This is a question I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Half a year ago, I was dressing very casually—think t-shirt and jeans. Then, I totally changed my wardrobe. I started wearing suits, blazers, shirts, ties, and pocket squares on a pretty regular basis. I’m really enjoying playing with different cuts, patterns, and colors. The inspiration for my style is a blend of sartorial, classic men’s style. On the other hand, I avoid wearing a corporate uniform—navy suit, white shirt, and black shoes.
I realized that this change was noticeable since people around me started asking why I’m dressed up. Or something like, “You have an interview today, right?” or “Are you going to the theatre after work?“. I wasn’t expecting these types of questions but soon realized that what these people were really asking was, “Why do you look nice?“. So, I guess I should take it as a compliment.
In this post, I’d like to discuss my sartorial evolution and share with you the reasons I started dressing up.
“Style is the art of bending fashion to personality” (G. Bruce Boyer, True Style). This quote perfectly describes the difference between fashion and style. While fashion is a more general term, style is always personal. I perceive style as a form of self-expression. It’s about how I see the world and how I see myself. So, I prefer to think that I dress for myself rather than for others. When I dress well, I feel good. And when I feel good, I am more motivated to perform well to support that outward appearance.
Most of the time it really comes down to how I feel and how I want to present myself. I really enjoy building a wardrobe comprised of items that are timeless classics rather than “fashionable” fads. Since my wardrobe contains suits, blazers, ties, pocket squares, and shirts of various textures, colors, and patterns, it provides me with almost inexhaustible possible combinations. And for me, it’s really fun combining all those various pieces together. It’s one possible way to express creativity.
To me, dressing up is just a different kind of art. One that everyone can perform on a daily basis. What I really enjoy is that I don’t need to think about it much. It just comes down to my current mood and feelings. Based on this, I pick different garments, and most of the time they work together pretty well. It’s a truly spontaneous matter to me. And because style is a personal thing, there’s nothing right or wrong about it. It’s a matter of being myself. On purpose.
I believe that well-dressed gentlemen are well dressed not because they follow every single rule about clothing, but because they have good taste, individuality, and style. Whenever you see a clothing rule, you should ask “why”. Why some people wear what they wear and, why they don’t wear other things. Are they following a certain rule?
I’d say there are two categories of such rules. First are the “useful” rules, such as a proper fit. In my opinion, when it comes to clothes, the fit of the garment is truly important. If clothes don’t fit, there’s not much you can do about it. The second group is for all those “other” rules. What’s the proper length for your coat, how should your pocket square be folded? At first, I felt a little bit intimidated by this second category of rules. But then I realized these rules are just a matter of personal consideration, a matter of self-expression. If you like it, wear it.
Craftsmanship and sustainability are close to my heart.
Firstly, we live in the era of the internet. We spend so much of our precious time on phones and computers. This means that a significant part of our activities have moved online and we increasingly use more and more abstract digital products. As a result, we are losing the appreciation of well-made physical items.
Secondly, we got used to buying clothes from the fast-fashion industry, one whose carbon impact is bigger than the airline industry. Nothing more than cheaply made clothes on the other side of the world by people, and even children, who are paid next to nothing for it. Such garments aren’t made to last. They’re made to quickly wear out so we can buy new ones. Even if they last a year or two, they will be out of fashion anyway. These clothes are made for the masses, and because each of us has a unique physique, the fit of such garments will never be perfect. It’ll be always flawed.
The digital age and fast-fashion industry are killing traditional craftsmanship. We are losing the connection to the tradition and history of well-made goods. We don’t appreciate bespoke garments or mechanical timepieces made by skilled craftsman which could last decades. Instead, we choose to spend a significant amount of money on sweatpants, sneakers, and smartwatches which we’ll throw away in a season or two. So, in the end, we are spending much more money than we would if we were buying well-crafted goods that last.
Craftsmanship is in opposition to the faceless fast-fashion industry. A real craftsman has a passion for quality and wants to make something as perfect as possible. A craftsman finds great satisfaction in the relationship he has with his customers by making them look and feel better about themselves. A craftsman doesn’t want to sell everything he can. It’s the opposite; he will replace the frayed collars with new ones instead of selling you a new shirt.
I admire handwork, traditional craftsmanship, and an individual approach to the customer, be it watches, suits, or shoes because these are the things that are slowly vanishing from our over-digitalized fast-fashion culture. I enjoy well-made things and want to support real craft. I find the history, tradition, and subtle details of clothing intriguing. To me, the bespoke suit or any quality-clothing is a work of art. It’s something you can touch and wear for many, many years. Something that, if needed, can be repaired. Something lasting with a story to tell. I don’t want to throw away clothes each season just because there’s a new trend or simply because they just wear out so fast.
I want to wear sustainable clothing that will last.
Never judge a book by its cover. It’s something we all keep saying, right? Don’t judge by appearances. The hard truth is that we do that all the time. Most of the communication between people is nonverbal and it’s based on visual cues. And it makes sense since it saves us precious time. So, we basically use clothes as a form of communication. And if we’re not listening to them well, we might regret that later.
By wearing clothes, we’re sending messages to the outside world. The first contact with people is always visual. Before you ever get a chance to convince them of who you are by talking, your appearance sends a lot of signals. And most of the time, visual contact will be the only contact since you’ll never speak to most people you meet. The fact is that dressing nicely does subconsciously send messages, which matters and makes a difference in how others perceive you. So, by dressing elegantly, I can fully control how other people perceive me.
In terms of actual impact on others, it’s more complicated. I know that the degree to which my clothing has any genuine effect on others is very small. Nevertheless, I dress elegantly in order to help improve the environment around me. My clothes do not only say, “This is my style and I feel absolutely confident in them” but also, “I could have worn a t-shirt and jeans today, but I didn’t because I have respect for myself, respect for you, and want to encourage everyone else to do the same”.
In an increasingly complex world where so many things are out of my control, my attire is one thing that is totally under my control and I’d be cheating myself I didn’t exercise that control to the fullest. It makes me feel more comfortable and confident.
These are the reasons why I started dressing up. As you’ve just seen, it’s a combination of various factors.
Here’s the final summary: