My 10 Men's Style Rules

Today, I want to share with you the rules I've developed for myself that help me improve my style every day.

These are the rules I use to create my style, they don't have to be your rules. If you gain inspiration, great, but what you find important and how you live your life is up to you.

Either way, it's important to have some guiding principles.

These principles can:

• Save you money by keeping you from making a bad purchase

• Save you time by removing the complexity of getting dressed

• And boost your confidence by knowing that you're putting on something that makes you look and feel good.

So, what are your rules? Start thinking about your principles as you read through mine. Maybe you'll gain some inspiration. Here are mine...

1. Never keep something you haven't worn in a year.

This should be more like 6 months, but I'm being realistic. You would be shocked at the amount of clothing I've seen men hang on to.

Sometimes we have a problem letting go, even when it's time. If you haven't worn it in a year, you're not going to wear it. It's taking up room in the closet and muddying up the waters of your wardrobe. We want only the stuff that works.

Never buy new stuff when there is bad stuff still around. This is the equivalent of investing in the stock market while you're thousands in debt. Dig yourself out of the hole first.

Start by understanding how to organize your closet, then cleaning it out ruthlessly, and only then start adding stuff in.

2. Never shop without a list

I don't do bulk shopping. The only time this is advisable is if you're in need of a whole new wardrobe - this is what I work with clients on during the in-person consultation program.

Outside of that, you should never go into a store without knowing exactly what you need. When I shop, I'm usually in the market for a single item. I've already built a solid foundation, and now I'm just adding the pieces I feel I need when something catches my eye.

When you bulk shop, you make mistakes. When you shop for a single item, you get it right. For my last purchase, I spent two hours looking for a denim jacket for myself. I knew what I wanted and I wasn't going to settle. I came out with the perfect one and I wear it all the time. Shop like that, or as one client of mine called it "like a targeted missile strike".

3. Spend the money

I buy the best I can afford. This doesn't mean expensive, but there is a higher cost for higher quality. My god is it worth it. Until you experience this, you won't understand it. This is coming from a guy that in his younger years always chased the sale and never understood why some shirts are a hundred bucks while others were ten.

Spend the money. Your clothing will look better. You'll enjoy wearing it. It won't need as much tailoring. It will likely be more comfortable. It will hold up longer. You'll be proud to own it.

For the guys that complain that they just look "kinda frumpy", they're usually not spending the money they should. Don't overpay. Don't buy trends. Don't chase sales. Just invest in the right stuff and buy the best that you can afford.

4. If it's been stuck in your head for a month, buy it

There was a period of a few months I was obsessed with a certain pair of brown suede penny loafers. I knew exactly what I wanted, I just never made the purchase.

I justified it with the cost being high (I broke rule #3) among other things.

But when I would get ready and put together an outfit during those months, I thought about how those shoes would add so much to my wardrobe.

Fast forward and I now wear those things at least three times a week and I get compliments on them constantly.

If it's been stuck in my head for over a month, chances are it's not just a passing fascination and it will bring value to my wardrobe. Pull the trigger if it's been over a month.

5. Consult your style icons before making a purchase

I never make a purchase without consulting my trusted board of advisors.

No, I don't set up a meeting with actual people and ask their opinion.

My board of advisors is a list of my style icons - a group of men who's style I admire and take inspiration from. I have a list of about ten men (some of whom are actually fictional) who I "consult" with before purchases.

If I'm looking at buying an item, I internally ask myself "would [insert name] wear this? If the answer is no, I move on.

This has saved me so much money in the past on purchases I would have made in hast. It also makes sure that my closet has a cohesive look and feel.

6. Tailor [nearly] everything

Rumor has it, the famed designer Tom Ford tailors his Hanes T-shirts. That's a bit of a step too far for me personally, but it shows you that you can tailor everything.

This IS the secret sauce of style, and no one is taking advantage of it as most men think tailoring is just for suits. I tailor shirts, jeans, jackets, you name it. Why? Because for around $15 bucks, I can usually turn an item from a 7 into a 10.

I also can cut down on my time shopping this way. Instead of shopping forever to try and find jeans with the perfect inseam, I can just tailor them to fit perfectly.

I want everything in my closet to look it's best, so I tailor nearly everything.

7. Only wear the colors that work

When I work with a client, we go through a process called color analysis in order to identify the best set of colors that make them look incredible.

I know what colors work for me down to a tee, and there is no greater feeling than being able to identify those immediately when you walk into a store (think about the headache that removes!)

I only stick to these colors, no matter what is in season, what's on-trend, or what the guy at Nordstrom thinks I should wear.

Doing this ensures that all the colors in my closet make me look my best, and because they're all in the same family of colors, they all pair together seamlessly.

8. Dress a notch above everyone else

When guys start getting into the style game, they have a tendency to overdo it. I get emails from kids who tell me that they've read some of my stuff and now that they give a damn, they're going to dress up all the time.

While I appreciate the Young Guns taking some initiative, they're going about it in the wrong way. I like wearing a suit just for the hell of it, but if you're not aware of your surroundings, it can make you look like a douche.

What I do is think about the place that I'm heading too. I'm big into cocktails and "mixology", so let's say I'm going to one of my favorite places for drinks with a date.

First, I'll think about what every guy there is going to wear. You'll usually have an idea of the general attire if you've been before and paid attention.

Then, I jump ahead of them and dress just a little bit better. If everyone's wearing a tee, wear a polo. If everyone's wearing a polo, wear an untucked button-down. If everyone's wearing an untucked button-down, tuck the shirt in and add a lightweight sport coat.

Everywhere I go, I outbid the other guys by just a bit, but not enough to be an ass. Don't be the guy that shows up to a BBQ in a tuxedo.

9. Keep the wardrobe small

I know men with over a hundred pairs of shoes; a couple of them have been clients. That gives me a headache just thinking about it.

I love clothing, but I really love the end result of looking good. I don't want to have to think too much about it.

I try to keep my closet small and only filled with high-quality items I'm actually going to wear. It makes my life incredibly easy, I don't waste excess time and money shopping, and I can get ready effortlessly.

10. Don't take it so seriously

I love it when the style police come after me.

These are the guys on the forums and Reddit who got into the style game a year ago and have read one too many blog posts, now wanting to spout off their new-found knowledge on every piece of content they can.

They feel the need to comment on anything and everything if someone isn't wearing something, well, boring. If you don't look like a subscription box drone, they have a problem with it.

Here's the thing:

I know all the rules. I know them better than them. I teach the rules.

Guess what?

I break them constantly.

I wear a collar that's a bit too wide, I like my tie-knot off-center, and I will certainly wear white after labor day.

Sue me.

Rules and frameworks are great, but at the end of the day, this only works if you have fun with it.

I break the rules in the interest of living how I please (while still looking good). Because of this, I get to have a unique voice with my outfits.

As Richard Eberhart said, "Style is the perfection of a point of view"

I'll be damned if I don't get to share my point of view and instead outsource it to an internet troll or a subscription box “stylist”.

Having fun with your clothing and enjoying the stuff you wear makes life better.

And my goal is to make the lives of the men I work with a little bit better too. If you want to enjoy what you wear and feel great about your closet, this virtual image consultation program is for you.

If you have your own set of style rules, I'd love to hear them.

-Patrick

P.S. Want more style tips? Here are 32 more men’s style tips of them that I more recently put together.