Today, we’d like to discuss looking memorable in our everyday lives. On its face, the idea of looking memorable sounds great – after all, who wouldn’t want to be remembered (in a good way)? This is fair, but there’s an important counterpoint to this that we’ll explore here, as it’s germane to the image you project.
Defining “Memorable”
If it’s for a good reason, memorability is a great thing. When people remember who we are, it can open doors for us on personal and professional fronts. As it specifically relates to your clothing, we define “memorable” as something so unique, eye-catching, or rare that it begins to compromise its versatility.
Highly memorable clothing would be, say, a double-breasted madras sport jacket. A multi-colored floral tuxedo jacket would fit this bill, as would a hot pink shirt with contrasting white collar and oversized mother-of-pearl buttons. Worn sparingly, items like these can give your wardrobe a jolt of style and cement your reputation as a guy who takes sartorial risks and succeeds.
On the other hand, if you wear, say, bold red pants three times a week, you cease to become a style aficionado. You are now the Guy In The Red Pants. Much as the messenger becomes the message itself, the memorable item will precede your reputation to the point that it becomes your reputation.
If you love red pants and don’t mind being known as such, have at it. Just be aware that there’s a large potential downside – it may compromise any messages of seriousness, legitimacy, and reliability that you might otherwise wish to send.
Memorability Versus Versatility
As clothing becomes less memorable, it becomes more versatile. There’s a reason they say that every man should own at least one blue sport jacket – it goes with everything, and you can change its character based on the shirt, pants, and accessories you wear with it. The versatility of these items makes a good argument for purchasing them at the full custom level, ensuring they’ll last decades and fit perfectly.
This isn’t to say that the entirety of your wardrobe should be basic blues, greys, and whites. It is wise, however, so build the foundation of your wardrobe on such pieces, and branch out from there. We love bold plaid sport jackets just as much as the next guy, sure. Still, you’ll be better off collecting those once you have one or two classic pieces to hold you over.
Not A Zero-Sum Game
It’s very important to note that the custom clothing process allows you to design versatile pieces that still have flourishes of memorability. In fact, we encourage the lion’s share of our clients to style pieces with this in mind. A navy blue suit, while versatile, doesn’t have to be (nor should be) boring. Unique buttons, linings, and fabric weaves are ways to maintain versatility while making your clothing truly yours.
In Conclusion
The best place to start is at the beginning. When building a wardrobe from scratch, it’s smart to focus on versatility first, and memorability later.
Ready to commission your next piece of clothing with us? We’re ready when you are. Call 215-310-0219 or email info@henrydavidsen.com to get started. In the meantime, enjoy these other clothing articles:
