What is the Secret to Great Style?

You may have heard of Occam’s Razor. It’s a framework for problem-solving that states when you’re faced with multiple choices, the simplest one is usually the right one.

It doesn’t mean that every simple answer is the right one, but it’s a good starting point. If you overcomplicate things, the whole system tends to break down.

I was thinking about how this applies to clothing and realized that solving and improving on your style works in the same way. Simple usually wins.

Here’s an example:

Having seen every style issue under the sun working with guys over the last decade, I can tell you that most of the time, style isn’t solved by addition but instead by subtraction.

Most guys try to fix their wardrobe by adding more. More items, prints, colors, etc. in their already mixed-up closet.

Instead, you should first simplify. One of the best things you can do is first subtract what isn’t working. I know this isn’t as exciting as shopping for new stuff, but we’ll get to that. You always pull the weeds before you plant the garden.

This will help clear up mental clutter when you’re trying to get ready. For example, instead of trying to recall which pair of pants in your closet actually fits well, you should get it so that ALL of the pants in your closet actually fit, tossing the ones that don’t. Getting ready becomes easy when you know everything in your closet works well for you.

This also ensures the things you own pair well together - if you have one item that fits you and one that doesn’t, it makes the outfit look disproportionate (which you can learn more about here if you don’t know what I’m talking about).

Finally, it helps you see where the gaps in your closet are. Once you remove the bad stuff, you can then spot the holes to fill with stuff that actually works.

Once you simplify the wardrobe, then we can start adding stuff in. And again, it helps to keep it simple.

You don’t need a minimalist wardrobe, but you do need a strong foundation. Even the most elaborate buildings start with a solid base—get that wrong, and everything else collapses. Your closet is no different.

We want to start with a solid core setup of items that fit you well and are interchangeable, meaning they can be worn with many different items. This ensures they’ll all pair together, but also with all the new stuff you decide to add in the future.

Items like a perfectly fitting white tee are a good example. It’s classic, timeless, works on its own, and layers easily. Build on that.

You can then expand into trends, prints, bolder colors, whatever, but all of it will be able to work since you’ve built a solid foundation. But it all starts with a core wardrobe that’s high-quality, well-fitted, and interchangeable.

Simplification of the stuff you own + simplification of the types of items you buy = the best foundation we’ve found to look your best.

This is what we do for guys as the expert personal stylist for men ⏤ We educate you on what looks best on you, show you the good and bad of your closet/outfits and get all that cleaned up, and then build you a wardrobe that fits you perfectly around your style/budget. And we’ve done all that successfully for 1200+ great guys for the last ten years.

If you want, I’d be happy to see if we can help. You can apply for a time to chat with me here, and we’ll have a quick discussion to see where you’re at now, map out a strategy of what you need to do to look your best, and then see if you want our help doing it if it all sounds good. Either way you’ll get a lot of insight into what you should be wearing and how to look good.

Schedule it here.

Hope this helps.

x Patrick