the thing you're looking for, and they'll usually last you as long as you want them to.

Those items also tend to be the most comfortable and best looking because they've spent so much time designing and refining over the years that they get it right more often than not.

If you want to put together great outfits, copy the strategy of some of the best chefs in the world...

Create simple dishes with the best stuff you can find. Find good ingredients and pay for them.

Much love, Patrick

P.S. If you need more help from me personally, you can schedule a time to chat with me to walk through your goals and see if I can help you look like the most stylish version of yourself this year. Book a call here