The three most important things to know about clothes

Photo by BeliefNet

      Perhaps your like this man when trying to find new clothes for your new style. Perplexed, confused, have a pen in your hand, need a shave, doen't understand colour.  And it's justified. To many of us, clothes shopping was not something we grew up liking, or often times, even had a say in the matter. This led us to become this poor man while at least we shop for clothes. So how do you know what to look for in clothes? The next three things, from least to greatest, will let you know what to look for when buying clothes.

Photo by TexIndex

      3) Coming in at three is what your perspective clothes is made of. What an item is made of is often a big indicator about the item itself (and how it is made, but will be another post). Now unless you have an allergy, I can take a guess that you have never really paid attention to what your clothes are made of. When selecting an item, pay attention to the material. Your skin will react differently to different materials. I, for instance, try to avoid most polyesters because they irritate my skin. Unfortunately, this is the only real area where how much you pay matters. High priced clothing often uses better materials meaning more comfort and a higher likelihood to last longer. For example, most of you think of jeans as a rather solid item that isn't the most comfortable in the world. Buy a $170 dollar pair, and you will be in for a surprise. My $170 Paige denim is the most comfortable pants I own by far, but I had to avoid spending to afford them. Luckily, you don't have to pay as much attention to this when looking for clothes.

Shirt found here

      2)  The second most important thing is how an item looks. "Why is this only second?" you might ask. Well how an item looks is more a reflection of yourself then anything else. The way an item looks should obviously be appealing to you, but it should also be appealing to everyone around you. There is a reason everyone doesn't wear the clothes Spencer's sells. As you are building your style, I recommend having someone along who you consider stylish to help you with choosing the look of an item. Something you might think of as cool could be a fashion faux pas, and they can help to pick something out similar to that. This is a very deep topic, however, and I will be going into this at a later date.
For quick T-Shirts that are always stylish, I highly recommend Threadless. They are a fantastic site with shirts voted on, created by artists. I am not paid by them, simply love their products.

Photo by Marketing for Scientists

      1) The single most important thing to look for in an item is fit! This is by far, the single biggest offender of men in style to date. Know your size it is your friend. More important, know that your size will change, and so do your clothes. Most important, know your body. Take my brother, for instance. He has massive muscles in his legs and bum. This means he needs to size up and wear a belt for the best fit. It also means that he understands not to wear certain brands. Every brand will fit differently even if it is your size. This is why I implore you to try clothes on before buying them. When you try on something, look at yourself in the mirror and look for the clothes to silhouette your body. If you need help, bring someone along, or ask one of the employees, they are their to help you. If you buy online, find a site with a free return policy and thank me later. Some people may try to buy clothes bigger because they find them more comfortable. I challenge them to find something that fits their body, as I guarantee it will look and feel better. The reason why the look of an item isn't number one is because no matter how cool something is, if it doesn't fit, it will look bad on you.

Have a question you want answered? Ask it in the comments below. I will either answer personally or write a post about it. (You don't need an account to ask a question.)

As always this has been Ethan Moore, telling you to Be Moore Man!