Guide

How to Dress Better

The fastest way to dress better is not to buy more clothes. It is to apply three constraints to the clothes you already own.

1. Limit each outfit to three colors

Most bad outfits have four or more colors fighting for attention. Cap your outfit at three — one base, one neutral, one accent. Anything beyond three should be a strong reason, not an accident.

2. Keep formality within one step

Outfits break when one piece is dressed up and another is dressed down. A blazer with athletic sneakers reads as confused. Keep every piece within one rung of the formality ladder.

3. Tailor everything that can be tailored

A $40 shirt that fits beats a $400 shirt that does not. Take everything to a tailor once. Sleeves, shoulders, waist, hem. The improvement is bigger than any new purchase you can make.