How To Get Complimented On Your Outfit Without Even Trying
“You’re the best dressed guy I’ve ever seen”
This is just one of the compliments I’ve gotten from women who admire the way I dress. And it’s not that I go out of my way looking to get compliments like this it just happens.
In fact, I’m shocked someone would even say that to me.
“Really? Me? The best-dressed man you’ve seen?..Just about how many men have you seen?
What makes it even more amazing is that on most days I put little to no effort in what I wear.
I wake up, check the weather, evaluate how I feel, get dressed, and somehow still manage to get compliments on my outfits.
It ceases to amaze me how many times I will be complimented for what I think is a simple outfit.
I admit it’s not that easy all the time. Some mornings are spent pacing back and forth from the closet to drawer trying to figure out what shirt I want to wear with my green cargo pants but eventually, I find something.
One of the misconceptions that exist is that it takes a lot of effort to dress well. It actually doesn’t. In fact being well dressed is rather simple. All it takes is three things.
Find your personal style
First things first:
Know yourself
Dig deep. Find what it is you like and what you don’t like. What’s your personality? Are you funny? Down to earth? Mild-mannered? Eccentric? Without knowing who you are as a person it will be much more difficult to figure out what style suits you best.
Create a uniform.
You don’t see Pharrell wearing anything short of the definition of flamboyance or Tom Ford in anything less than a classic, well-tailored suit. That’s because they have a signature look and they stick to it.
The same goes for you. Find what works for you and be consistent. The minute you deviate from this is the minute you start to lose your style, and that’s when your brand starts to fall apart.
Staple pieces never disappoint.
I never get tired of wearing my United Arrow sashiko jeans. They go with just about everything in my closet so why not wear them 3 days out the week? They’re mine.
If you don’t have a staple I’d suggest…no I implore that you get one.
It doesn’t have to be elaborate as patched jeans or dapper as a trench coat but it should speak to who you are. Wear it like it’s your second skin.
Make it look good
Details, details, details.
Many time we get caught up in foundational pieces and ignore the minor details. What really matters is how the outfit works as a whole.
For example, if tomorrow I want to wear black boots tomorrow the next thing I think about is the pants. If I want to make a casual statement I’ll go with my blue sashiko jeans.
Next thing is the shirt. Since it’s just a plain white tee I can go ahead and throw on a necklace. I’ll then put on my green parka to compliment the blue pants.
But the most important aspect of this outfit is the accessories — or details as I like to call them.
When choosing my accessories I either go with a pop of color or something subtle but with this outfit, I can do both.
The pop of color comes in through the red hat while the subtleness is done with minor items like a watch and rings.
Many people think the just because they’re wearing Gucci, Prada or Guess that they have a sense of style. But name brands don make you stylish or fashionable. Name brands just make you a slave to name brands.
The Oscars just passed and I guarantee you there’s a top 10 best-dressed list and a top 10 worst dressed list. Which means there will be just as many $10,000 masterpieces as there will be disasters.
Because it’s not about what you wear it’s about how you wear it. You make the clothes look good not the other way around.
Make it look effortless
Don’t try too hard. Or at least don’t look like you did.
The secret to getting compliments is to dedicate a certain amount of effort into an outfit while making others believe you didn’t.
It’s all about carrying yourself with grace not jut putting on clothes. But what is grace?
Grace is being subtle yet very noticeable. Grace is simple. It’s not too loud or too bold. It doesn’t draw too much attention.
If you truly want to get a compliment every time you walk out of the house make it look easy. Make it look like you spent 5 minutes putting your outfit together rather than 30 minutes.
Carry yourself as if you do this every day. Carry yourself with grace and elegance.
You should have the same attitude towards your turtleneck as someone would with sweats. Act like you woke up and threw it on. The only difference will be that your nonchalance looks way better than theirs.
Thanks for reading.