Despite what most people may think, I think of a man is giving clear instructions on how
to dress, he can do an excellent job. Seriously, here in small town Wisconsin, we had a suit
and tie event the other day. And most of the men at this event were looking good. Now, ask
the average guy to dress casually and this is when we start to run into problems. You'll
have some guy show up in a t-shirt and a pair of shorts. You'll have another guy show up
in jeans and a hoodie. Another guy casual button down with a pair of chinos. And, of course,
you've always got Mr. Fancy Pants in the sports jacket and a polo. And then, of course, you've
got someone taken into an extreme just wearing their pajamas. Now, technically speaking, all
those outfits are actually casual. Except for the pajamas, that's loungewear that should
stay at home. But seriously, that's the problem with casual dressing nowadays is it has come
to mean so many things. So, all this begs an answer to the question, how does a man dress
casually and look good? Is there an art to dressing
casually and how not to be overdressed? The
answer, gentlemen, is revealed in today's video.
So, when it comes to looking good with your casual style, there are three rules that you
have to know. So, the first rule I want to talk about is setting the standard, setting your
standard. Because here's the deal, guys, you can dress in any way you want. We live in a
country that you've got that freedom. But, with this freedom comes the responsibility of you
taking it upon yourself to set your own standard of the message you send with the clothing you
wear. So, know who you are, understand what message you want your clothing to send, and
then put together a set of rules. a uniform. So, first up, know who you are or at least
know who you want to be in the next few years. You want to have a vision, you want to have
an idea of what the sky looks like. And you probably do that vision, that dream of where
you want to be, that version of you is probably dressed in a certain way. Now, setting your
standard, you want to think about what message does that clothing send. Maybe you're an up
and coming actor around the LA area. You could run into somebody that could help you in your
career at any... point. So, are you dressing in a way that you look the part? Perhaps you're
on the East Coast looking to break into the finance or consulting field. The idea, though,
is that you put together a uniform. This is clothing that you don't have to think about
that sends the message that you are the professional
you are working to become. Next up, let's talk
about the code, the dress code. So, a lot of people say, well, there isn't a dress code,
there's always a dress code. Now, a lot of times this dress code has to do with the weather,
but it also has to do with culture. It also has to do with the people you're surrounding
yourself with. Now, what if the dress code contradicts
your standard? Well, again, you want to think
about the message you want to send and can you adapt it to the local dress code. Let's say
you're a lawyer and you work for a construction firm, but you're down in the Miami area. Well,
you want to dress for hot weather, but you're still going to want to dress more professional.
than the average construction worker. Simply put, you're getting hired to pay attention
to the details in multimillion-dollar contracts,
not to roll up your sleeves and do the construction
work. And now, the third rule, exercising your options. I use the word exercise because you
get better with practice and that's key here. A lot of guys think that dressing well even
casually somehow looks uncomfortable. Guys, it's just because you're not familiar with
the clothing. Gents, quality clothing that fits a man well initially may be unfamiliar because
you haven't worn something like this. But, over time, you're going to become accustomed to
it and all of a sudden you're going to feel naked not dressing in a manner that you're
putting your best foot forward even when you dress casually. So, now that you're armed with
those three rules, let's move into the second part of this video where I give you specific
items, specific steps to improve your casual wardrobe today. But, before I do that, gents,
I want to introduce you to today's sponsor, Thursday Boots. I've been talking about Thursday
Boots for years because I love what these guys do. Over at Thursday Boots, you're going to
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you want something that's going to be functional, something that you can wear every day, still
you can polish it up make it look nice, check out a pair of classic lace-up boots. Now, over
at Thursday Boots, they call this style the Captain and it's one of their best sellers
and you can see why this boot right here, I know whenever I'm looking for a boot that I
don't have to think about that is going to work
with almost any outfit, this is the one I gravitate
to. Now, if you know your footwear designs, you know one of the big advantages of boots
is going to be not only the ankle support, but the height that it's going to give the wearer.
Usually boots are going to have a heel and you're going to get about an inch to an inch and a
half of additional height. And a big part of that is function. Boots have the additional
height, so they can keep you out of the muck and you want to make sure you get the right
sole that's going to give you traction whether you're walking through the city or walking
out in town or you're commuting to work. Now, these soles right here are part of their Storm
King edition if you want something that's really rugged. But, if you want something that's a
little bit more elegant, look for the classic Thursday sole which, again, is going to have
excellent grip as well. Notice the nail tacks on the heel. Small details like this are testament
to the quality of Thursday boots which in case you didn't know, Thursday boots uses a Goodyear
welt which is a stronger construction that's going to make sure that these boots can last
longer and even be resold. In any case, gents, make your way over to Thursday boots. And,
by the way, Thursday boots is a lot more than just boots. They've got a great selection of
dress shoes if you're looking for sneakers or even if you're looking for a leather jacket
maybe in a bomber style or what I'm wearing right here, a casual jean jacket that they've
got in a variety of different denim finishes. Now, gents, I'm linking the Thursday Boots
in the description of today's video with the best deal you're going to find on the web.
Seriously, use this link, go over to Thursday Boots, look at all their new arrivals and the
options to upgrade your casual wardrobe and take it to the next level. All right, gentlemen,
so as you can tell, I changed. jackets. And that's the first item that I want you to consider
upgrading in your wardrobe. Seriously, gents, let me know in the comments if you agree, but
the right jacket can totally transform your look. Now, if you've watched enough of my videos,
you guys know that I think jackets do so much for a man's physique. They build up the shoulders,
they can slim up the silhouette. And, They basically
make the arms and the hands look a little bit
larger. And this, by the way, assumes that the jacket fits you. In fact, every item I'm going
to talk about here, I'm just going to, you know, I've talked about it enough on the channel.
Buy clothing that fits you even if it costs a little bit more. It comes from a designer
brand. Gents, save up your money, cry once about the price, but get something that fits you.
And jackets especially leather jackets, they're notoriously hard to adjust. So, it's better
to make sure it fits you right off the rack. jean jackets, which I was wearing earlier.
Those can be adjusted to a point. A skilled tailor with the right tools can make magic
happen, but in general, you want those to be a little bit looser and they are a good option
as well. They're more for the younger man, they are going to be a bit more casual. But, what
I love about a good leather jacket, this bomber in particular, you've got this part right up
here. This is synthetic, it's not a real wool. But, what it does is draw attention to the
face. It brings texture in and around, it creates this feeling of warmth even before you touch
it and it looks really good. And, this is why it's so key to make sure you go with something
that you really like. Each of us have different styles that we gravitate towards professionally
that we need. Because for a lot of you professionals
out there, maybe a sports jacket is going to
be a better option or investing in a few sports jackets. And in case you don't know the history
on the sports jacket, it started off as what's known as the odd jacket. About 150 years ago
when men were in public, they pretty much only wore suits. But, when men started to engage
more in sport, we're talking tennis, maybe even hunting, they had specialty jackets made. These
were known as odd jackets. They didn't have a pair of trousers made to go with them. And
the style was made to be a bit looser, a bit more functional for them to be able to play
a sport. Over time, these jackets made it into more and more men's casual wardrobes. And still
of sports jackets. Other jackets you may want to consider adding to your casual wardrobe,
maybe the leather racer. If you're big into motorcycles and Harley's, maybe the double
rider. If you want something a bit more eclectic and you have the courage to pull it off, look
to a safari jacket. Although, personally, I find for me I'm more drawn towards simple shirt
jackets, maybe military style fatigue jackets that have four pockets on the front and are
usually made with a heavier cotton or maybe even a wool. These jackets right here because
they can be layered relatively easy and they work really great for fall and even in the
winter. I find that I get the most miles out
of this style. The next item I'm going to recommend
to level up your casual wardrobe is going to be a tool watch. Now, there are all types of
definitions out there for tool watches, but when I think of tool watch, I think something
that's rugged, I think something that's functional.
I think of a watch that can take a beating
and keep ticking. A watch that you can wear day to day and you don't have to worry about.
Now, one of the best watch styles that fits this type of description is the dive watch.
And for me, the Tudor Black Bay 58. is my go-to. I don't have to think about casual watch that
pretty much works with anything. Now, the Black Bay is expensive, but this style this type
of tool watch doesn't have to be. Guys, maybe go check out an Orient. Heck, there are tons
of lesser-known brands out there that make great functional dive watches that I think look amazing.
And, again, you can wear in pretty much any casual situation. And as long as you go with
classic styling with not too flashy colors, these are going to be able to work in pretty
much any situation. And because we're talking casual, you don't have to always go with metal.
I know a lot of you guys like the rubber straps, you like the silicone strap. And, of course,
if you know anything about watches, you know a lot of times you can actually change these
straps out, so you got options here. In fact, while we're talking about casual inexpensive
watches, let's go over and look at Timex. Yes, these are both. Timex quartz watches. But,
what I love about these is that they look good, they've got those nice NATO straps that can
be changed out. So, you can go with a variety of different colors. At the end of the day,
both these watches look good and they'll work with pretty much any casual outfit you throw
them with. Now, what about digital watches? Well, you know, G-Shock I absolutely love.
Understand, it is pushing the envelope of casual. It's going to be a little bit harder to dress
up a watch like this. That being said, day to day wear, a G-Shock will get compliments from
guys that know watches and understand. how rugged and tough these watches actually are. Oh, and
not all G-Shocks are made out of plastic. Some of them, yeah, let's just say are a little
bit higher end, absolutely beautiful. And because of the size of these watches, people will notice.
And, of course, you don't have to go with an oversized watch. Instead, go for something
that you like the style of, something that you just simply looks great, of course, tells accurate
time and gets the job done, but most importantly here, upgrades your casual style. Now, the
next item on this list is probably one you didn't even notice until you get up close. look at
the texture right here in this shirt. This is a shirt jacket. The material here is going
to have more of a thickness to it. In fact, overall, it's going to wear a little bit harder.
And from a distance, it looks like a regular shirt, but when you get up close, you see that
this thing is heavier weight. Now, all different types of companies make shirts like this. You're
going to find that some are going to be made of cotton, others wool, they're going to be
woven, they're going to be knit. But, what unifies them all is that their weight is typically
heavier. than a normal shirt, they have to use a little bit different buttons. They have a
little bit more space because of the thickness of the material. In general, these type of
shirts are going to be warmer and I think that they've just got a really nice quality look
to them especially if you buy it from a reputable brand. Now, right with that, let's talk about
sweaters aka jumpers. You're going to see tons of options, you probably have a few. But, do
you have any with a heavier thicker weave? Notice the weave here, the thickness of the yarns,
the overall patterns that we get. And when you go through and you look at all these different
sweaters, higher end especially from cashmere, anything usually using mohair or maybe even
a merino wool, these are going to have a much more delicate type of build. The sweaters I'm
talking about here are just going to look tougher. The weave in a sense is going to be more visible.
What I like about these is that they bring texture.
They bring a slight pattern into the overall
outfit when you wear them. And I think when worn as outerwear, these sweaters can do a
lot for your casual looks. Other options here are to go for ribs. Ribs are going to be when
we got what apparently are lines going up and down, but the ribs are actually a result of
the way that the sweater is woven. This is going to give the sweater a little bit of stretch
in areas that need it. It's going to bring the sweater in close. Now, the ribs in the sweater
especially when they go up and down can do a few great things for the wearer. First up,
they allow the eyes to go up and down because they're creating these lines. They take our
eyes quickly up and down along the fabric. Next up, if they've got a bit of stretch and if
you've got a little bit of weight around the midsection, they can open up they can stretch
in they'll conform and they'll fit a little bit closer in the areas that will complement
your build. And last but not least, even if they're made from cashmere or we're using a
finer weave, they're still going to give a textured
overall look. Oh, and bonus points on the sweater
if you go with a unique type of collar maybe like a shawl collar or if you find a sweater
and rock it with confidence that has unique closures. I think toggles are like leather
buttons. Now, here in the United States for most men jeans are the default, but, guys,
you got so many other options. Look to fabrics like moleskin, flannels. tweeds or even corduroy.
Now, corduroy is interesting because it's made out of cotton, it's relatively durable, but
right here those whales, it gives it a very textured look. So, with a shirt or with a sweater
that doesn't have much texture, this could work really well. On top of that, you can oftentimes
find corduroy in a variety of colors and that's another way to change up the trousers is, yes,
you could go with the gray, you could go with the blue, you could also go with a green, maybe
bring in a maroon. And maybe even consider a medium to a light gray. Remember, gray is a
non-color, so it's going to match. pretty much anything you pair it with. Next up, let's talk
about upgrading your baseball cap. You're already used to wearing a hat. Maybe bring in a newsboy
or a flat cap. Now, I personally find the newsboy a little bit harder to wear. And if I were
to have to choose one to start with, I definitely would go with a newsboy in a more muted color
like this green here. Now, flat caps on the other hand are a hat that I actually do wear
especially during the winter because they can be very functional. This one right here has
a tweed outer surface and is insulated on the inside. And this gray and protects the ears.
Now, gents, if you enjoyed today's video, understand
it's just the tip of the iceberg. In this video,
I go into more detail. A lot of things I did not cover in today's video. If you want to
step up your casual style as a man, you want to watch this one. So, go check it out, guys.
I will link to it, boom, right here. Oh, yeah. Go check it out.