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After being in Seoul for almost five months, the Kinowear team has seen and found new paths of development. It was awesome running into fans of the website in random places, giving seminars, getting interviewed on radio, and even having our own page of fashion tips in a magazine.
We’ve found so much new inspiration and opportunity while here in Korea through the people we’ve met, the ideas that were born, and the new doors that have opened up. So much is going on that we have our hands full with all the new exciting projects, and so I’m writing this as my last post for awhile.
I thank all the readers for your support and encouraging words! We love everyone for sticking with us and I hope you had as much fun reading our website as we did writing for it. We’ll be checking every now and then into the forums.
This isn’t goodbye forever, just maybe for awhile. We are actually working on something much more exciting than Kinowear.com and we will keep you updated when we come back with even greater things to offer you.
This website will always be a huge resource for everyone to read. So for that you can go to our archives, or look below for some of my personal favorites and Kinowear’s greatest hits. I’ve categorized them for you for easy access.
Fashion
What Asia Taught Me About Casual Style
How To Tie A Tie: The Pursuit Of The Perfect Knot
The Basics You Need to Know About Color Coordinating Your Outfit
What is Style? (A Deeper Analysis)
40 Common Men’s Fashion Mistakes to Avoid
Best Hairstyles for Your Face Shape
How to Find the Right Pair of Sunglasses
5 Tips To Dramatically Improve Your Style
Self-improvement
How to Build Unstoppable Confidence
Three Keys to Being a Successful Leader
Building an Attractive Personality
How to Make Genetics Irrelevant in Attraction
Favorite Lookbooks
4 Looks You Can Try This Season
Body Language/Vocal Projection
Eliminating Unattractive Body Language
Eye Contact: Gateway to a Man’s Strength
How to Improve your Vocal Projection in 30 days
Please check out our archives for so many more great articles!
And until you hear from us again,
Stay hungry for growth.
Jae & Ben
What is a Mastermind?
The term “Master Mind” comes from Napoleon Hill’s famous book Think and Grow Rich in which he defines the term as a
… coordination of knowledge and effort, in a spirit of harmony, between two or more people, for the attainment of a definite purpose.”
He says that this “… form of alliance has been the basis of every great fortune [or success].”
It’s a support group of like-minded people who collectively brainstorm ideas, strategies, techniques and concepts to help you move forward in any area of life.
You can build a mastermind group focused around ministry, networking, making money, better relationships, better physical fitness, or anything else that may be of interest to you.
Why Should I Make One?
It’s not easy to reach a huge goal by yourself. Don’t get me wrong, it’s totally possible with hard work and persistence, but 80% of the time and effort you will spend on non-important things can be eliminated, with the help of other people who have the same objective in mind.
When you’re working alone, it’s easy to become sidetracked, overwhelmed, or give up altogether after a few failed attempts at pushing through the pain periods.
Picture trying to figure out how to climb a mountain alone. With all the obstacles you will face and nobody around, you could easily get hurt, trapped, or die. With one or more people, you’re going to be able support each other, show the other person easier routes they didn’t realize, and work together every step of the way.
Similar to this kind of support, when two or more minds come together in pursuit of a common goal or objective, you will see exponential results. And the more bright minds you bring together focused on one definite purpose, the more results you will see.
It’s almost as if 2 minds coming together equals 4 minds. And 4 minds coming together creates 16 minds.
There is immeasurable power that comes from a mastermind group, and it has the potential to propel you halfway toward your goal object before you even begin to recognize it.
So How Do I Create One?
Before you form a mastermind, you need to be very clear on what you want your mastermind group to focus around.
Maybe it’s getting your body into shape and you want to create a workout group.
Maybe you want to work on the relationships and dating part of your life.
Maybe you want to build your own business or make a certain amount of money.
Maybe you want to get really good at a sport or a hobby.
Or it could even be a mastermind focused on quality on all areas of life, touching about all these things and more.
Whatever your most important purpose is, find people who are just as passionate about it as you are, and discuss with them about creating a mastermind to help each other get there more quickly and effectively.
Which brings us to the next question …
What kind of people should I create a mastermind with?
It’s very important who you choose to be in a mastermind with you, the wrong people will waste your time and may not contribute anything.
Here are some highly recommended traits you should look for in a person before thinking about creating a mastermind with them.
- Positive attitude
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Self-discipline
- Accountability
- Persistence
- Intelligence
- Proactive
- Social
- Results-oriented
- Action-oriented
- Growth-oriented
- Track record of results
- Great listening and communication skills
- Knows how to give good constructive feedback
- Self-confident and has a desire to push others to excel
They don’t have to have every single one of these, but the more the better.
It’s very important that each person is positive, and offers value to the rest of the group. A person in your mastermind shouldn’t just sit there, soak up all the tips and value that other people give, and leave without giving anything in return.
Each member should be self-directed and take their own initiative. They come to each meeting with new realizations and insights to share, and they should give honest and constructive feedback to the other members.
A mastermind meeting is not a time for mere socializing. It’s not a time to complain about life or feel sorry for yourself. Everyone in the group must be self motivated, positive, proactive and have a desire to support others in reaching their goals.
What are Some Practical Steps Towards Creating One?
Ask a friend “Hey, I am starting a group of people to discuss, share, and support each other on the topic of (insert whatever it is you want to focus on here), would you have any interest in it?”
If they ask you about the benefits of joining this group, here are some of them:
- To keep each other accountable so we don’t get sidetracked
- To share insights and new knowledge that can help everyone in the group move towards their goals faster and more effectively
- To solve problems with combined brain power
- To drive and motivate each other with friendly competition
- To have fun working towards a common objective and enjoying the process
Criteria for operation
While every mastermind may be different, here are some things that will ensure you get the most out of your mastermind group.
Meet at least once a week, and if you can’t meet in person, make sure you do the next best thing. For example, video chat, or have a phone conference. If you’re usually on your computer and can’t meet in person, an online phone program like Skype can be downloaded and used as a way to call each other without charge.
It’s imperative that you meet weekly. You can meet up with each other more during the week if you have time, and some goals will even require that you do if it’s something that you must practice or work on together.
Keep each other accountable. At the end of each week, tell each other what you’ve accomplished, and discuss any setbacks or failures. Discuss how you can do better the next time, and give each other constructive feedback. Share your goals and objectives for the next week so you can continue to keep each other accountable.
Share as much value as you can. During the week, write down all your realization and insights, as well as new important knowledge you gained that you could share and discuss with the group.
Build a strong group that will last. You can create a mastermind with 2 or more people, but if you really want to set yourself up for serious success I recommend aiming for at least 10 people. There is no limit, you can create a group of more if you’d like, but don’t get too ahead of yourself.
The reason why 10 is good because people will inevitable move location, or fall out of the group for other reasons, and you don’t want the group to fall apart. You want to create the group for great success, and stay together for years.
Here is a short guideline for how a meeting should be held:
Although a mastermind group can be held online or on the phone, the best way to connect and support is to meet face to face.
Consistency is the lifeblood of a mastermind group. So choose a date and time of the week for meeting that everyone can make. Also, pick a place where everyone can easily meet.
Every single person should come to a meeting prepared to contribute to others. The more everyone gets value and relies on each other, the stronger the group will be.
Meetings should start and end promptly. Meetings should last no less than one hour and should not exceed 90 minutes. Every member should be punctual and let other people know if they can’t make it to a meeting. Absence should only be tolerated if they have an unavoidable appointment. If a member is finding it really hard to make time, they should be prepared to step down and start their own group at a time that is better for them.
Should be in a quiet area without any interruptions. Avoid noisy cafes, restaurants, and turn off your cell phones and other electronic devices. You want to be able to focus solely on the meeting. Library conference rooms are really good. The point is to be have a short and highly productive meeting and then end it (this is really important if you want it to last).
Everyone should have each other’s contacts. Supporting each other throughout the week by e-mail and phone is highly encouraged.
I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, or just read chapter 10 on masterminding. Research of over 500 majorly successful people throughout history has shown that they used the aid of a mastermind group in some way or form.
There is no other better way to gain the type of power that comes from a mastermind group. Start getting a group together immediately if you want to move a hundred times faster towards your greatest goals.
While I’ve already written an article about vocal projection, I don’t feel like I gave enough practical exercises that really work in helping one to improve their voice tremendously.
This article is strictly going to be about some of the best exercises and techniques you can use to transform your voice in 30 days.
Committing to 30 days of focus
Is this an area you feel that you need some work on?
If your answer is yes, make a decision that for the next 30 days you will put your focus on improving the quality of your voice. It takes 30 days to create a new habit, so if you truly commit to following what is in this article, you will see lasting improvements.
I’ve researched and tested tons of exercises and techniques in my journey to improve my own voice quality. I’ll share the most practical and helpful things that worked for me.
As I wrote in my Vocal Projection article, the power and clarity at which you speak is one of the most overlooked aspects of highly effective and attractive communication; yet it’s one of the most important.
So let’s get to the exercises.
The first exercise is a simple but super effective in refining your voice.
Recording your voice
The best way to start strengthening your voice is to bring in some awareness of what you’re beginning with.
The way that other people hear our voice it is a bit different that how we hear it. The first time I heard the way I talked on a home video, I was surprised at the sound of my voice.
So all you need for this exercise is something to record your voice with, and if you don’t have one you can use your computer or the video capture part of your digital camera. Just make sure that whatever is recording your voice will play it back with substantial quality.
I have an application on my cell phone that I use to record my voice. For those of you who have a cell phone with this feature, I have found that this works pretty well for this exercise.
With your voice recorder, press the record button and pretend you’re having a conversation with one of your friends or coworkers on the phone. It’s important here to speak like you normally do when you’re not thinking about your voice.
After you have finished recording, play it back and measure yourself from a scale of 1-10 in each of these areas (I recommend getting a friend to rate you because we tend to rate ourselves higher):
There are three key areas that you should focus on. For practical purposes, if you cover these three areas than you really cover everything you need for your best voice.
Clarity/enunciation (1-10)
Is your voice clear and sharp or do you slur your words?
Some great exercises to practice clarity and enunciation is to:
- Exaggerate the mouthing of the words you are saying
- Place a pencil horizontally in your mouth between your teeth and read in a clear understandable voice
- Record or practice saying tongue twisters out loud until each word is clearly audible
Energy/Volume (1-10)
Volume and energy are naturally intertwined, because when you speak with energy and confidence in your voice, the volume of your voice naturally rises with it to meet the situation.
This is very important because people who inject energy and expression into their voices are though to be more creative, confident, and credible. When you don’t pepper what you’re saying with expression and emotion, you risk losing the attention of the listener. And a monotone delivery can make you come off as boring or nervous.
Listening to your recording..
- Do you feel that your voice exudes power and confidence?
- Does your voice express a healthy amount of energy and exuberance?
- Does you sound certain or confident?
- Does you sound passionate or excited?
Rate yourself higher for these positive traits.
Rate yourself lower for things like low energy, sounding tired, stuttering, and uncertainty.
For example, when you’re at a restaurant or public setting, do you have to constantly repeat yourself or forcefully raise your voice?
If so, there is work to be done in this area.
Resonance (1-10)
Do you wish your voice had a deeper, richer, rounder sound? Resonance is what makes your voice sound richer and more masculine.
Our “box” for resonating(or vibrating) sound is the chest, throat, mouth, and nasal cavities. Because we all vary in size, we all sound different.
Try this exercise: Make a high pitched noise, and slowly go down into a deeper sound. You’ll feel your voice resonate from your throat down to your diaphragm. This is where the bass lies.
Studies have shown that women find men with deeper voices more attractive. You don’t need to sound like Barry White but you should work on speaking deeper if your voice is very high pitched or squeaky. Ask a good friend where you range on the 1-10 scale. 1 sounding like Alvin and chipmunks, and 10 sounding like the movie trailer guy. Okay maybe not exactly, but you get the point.
Working it into your life:
Within these thirty days, think of habits you can build that will keep you working on your voice consistently. I record daily memos and reminders on my phone, and this is how I consistently monitor the sound and strength of my voice daily without really thinking about it.
If you don’t take this kind of consistent action, it WILL revert back to your comfortable, old voice.
Another thing that I like to do is to talk out loud whenever I’m alone or whenever I get a chance. If you’re driving in your car, talk to yourself out loud. Also, with the amount of texting and e-mail people do these days, some people can go a whole day without speaking a word to people.
This is not for you, instead of texting that person back and forth, call them and settle it on the phone. Instead of writing someone a long e-mail, just call them and tell them the main points. Instead of just asking for milk in your coffee, start a conversation with the barista at the cafe.
Visualization Exercise
This is a simple but powerful visualization tool that you can use daily:
Every time you are talking to someone, imagine that when you speak, you can actually see the sound waves traveling towards the direction you are facing.
I like to visualize them in waves shaped like rings (like the picture above), but you can visualize them however you want.
So imagine it like this:
The volume of your voice determines how wide your sound “rings” or waves are. This enables a wider range of people to hear what you are saying.
Your enunciation and the sharpness in your voice determines the strength of the rings. Picture blowing smoke rings – when you speak with more strength picture the rings being more solid and thick rather than loose and wispy.
A great way to cover all areas is to imagine that the person you are talking to has ears in the back of their head. Imagine that the only way that they can hear you is if you bounce your voice off the wall behind them, so that it enters their ears. So throw your voice at the wall behind them like a ball that will bounce back.
You shouldn’t be yelling, but just making sure you can be heard.
I always visualize a target 20 feet ahead of me, and throw my voice AT the target, imaginging hitting it with my voice.
A great way to practice this is to talk to your friend across a city street, and have a conversation while walking on opposite sides of the street.
I use the 20 feet target visualization when I’m in a crowded place and it’s really loud, or when I’m outside in a city area. I bring it down to 10 feet when I’m in a quieter place.
Of course, you have to practice adjusting your vocal projection to the setting you are in. But if somebody says you are being too loud, then take it as a compliment, and calibrate accordingly. If you’ve never been told to quiet down, perhaps you want to make it your goal to hear that within the next 30 days.
Setting yourself up for success
Even though studies show that it takes 30 days to lock in a new habit, it does not mean that after 30 days, you will automatically be “fixed” and you don’t have to think about it anymore. What matters is the kind of habits you build. The habits you create should be ones that make you inevitably improve the strength of your voice every single day.
These habits include warming up your voice in the car on the way to meeting your friends, consistently recording yourself and talking outloud, and any habits that will consistenly help you build your most powerful communication tool.
Also, work on your voice gradually. If you try to change your voice completely, not only will your friends look at you like you’re on something, it’s going to be really hard to keep up.
Make sure to drink plenty of fluids. Sometimes it’s dehydration that makes your voice sound weak or hoarse.
Speak from your belly. When you speak, you should be feeling the power come from your belly area, through your lungs, and not just from your throat.
After your have finished your 30 days, come back and send me some of the realizations you’ve had about your voice, any improvements you’ve made, and anything else you want to share in the comment section! Looking forward to hearing from you!
Hey guys,
The reason why the Kinowear posts have been less frequent this month is because I’ve been working on launching a new series of articles.
There’s a lot of conceptual stuff out there on the net about becoming a more attractive man. However, what we need is more ways that we can really practice and apply it to our lives.
I’ve decided to do lots of research, testing, and experimentation to bring you a highly interesting and fun series of articles that will help you transform who you are in a positive way.
There will be loads of new guiding exercises, tools, and great tips to help you become more attractive and build better relationships.
So get excited for what’s coming!
If you haven’t subscribed to our newsletter yet, do so now, it only takes a few seconds. This way you can get the full articles straight to your e-mail when they come out.
Stay tuned! The first article will be coming by the end of this week!
Jae
A huge part of a man’s attractiveness comes from his ability to lead.
Will Smith is one of the most respected and loved actors in the entertainment business, and a true leader in his field. The reason why he is so successful is because he has the most important traits that that all great leaders have.
In this article, I’ll talk about three of these most important traits. Let’s get to it.
1. Being a Great Decision Maker
The first and most important trait of a great leader is a high level of decision making skill.
Destiny is not a matter of chance. It’s a matter of choice. Or in other words, our reality is simply a result of the decisions we have made.
…Just DECIDE, what it’s going to be, who you’re going to be, and how you’re going to do it, just DECIDE, and then from that point, the universe is going to get out of your way, it’s like water…” - Will Smith
Are you someone that is good at making decisions throughout your day? Or do you keep delaying things that need to be settled, worked out, or acted upon?
I see more and more men who settle to just flow with the crowd without taking the time to decide what they want, wondering why they are unhappy most of the time. And when it comes down to making some decisions, they are busier thinking up excuses why they can’t do something, instead of trying to figure out how they can do it.
The man who isn’t constantly making important decisions in his life has no vision, and with no vision there aren’t strong goals, and without goals, there is no progress — only mediocrity at best.
When it comes to making an important decision, you should have no hesitation to get out a piece of paper and a pen, sit down with a cup of coffee, and spend however long it takes to work it out. It should be second nature.
When a man can lead himself in his personal goals, he can be an attractive leader in social situations and in business. When friends don’t know what to do or where to go, a leading man steps up and is the first to suggest something. At work, when everyone is waiting for orders from the boss, he thinks about the company’s most important objectives and takes the necessary steps to get everyone moving.
He shapes his reality by deciding what, why, and how things are going to happen.
“But what if you make the wrong choice or decision?”
Too many people are on the fence for way too long because they are afraid of making a bad decision. But the biggest mistake is always trying so hard not to make any.
It’s important to do as much of your homework before making an important decision, but it’s even more important to just launch and get things moving. Too many people get stuck trying to make sure everything is perfect before they take the first step. And people who never take the first step, never takes the second; getting no where near what they want.
Recently, I learned that a perfectly straight line does not exist in nature. Even if you put a straight line under a microscope, there are jagged edges that go in different directions. It’s only when you zoom out that it looks straight. Just like in nature, a straight line towards our desired destination does not exist either.
For example, when a pilot is flying a plane towards a destination, they never go in a straight line. They are constantly zigzagging onto and off the best course. The most successful leaders make the best choices they can with the information available to them, they LAUNCH AND GET GOING, and appropriately adjust their course as they go.
Is there any situation in your life right now that needs a decision? What have been holding off?
Today, try making all the necessary decisions you can before the day ends. Don’t leave anything to chance or delay any longer. Not only will you realize how many decisions you may be procrastinating on, but you’ll realize how much power is contained in a moment of choice.
2. Taking Full Responsibility
The second greatest trait a successful leader has is being able to take full responsibility for his choices.
A great leader always thinks about what the situation needs, not just his own selfish needs.
Many times our choices not only affect ourselves, but the people around us. When that’s the case we can’t wait for everyone to agree before we act. The best way to create results in this situation is to take full responsibility for whatever happens - especially if it involves lots of risk.
It’s hard to find great leaders today because nobody ever wants to be the one to blame if something goes wrong. The way we were raised by our parents and in school conditioned us to fear making mistakes and being rejected.
During stormy times, you have to be willing to steer the ship when nobody else wants to, or else you all might die.
So many necessary things that need to get done in our homes, businesses, and the world we live in aren’t getting done because people aren’t willing to step up to the plate.
It’s in our nature to want to feel safe and secure, but the only real security exists our ability to take action. One of the reasons why we’re the greatest species on earth is that we have no limit to what we can achieve. No matter what happens to us, we can do something to improve the situation.
It’s mostly the fear of failure that stops us in our track, but all of the most successful people I know have an unending list of “failures” under their belt. They wouldn’t be where they are, living their dream, if it wasn’t for all the “mistakes” and “failures” that happened along the way.
A great leader isn’t afraid to fail or make mistakes. And they don’t take what other people think of them too seriously either. They never act like a victim like most people do, blaming others or some outside condition when they are met with resistance.
They have confidence in the fact that if anything goes wrong - no matter what it is - they can quickly take action to improve the situation. This belief is what enables them to take full responsibility for what needs to get done. They lead themselves into action, take the load on their shoulders, and people inevitably follow.
3. Relentless Action Following Decisions
A lot of men are good at making decisions, and some even take full responsibility for their choices, but most quit at the first few signs of resistance.
The leading man consistently takes actions towards his goals until he achieves them. He works and works, changing his approach when it’s not working, and works and works at it some more. He does whatever it takes to win.
… if we get on a treadmill together, either you’re getting off first, or I’m going to DIE trying…” - Will Smith
Countless studies have found that the most successful people are quick to make decisions and slow if ever to change them, where unsuccessful people are always slow to make decisions and quick to change them.
This sounds so simple but just look around and you’ll see so many people making a decision to do something and than quickly change their minds. And not because they found a better route, but because they gave up when it started to get a little uncomfortable or hard.
When successful leaders make choices, they do not RELENT. They’ll do whatever it takes to reach their goals, to live up to their decision.
It’s important to maintain integrity with yourself, and take massive action towards your decisions. For example, if you make a decision to go to the gym three times a week, it’s so important to honor your decision. The more you keep your word to yourself, the more power you will gain. To the point where if you say you’re going to do something, not only do you have complete confidence that you’ll do it, but others will trust you as well. This is monumentally important to becoming a great leader.
The most successful and attractive men out there, are those who can make the hard decisions, take full responsibility for their choices, and take relentless action towards their goals. They are respected in their line of work, are much more desirable by women, and loved by the people around them.
Every man has the choice to be a leading man. If you recognize that you need to work on one of these areas, quickly resolve to begin working on it today.
And don’t stop running. Stay relentless,
What you’ll need to put together a similar look:
3. Khaki pants
5. Purple shoes
First Impression:
A man who isn’t afraid to take risks and shout with his fashion.
Breakdown:
This is for those who are looking for some inspiration on how to be fashionably bold.
One of my favorite ways to be fashionably bold is through what I call “non-sequiturs” (which means “it does not follow” in Latin). The idea is to take something (at first thought) that should NOT work and making it work. It takes some balls to experiment and try different things at first, but you’ll quickly find what you like and even come up with some killer looks that people rarely see on anyone.
If you’re someone who can handle the attention and the looks, then you have what it takes to pull off bold style. You may get some weird stares but you’ll also undoubtedly get admiration from women who respect bold fashion.
A very light example of wearing “non-sequiturs” is mixing formal wear with casual wear such as a blazer with a hoodie. A more advanced example of this might be something like wearing a skinny tie as a belt. However, when done right, i.e., brown skinny knit tie with khaki linen pants, it can look great.
The look above is a perfect example of this because from the top down it looks like a classic outfit, until you get to the shoes. Almost nobody would think that purple shoes would match this outfit, but the fact that the rest of the outfit is kept classic makes the shoes stand out that much more.
In a way, non-sequiturs should not be attempted if you’re just starting out and do not understand the fundamentals of style. It’s really more of an advanced concept that those who want to take some risk with their style.
When playing with non-sequiturs, you will face some resistance from people (mostly who are not fashionable at all). But you’ll also most definitely gets lots of compliments on your “creativity” or “artistry” of the combination by those who take quality care of their own image.
So this month, try a bold color in an unexpected piece of clothing like your shoes. It’s a great way to create a shockingly attractive look.
Rate this look below!
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What you’ll need to put together this look:
1. Gray buttoned vest
5. Von Zipper Skitch sunglasses
First impression:
Stand-out summer style.
Breakdown:
Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how to dress fashionably in the summer heat. One of my answers was this lookbook example.
Wearing a blazer in the blazing heat may be too hot, so swap it out for a dress vest. This will act as your “jacket” while freeing your arms from all that extra fabric.
Throw this vest on top of a v-neck tee shirt. A v-neck will keep your neck area cool, and I like the long sleeve ones because they look better with a dress vest. Just pull them up during the day and push them down if the nights are chillier.
A slick pair of black dress pants are perfect if you’re going to enjoy the city nightlife. But if you’re going for a more casual look, a pair of jeans pair exceptionally well with the tee and dress vest.
To complete this simple and classic summer outfit, you’re going to need a pair of loafers. Wear them without socks for that summer outfit touch.
Rate this look below!
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40 common fashion mistakes to avoid:
Clothes that don’t fit - Baggy clothes make a person look sloppy, and like they’re wearing hand-me-downs. If your body type makes it hard to find well-fitting off the rack, make your tailor your best friend. Getting the right fit will transform anyone’s image.
Wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tie – Unless you work for a fast-food joint, where sleeves will probably get dirty while making sandwiches, avoid wearing a short sleeve shirt with a tie, as it is generally perceived as lower class apparel. If you want to stay looking professional and confident, stick to long-sleeve shirts.
Dirty shoes – It’s the area that too many guys overlook in terms of cleaning and proper care. A stylish man keeps his shoes as he does any of his other clothes; clean and free of scratches and dirt.
Warped shoes – Keep at least two pairs of dress shoes in the same color so you can let one pair rest for a day from sweat and stretching. Doing this prevents them from warping. Place a pair of shoetrees in your shoes when you’re not wearing them to maintain their best form.
Improper pants length –Don’t fold up your jeans or your chinos unless it’s some sort of fashion statement that you’re making. Your pants can come down to the bottom of your shoes but make sure they come just above the floor to avoid fraying your pants. Also, you only need a slight break, or crease, in the pants leg. And don’t be the guy who has his feet swimming in all that extra fabric. All it takes is a simple trip to the tailor to get them hemmed.
Wrong socks with a suit – When you’re wearing a suit, match your sock color to your pants, not your shoes. This is the same as mismatching your suit pants to your jacket. If you’re wearing a navy suit with black shoes, reach for navy socks. And when wearing a light suit, make sure the socks are darker than the suit but a shade or so lighter than the shoes.
Wrong belt color – If you’re wearing dress shoes, make sure the color of your belt matches the color of your dress shoes. Also, the finish of the belt and shoes need to match. In other words, if your shoes are shiny, your belt should be shiny as well. If you’re wearing casual shoes or sneakers, make sure you wear a thicker casual belt to match instead of a thin dress belt.
Improper tie length – A man’s tie should always end at the center of his belt buckle. This is such a simple rule, but overlooked by many. Having a tie that’s too short or too long, can make a man look incompetent.
Forgetting the necktie dimple - It’s the telltale sign of a professional who knows how to wear a tie.
Being too “buttoned” up - If a jacket has two buttons, just fasten the top button. If it has three buttons, you can close the top button, the middle button, or middle and top button. The key is to always leave the bottom buttoned undone. This is a tradition that has been used for decades, and will keep your style looking smart.
Socks and sandals – Have you seen anyone ever pull this off, and look sexy? Case closed.
Cartoon clothing - I love Disney characters, but unless you work for Disney, wearing them on your tie or shirts during the week make you look like you’re stuck in fantasy land. Oh and while we’re on the subject, stay away from those cheesy belt buckles as well. Instead, stick to the classic wardrobe pieces that will keep you looking your best for years to come.
Dress socks that aren’t long enough – When wearing a suit, your socks should come up to your calves, and stay there. When you cross your legs, you shouldn’t be showing any part of your legs. Isn’t it lovely when you see a man’s hairy leg peeking over his socks? When dressed casual, I recommend going very short on the socks or go completely sockless. So fully covered for professional wear, and the sockless look if you’re dressed casual.
Wearing the wrong colors - It’s important to match the color of your clothes to your skin tone. You want the focus to be on you, not the overwhelming color of your shirt. If you have dark skin, you can either wear dark colors or bright colors that match the strength of your skin color. If you have very fair skin, lighter colors are most flattering on you – like soft pastels or icy colors.
Wrinkled clothing- Unless you’re going for the “I sleep in these clothes” effect, keep all your clothes pressed and wrinkle-free. It’s a good habit to always hang up all your clothes, never throwing them on the floor of your room after use.
Wrong casual tie - If you’re wearing a tie as part of your casual outfit, go for a slim tie instead of the wider ones; keep those for the office. It looks a thousand times more stylish.
Wearing too many colors – Limit each of your outfits to a maximum of three colors or shades to maintain a coordinated look. If in doubt find a color wheel online and use it to help you choose your colors. Colors opposite each other on the wheel are “complementary colors.” Colors adjacent to each other are called “analogous colors”. When putting together an outfit, stick to complementary and analogous colors and remember less is more.
Wearing a backpack with a suit – Whenever I’m walking around the city, I see a lot of professional people wearing nice suits and carrying backpacks. I understand that a backpack can be more comfortable because you can throw it over your shoulder instead of holding a briefcase, but you can also get a nice messenger bag to maintain a professional look but keep you hands free and comfortable.
Unflattering hairstyles – Hair is one area of your image that you can constantly experiment with and upgrade without paying more than you normally do. Look around and see which hairstyles look flattering to you, and try something new this season.
Excess cologne – If a woman can only smell your cologne when she’s very close, this is good. She’ll have more reason to stay close. If a woman can smell you from across the room, need she come any closer? Depending on the strength of your cologne, use sparingly, if your cologne loses it’s smell throughout the day, simply reapply. A good rule of thumb is to limit it to two sprays – once on your neck and wrists.
Too much jewelry – All the jewelry a man needs are watches that will match different outfits, and a wedding ring if he’s married. Unless you’re a rock star, don’t go around wearing five rings and a bunch of necklaces at the same time. It looks tacky. Limit yourself to no more than three pieces of jewelry.
Comb-overs – Your not fooling anyone by covering up your bald spots – it’s better to accept and shave it all off Bruce Willis style. It makes you look a lot more sharp, and more importantly, healthy.
Sweatpants – Unless you’re going to the gym, you should never be wearing sweats out in the public. Not only do we dress up for ourselves, but mostly for other people. By wearing sweats, it’s easy to disrespect the people you’re meeting - they may feel that they’re not worth you cleaning up for.
Oversized branding – Avoid clothes that make you look like a walking advertisement. Don’t you know that’s what the advertisers want? Unless you’re getting paid, you’re getting the bad end of the deal.
Tucking T-shirts in – Tucking in polo shirts is acceptable, but t-shirts should be kept casual. If your t-shirt is too long then it’s probably too big on you.
Wearing a crew neck tee under a dress shirt – Pick up a v-neck undershirt and you’ll look a million times better.
Clipping your cell phone to your belt – This is as attractive as using a Bluetooth headset as a fashion accessory. It’s a cell phone, not a gun, keep it in your pocket.
Clunky square toe shoes – Popular in the 1990s, fashion has now strayed far away from this non-classic look. They’ll probably never come back into fashion so lose them and get some slimmer shoes.
Too many prints – Whether with casual clothes or dressy, avoid mixing too many patterns or prints together. If you’re wearing a suit, a good rule of thumb is to keep it to a max of two patterns. In other words, if you’re wearing a patterned suit, wear a solid shirt and a patterned tie, or if you’re wearing a solid suit, you can wear a patterned shirt and a patterned tie. But having a patterned tie, a patterned shirt, and a patterned suit can make you look too busy.
Mismatching styles – Don’t wear your sporty Oakley sunglasses with a blazer, or a pair of cargo pants with a dressy shirt. Keep your outfits coherent and matching in style.
Bulky pockets – I see a lot of guys walking around with bulging pockets. If it’s your wallet that’s creating that bulge, spend some time taking out all those old receipts or business cards. If you need to hold on to them, keep them in a safe place and take them out when you need them. Get a slimmer wallet or a money clip to save space.
Dirty nails – Some men have very overworked and nasty hands. They are either really callous, or they have cracked cuticles. If you work outdoors or lift weights, wear gloves, and use hand lotion before you go to bed at night. Keep your fingernails trim, and free of hangnails, cracked cuticles, and dirt.
Keep your facial hair well groomed – The hair on your face should be orderly. Your face is the first thing noticed, and so maintaining your facial hair is important if you want to look sharp. Either keep a cleanly shaved face, or keep your beard trim. They should absolutely should be no hair underneath your chin on your neck area.
Hair in the back of their neck – Hair on the back of your neck is the same thing. If you don’t get haircuts too often, use a small mirror to check the back of your neck against another mirror, and use a razor to shave any hair that’s growing on the back of your neck.
Using too much hair product – Be aware that looking like you have a bottle of hair product on your head never looks good. A woman sometimes wants to be able to run her fingers through your hair, not hurt herself doing it. Use a smaller amount than you think you need.
Wearing sandals outside of the beach or pool – Keep the flip-flops for the pool, and opt for a casual pair of driving moccasins this summer. Driving moccasins are usually made of leather, but really easy to slip into and have flexible rubber soles, which make them the rich man’s slipper. A pair of dark brown ones will work perfectly with almost anything. Wear them without socks and a pair of cotton shorts for a classically stylish appeal. And if you do wear sandals to the beach or the pool, make sure your toenails are trim and healthy looking.
Not tucking in dress shirts - If your dress shirts are long enough to cover your butt, they are meant to be tucked in. The shirts are made longer so that when you sit down, with your shirt under your butt, your shirt doesn’t come out of your pants. If you’re someone who hates tucking in at casual settings, than make sure the dress shirts you wear are tailored shorter to come above the center of your bottom.
Being a fashion victim – Avoid wearing something just because it’s popular, and not because you actually like the way it looks and feels you. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with wearing things that are in fashion, or trying something out of normal comfort zone, but the problem happens when you’re constantly needing to buy that next “fashion piece” that everyone seems to be jumping for. Build a style of your own instead of joining the clones.
Not taking care of that unibrow – Keeping your eyebrows groomed is just as important as the hair on top of your head. Use a tweezer and pluck any hair that is above the nose, it has to go.
Wearing athletic socks, for non athletic occasions – Keep the white athletic socks for the gym or when you’re out playing sports, otherwise, stick to the navy or black socks. They have casual ones in those colors as well. They always look more stylish than white.
Don’t settle for low-grade tees - I see so many guys walking around with their free Pepsi shirts or something they got from their last vacation to Canada. Avoid looking like a walking advertisement this summer, and try a solid-colored v-neck t-shirt instead, or stick to collared short-sleeves for something a bit more dressy.
Wearing pseudo dress shoes with a suit - I see a lot of guys who have an awesome suit, and then ruin it with ugly work-type boots . Or they wear a pair of black shoes that are something like a hybrid between sneakers and dress shoes. These types of footwear ruin the rest of the outfit. The quality of your shoes should match the rest of your outfit quality.
An undershirt is just that - an undershirt - An undershirt’s purpose is to absorb the sweat, dirt, and body oils that we all inevitably secrete, and prevent stains on your dress shirts. The name explains their purpose. It’s not meant to be worn as an actual shirt by itself, so avoid this fashion mistake and call your buddies out on it when you can.
Protect yourself from making these fashion blunders, and keep looking your best!
What you’ll need to put together this look:
2. Check shirt
5. Black Converse Chuck Taylors
First impression:
Only a fashion savvy guy could have put this outfit together. That or his girlfriend dressed him up really well.
Breakdown:
I’m currently doing seminars in Korea, and being here has made me want to write about great “casual” style.
The guys here really re-define “casual” style. It’s so funny because you can instantly spot a foreigner just by their lack of fashion. Even if they are Asian, they stand out like a sore thumb.
I think many places truly need to upgrade their standards for dressing. As an American, it’s clear to me that the majority of our nation is more about comfort than fashion. We wear gym clothes in public and the term “casual” is so loosely used that most people equate them to totally bumming out.
Today’s lookbook is a reminder that we can take our standards higher.
So let’s take a look at what makes this outfit so great:
- Perfect fit
- Great use of layering - You can never go wrong with a classic denim jacket. It’s a “casual” outfit staple that every man should own.
- The right use of color - The outfit is tastefully color coordinated. There aren’t more than three major colors, keeping the outfit simple and fluid with the rest of the outfit.
- A graphic tee here - It’s rare that graphic tees with silly humor ever come off as attractive, but this one goes well with this outfit because they put his stylish converse sneakers on display.
- The use of khaki pants here - You want to avoid wearing blue jeans when wearing a denim jacket, because you don’t want to look like you’re wearing a tacky denim suit.
If you want to read more about great casual style, check out the What Asia Taught Me About Casual Style article for more!
Rate this look below! Also, leave any comments and suggestions that you have for our lookbook articles. Thanks!
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What you’ll need to put together this look:
1. Short sleeve one-button white blazer
3. Blue pants
First impression:
Double-take status. Makes me curious about who he is.
The breakdown:
Parts of this outfit really stand out, but it’s perfectly balanced to be attractive, and not over the top. If you master balancing, you can wear anything in almost any setting.
To key to always looking your best is to think about where you’re going to be, and aim to dress one notch above every other guy there.
Our goal is not to overdress or underdress, yet still look the best, so “one notch above everyone else” is the perfect place to be.
The easiest way to always hit this mark is by mixing dressy pieces with the casual, until you feel like you’re going to be a notch above the rest.
This particular look is perfect for a day spent in a fashionable city. My favorite part of this outfit is the white blazer. When do you ever see a blazer with short sleeves!? Personally, I love to make a blazer more casual by pushing the sleeves up. This blazer already takes care of that for you, making it a perfect summer piece as well.
The blazer is the dressiest piece of this outfit, so you can balance the outfit with a casual deep v-neck tee, like the one shown above. The deep v-neck reveals some more chest with adds some sensuality to the outfit, perfect for an evening date or a night at the bar.
Khaki chinos here would be a bit dressy (we already have the dressy blazer), and jeans would be the obvious choice, so why not try something that will really get noticed? Try a pair of blue chinos – it has the casual look of jeans yet holds a slightly dressy element, making you look super stylish.
Now that we have another semi-dressy piece, you can dress it down with a pair of sneakers. The red converses here really add that final punch and really shows the bold personality of the wearer.
So the key is to keep mixing dressy pieces with the casual until you meet up to the the setting you’re going to be in. Is the look too much for where you’re going? Then switch out the pants for jeans or the red shoes for something more tame.
Share your ratings and thoughts on the outfit below!
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