Slick up your style, classic guy!

Are you a “classic”? Do you like the tailored look; sharp edges and slick, dark silhouettes? Are you a man after Cary Grant or Clooney’s style?

Here are the essentials to get that enduring, classic look:

Suits and jackets: dark, silhouetted, tailored, fitted well.

Shirts:  Classic black, white and blue in colour, well cut.

Accessories: Slick ties, unique cufflinks, classic timepieces.

Shoes: Minimalist, clean lines and the occasional shine.

Your brands: Burberry, Prada, Hugo Boss BLACK, Paul Smith London & PS Paul Smith, Kenneth Cole, Polo Ralph Lauren.

To cut that dashing figure, just make the following items are in your wardrobe!

First impressions count & girls don’t want to interview

Summer was a great girl with luscious, long, black locks, a quick smile and a fun, bubbly personality.

When Tom first saw her he was intrigued by her sharp mind, gentleness and genuine joy. He too wasn’t a bad specimen, with a kind heart, a shy smile, great guns, and quick wit.

They’d met through mutual friends and they quickly became part of the same crowd, hanging out at barbeques, dinners and beach parties.

Overtime Tom became increasingly enchanted with Summer and her great personality. He started vying for her attention in the hopes of scoring a date but each time she’d laugh him off gently. She’d smile easily at him, and chat and laugh but he just could not get her interested in him in anything other than being a casual pal. Worse still, he could tell she never gave him a thought after they parted company each time.

Then came the day their friends hosted drinks after work. Tom sauntered into the bar in a beautifully tailored, form fitting D&G suit and … Summer nearly passed out. The ‘Tom’ standing before wasn’t the slouchy baggy pants, oversized T, Nike tottin’ homeboy she knew. He looked like a smart, successful and confident man and in one moment, she too was enchanted.

Months later, after they were engaged, Summer let him in on what had changed her mind about him – his new-to-her, elegant style had made her consider that he was a man worth taking seriously.

True Story!

Tom learnt a powerful lesson – what you wear and how you wear it leaves others with a very strong impression of who you are. Your style is tied very closely to your identity and more than that, to your image. Tom burnt his oversized jeans and Ts and bought shares in D&G.

Style is for real men, not posers.

Right now all over this planet, decisions are being made on who to promote, who to date, who to hire and who to fire; with a strong emphasis on the overall impression that the subject leaves on the decision maker.

Although ‘MENSTYLEPOWER’ does not in anyway promote image over character, we do encourage gentlemen all over the world to take the time to think about how they are perceived – what does your image say about you? Are you Shabby? Flabby? Crabby? Or Sexy? Seriously, ask yourself the question and if you can’t honestly answer it, ask a chic – your sister, girlfriend or gal pal.

Do you get compliments on your style often? Do you enjoy the feeling that comes from being told you look good? Or do you only get that feeling on Sundays at church, or at funerals, when you drag out your only suit?

Your image strongly determines your career path, your personal happiness and your self-confidence. It’s elemental, right?

The problem is, many men simply don’t know what to wear or how to wear it.

This what you’re going to learn from us: Style involves understanding how to wear clothes that suit you. One guy can throw on a pair of jeans and T-shirt and looks great, while another guy can wear a T-shirt and jeans and look horrible.

Most men don’t suit most high-fashion trends so DON’T wear it simply because it walked down of a runway in Milan. There are quirky men who can carry off ‘quirk’, but most men can’t.

Alternatively, the homeboy look – oversized, really sloppy pants hanging off a man’s waist – gives the impression the man is just as sloppy in his private life.

The tight, bum squeezer is also a no-no! Others won’t easily trust you’re comfortable with yourself (and your sexuality) if you’re constantly mincing around in overtight trousers and jeans.

When you’re trying too hard it doesn’t work. When you’re trying too hard or not at all, it shows!

MENSTYLEPOWER focuses on helping you make a great first and lasting impression that’s unique to YOU – individuality rules and reigns in our world!

MENSTYLEPOWER will give you the confidence to try something new because looking good is not complicated – if you have a few simple, key, modern and yet comfortable and elegant wardrobe items.

And because we believe that style is also about character MENSTYLEPOWER discusses the importance of character, integrity and chivalry as attributes of the stylish man.

Take the ride with us and become the coolest YOU in town.

Best Suits for Men

A successful investment-banker in a sharp Italian suit, a lawyer about town in an elegant two-piece affair, a politician on television in a formal suit-and-tie: all these members of the male species depend on their suiting and style to gain them standing and instant respect in their public life. Wearing an impeccably tailored suit is already a statement of affluence and impeccable taste, while the cut and style speak volumes about the wearer even before a single word is spoken.

The suit became commonplace in late 17th Century France. Louis XIV, the ultimate emperor of style led the charge towards a more casual and comfortable attire for men during his 72-year reign, shifting the style of male clothing from the doublet, hose, and cloak, the fundamentals of a man’s wardrobe, to coats, vests, and breeches – the three predecessors of modern male attire.

Suits are the ultimate business statement making an impression at interviews, in boardrooms, during cocktails and formal dinners. Why? A suit is still seen as a way to gain respectability and a man wearing a well-fitted stylish suit means business.

So how do you pick the best suit for you?

1. You need at least one fantastic suit in your wardrobe.

If you don’t have much money then probably the one item to make a large one off investment in is your jacket. Don’t feel shy spending at least $500 for a great suit – even more if you can afford it. Then substitute it with a couple more light-weight suits and jackets in the $200-$400 range to help mix things up.

2. Always make sure your suits and shirts fit well around the collar.

Don’t buy oversized collars, they come across as slack and lazy. And too tight, well, we all need to breathe now don’t we??

3. Match the suit to your lifestyle

Some men can easily mix patterns, suits, stripes, loud pocket kerchiefs, silky shiny materials, hats, tophats, and blinged up cufflinks. Some cannot!! It’s important to find the style that suits your personality, fits your career (bling in a conservative law firm certainly won’t go down that well!) and helps you ease forward in the game of life.

4. Accessorise!

Ties are the one accessory for men that can really be personalised and allow you to express yourself and add some color and diversity. Ties can be suited up or dressed down with jeans and a white shirt (open top button and loose knot). Wander into second stores to dig up some classic and vivid ties with vibe and spirit, and perhaps spend a bit more on some nice new (perhaps black or red) versatile ties.

5. Find the right fit for your body:

* If you’re a big guy:

Remember there’s more of you to love, so wear your bulk with pride. Wear lightweight, suits built from heavier textiles will only add weight. Soft, worsted wools are your best friend. Choose darker colors which give desired slimming factor plus they’re classy and classic. If you’re going to stripe it, make it a solid vertical to create a sleek, slender visual. The jacket: Two buttons are optimal – they won’t draw attention to your bulky frame and stay single on the vent, which will give you the extra room you need minus the extra attention.

* If you’re tall and lean

Add weight with heavier fabrics – on a tall, skinny guy, lightweight fabrics will hang and make you look all the more frail. Heavier wools like tweed or a heavier weight worsted wool that hold their form is the smart decision; and give you much-needed proportion and the appearance of additional weight. Colours – opt for the greys and classic browns – Lighter colors, will add weight to your overall look. Jacket? Three buttons create height and length, tall guys, with their longer torsos, can pull this look off successfully. Keep it classy with the single vent – Although taller, slimmer men tall, skinny men have two options for the vent: we advise that you stick with a single-vent or ventless jacket which is always the classier choice.

* If you’re slight and shorter than average

Avoid loud patterns – The print of an overly bold pattern screams for attention and will only draw attention to your slight frame. Subdued, chilled out colours and small stripes, if any, will be far more stylish for you. Stripes – For shorter men, the next best thing to a shoe with a higher sole is a suit with vertical stripes. As stripes run top to bottom, they tend to draw the eye upward. Plus, they also lengthen your frame by elongating the look of the suit; giving you the illusion of appearing taller than you really are. Go for double vents – Small guys, the double-vent jacket was created with you in mind. The dual slits (or vents) along the side emphasize the outside lines of the body; in doing so, they establish an attractive, longer silhouette that complements and lengthens your frame.

More about suits …

The Bespoke Suit:

These are custom made by a tailor from a pattern created entirely from the client’s measurements, giving the best-fit and free choice of fabric. Some of the most expensive suits in the world are painstakingly hand made by an increasingly scarce breed of extremely skilled tailors. These tailors know how to make suits that hide physical flaws and highlight attributes, without sacrificing comfort. Machine use is minimal, and each and every nuance of a client’s spoken and unspoken needs are met and often exceeded. Brioni, Attolini, Kiton, Luigi Borelli and Caraceni are some of the best known names in Italian bespoke suits. Some of the world’s most expensive suits are the Kiton K50s exclusively tailored by Senor D’Orsi, one of the finest tailors in the world. He makes not more than 50 suits in a year, each costing up to 50,000 USD. The fabrics used on a bespoke suit are usually the best, mostly worsted wool for business suits. These fabrics are used in the counts of 80’s and 90’s, or super 100’s, super 150’s and higher. The counts in the range of 80’s and 90’s also feel great and usually last longer than higher counts made at even the best clothing manufacturers. For those who can afford it, a bespoke suit made in the super 150’s fabric can be an absolute asset. It feels fabulously comfortable to wear and looks even better.

Made-to-Measure Men’s Suits:

Not every one is privileged enough to get a bespoke suit made, but there is a range of suits which is nearly as good. With made-to-measure suits, (a pre-made pattern modified to fit the client, with a limited selection of options and fabrics is available) it is possible to achieve a degree of customization because the tailor takes up to 25 measurements of an individual body, and these are then sent to the factory. Here, alterations are made to already available basic patterns in order to achieve the best fit possible. Special requests like extra pockets, specific fabrics and linings, and a certain design and style can be accommodated. Some of the best fabrics, threads and interlinings are used, which helps guarantee a quality suit. But the production is assembly line, and many tailors work on the suit at different stages of production, unlike the single tailor for the bespoke suit. Ermenegildo Zegna su Misura does some of the best fittings in the made-to-measure industry. A good deal of technology goes into the making of these suits and their fabrics. Some Zegna suits use fabrics like Micronsphere which has all the great qualities of a worsted but is also stain-resistant, or Cashco, which is a blend of cashmere and cotton, making it an all-weather fabric.

Off-the-peg Designer Men’s Suits:

Though these cost about half that of a good made-to-measure Italian suit, they are still worth the money. The first and foremost advantage is speed, no agonizing fittings and long waits for the suit to get ready, and if chosen carefully, an off-the-peg suit from Prada, Armani, Versace or Gucci fits quite well and is unbeatable for casual elegance and comfort. The trick is to shop around for the right size, cut and look. What is more, off-the-peg suits are good for those who are looking for variations and for different types of fabrics and styles. The beauty of an off-the-peg designer suit lies in its ability to change from season to season, and to bring in a hint of casual flair to the conservative world of men’s business clothing.

Ready to Wear:

These suits are mass produced, least expensive and most common. You’ll find them in department stores and they’re a good option for the budget conscious shopper. If you’re diligent in shopping carefully and following the tips above on getting the best fit for you, these suits may allow you to look suitably elegant in business attire and save your pocket at the same time.