When you hear someone say the word “style,” what comes to mind? For some, style is strictly an outward appearance (a trendy outfit, a signature haircut, a pair of nice shoes), but for others, style is much more. Style is the expression of the self through the messages we send to those around us. It’s clothing, sure, but it’s also how we talk, our body language, and making sure that the non-verbal messages we send are in sync with the verbal ones.

Clothing is merely only one aspect of style, and most of us don’t even realize the messages we are sending based on what we clothes we wear, and how. An untucked shirt, the wrong color belt, or even a weak handshake can taint a man’s style. Fortunately, the Philadelphia men’s suit and image consultants at Henry A. Davidsen have a few tricks up their sleeves to help instantly improve your sense of fashion and overall style.

Focus on Fit

You want to make sure your clothing fits well and is flattering. Either have it made for you (we can help) or have it tailored to fit you properly.

So the question is: how do you know when clothes fit right?

The thing about fit is that it’s tricky because we’re all different shapes, sizes, and proportions. If you have questions about whether or not your clothes fit you, we invite you to reach out to us.

Just remember: A poorly-fitted $5,000 suit won’t look nearly as good as a well-tailored $500 one.

Shine Your Shoes

Top 5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Style – Henry A. Davidsen

George Frazier of Apparel Arts (now Esquire) was quoted as saying, “Wanna know if a guy’s well-dressed? Look down.” Nothing cheapens a look more than a dirty, scuffed pair of shoes.

Our advice is to purchase at least two pairs of genuine leather dress shoes and take care of them. And, the key component of taking care of them is a good shoe shine. If you don’t already have all the shoe shining supplies you need on hand, we took it upon ourselves to make a list for you.

• Polishing cloth
• Leather cleaner/conditioner
• Shoe polish or cream (matched to your shoe color)
• Welt brush (or an old toothbrush)
• Horsehair brush (for buffing)
• Shoe trees (not part of the shine, but they’ll extend the life of your shoes significantly)

Pair Patterns With Denim

To achieve instant, effortless, casual style you only need three things: a patterned sports coat, a pair of dark denim, and a white dress shirt. Sports coats are the least formal of all men’s jackets, but they are the perfect piece if you’re looking to master the “smart casual look.” If you are new in the world of men’s style and want to start with something less flashy, trade in the patterned sports coat and opt for a plain light or dark-colored jacket.

Grooming is Key

Top 5 Ways To Instantly Improve Your Style 2- Henry A. Davidsen

Like a good pair of shoes or a perfectly matched outfit, proper grooming is key and can instantly improve your style was practiced regularly. Grooming activities that you need to take up right now include:

• Shower every day
• Brush twice a day, floss at night
• Wash your face once or twice a day
• Cut your nails and maintaining a thin white line at all times
• Going easy on the cologne – a spritz or two is fine
• Never sleep in your contacts (unless they are the overnight kind)
• Shave regularly. If you keep a beard, maintain it regularly

All of this is easy to add to any routine and take less than 20 minutes to perform. There is no excuse for not have these grooming techniques in your arsenal.

Learn Your Color Palette

Last, but not least, you want to learn your personal color palette. This means that if Karen from Accounting passes you in the office and says, “Green is definitely your color!” then your face’s coloring is perhaps sympathetic to earth tones.

If you don’t work with a Karen and are interested in finding out which color palette looks the best on you, contact our Philadelphia custom tailored shirt specialists, and we would be glad to help!

Henry A. Davidsen is here for all of your custom clothing and image consulting needs. To learn more about our services, feel free to give us a call at 215-310-0219 or browse our website.