Stylites

Matching is for the middle class.

And for style experts, but for the average guy, the secret is contrast. It’s quite simple. Light colored shirt, bold tie (red or black/navy/dark) and dark suit for formal occasions and dark jeans and light polo or collared shirt for casual.

Hesitate before buying a dark colored shirt.

I’m condemning not them, but it takes a certain shirt and a certain guy. Some guys still regard adding a black shirt to khakis or jeans as a quick road to style excellence. Too often, the desk man out for a night will take his regular navy or charcoal suit, add a dark stripey or solid black shirt, undue the two top buttons, and feel he’s ready to be suave and stylish into the early hours. Some suits and some styles of guy can make this work. I certainly would not be able to pull it off. Stick to a contrasting, lighter colored, shirt with your dark suit and for those stylish nights. With no suit, a subtle pattern or texture in a lighter shirt can be the way to go.

On the other hand, perhaps dark colored shirts are the best way to avoid obvious hot pot or red wine stains.

Tuck it in.

Unless you have a inordinately long legs, leaving the shirt tails out will tend to elongate your torso. Of course, some shirts are designed to be worn outside, but make sure that they do not have that elongating effect on your torso. Also, the un-tucked shirt and blazer look is hard to make look good.

Socks matter.

Go fun or go staid, but don’t go sporty unless you are an athlete. The safest course is socks that match the trousers. Please note that matching trousers is better than matching shoes, to offer continuity between the legs and ankle. Socks should be long enough to prevent hairs from peeking out.

Colorful and patterned socks are good too. This is now a standard expression of fettered revolt in the corporate gulag, where red is favored. Brand-wise, Paul Smith is king here, not mentioning various obscure brands, but you can get good ones at J. Crew and H&M. If you are in Beijing, check out Hotwind for fake Paul Smith.

Avoid Squared-Toe Shoes

Maybe some styles don’t look so boxy, but in general these shoes say: “Hey man, we’re gonna’ go clubbing, slurp down some vodka redbulls, and score” or “dude, I make so much now. There are totally hot chics at that bar and they want me” or something. Sorry for sounding vulgar or misrepresenting the squared-toe shoe wearers. I avoid these people, but the following article expresses it eloquently:
http://men.style.com/details/features/landing?id=content_5350

I’m not going to be as harsh. If your feet really are shaped that way and you need the comfort, consider investing in wide-legged, 1940s style trousers to lessen the effect of the shoes.

Show cuff.

Show .25 – to 1 inch of shirt cuff when you wear a suit or sport jacket, depending on what makes you comfortable. If you have long arms, too-long sleeves can make them seem even longer. Even if you have short arms, too-long sleeves can make you appear a bit swamped in your suit.
Ever problematic when I buy off the rack because of my ape-like arms, even when jackets are adjusted to make the sleeves longer, I end up showing too much of my custom-made shirts ‘ cuffs – but I would still say better too much than none at all.