A man’s wardrobe is a collection of assorted clothing articles, accessories and shoes. Every item denotes a particular purpose and occasion. For instance T-shirt and blue denim are purely casual staples while some are formal (grey windowpane business suit) for special events. Most garments fall between casual-formal scale and can be dressed up and dressed down by mixing and matching together.
Since it is vital to have a fully functional wardrobe (with minimum pieces) in order to look sharp in every situation, correct knowledge of different dress codes becomes a top priority. For that you need to zero in on fine details of clothing items which gives them formal, informal casual character.
In addition to that shoes and accessory are fundamental constituents of an outfit and should not be overlooked at any level.
In essence everything must coordinate in order to integrate the desired look.
Judging Criteria of Dress Code
Colour
Most visible and eye-catching aspect of any wardrobe staple is its colour. At first glance, eyes can determine whether or not the article is formal or casual. In shirts white stands atop on formality standard, in all backgrounds.
As you shift from white to dark colours formality drops rapidly towards casualness. Off-white, light blue, grey are the extension of colour range for shirts but considered less formal than white. Green, orange, yellow and all other colours are casual.
However, suit fabric colours follow the opposite of above convention. Darker the suit more formal it is, concluding black to be the most formal; charcoal, dark grey, navy all precede black. Light-blue beige and khaki are in the informal lane. Trousers too follow the same colour theory as suit fabric.
Tuxedo in black is an ultimate formal get-up for men for wedding or dinner. It includes a black suit jacket, a white shirt, bow tie, cummerbund, black lace-up shoes.
Fabric
There is a long range of fabric types for menswear depending upon the season, time and purpose of clothing. Wool and tweed are appropriate for winter as cotton for summer. Mens suits are exclusively wool for its smooth finish, durability and ability to remain intact during and after the wear.
Flannel is another variety of warm cloth which has raised surface and deep texture but considered less formal than wool in most contexts.
For the most part dress shirts are cotton made due to its light weight, clean surface, strength and breathability; poplin and linen are versatile examples of shirt fabrics wherein linen being less formal. Next is chino, twilled cotton used for making pants. Denim is tough and thick cotton prominent for its staying power and rare twill pattern suitable for most casual clothing.
In spite of natural sources some synthetic materials commonly used for making men’s clothes are- polyester and spandex. Polyester is immune to wrinkles hence mixed with cotton or wool to produce subgrade fabric which is cheaper also. Spandex is elastic material used for sportswear and mixed with other hard fabrics like denim to improve flexibility and ease of wear and movement.
Texture
Texture in terms of fabric translates as how the surface of the fabric feels when touched, besides how it appears to the eyes. Each fabric has distinctive consistency when you run your fingertips over it. Cotton is smooth, denim thread is slightly rough, and corduroy wales have a wavy exterior while flannel has raised threads. Texture is also about visuals and dimensions that may create illusion of depth and make the fabric appear more interesting.
Any texture results from how threads are interwoven. No apparent texture means the clothing material belongs to a dressy class (business, wedding); moving towards texture the fabric becomes suitable for casual or informal occasions.
Pattern
Patterns add aesthetics; classify clothing, make it easier to mix and match different pieces, inject splash of colour to diversify your style. Selection of pattern depends on how you want to organize your look. If you learn chemistry of patterns you can steel some of the most fetching looks but if you do it in a haphazard way you could end up appearing as a fashion victim.
A man’s wardrobe mostly has three popular patterns; checks, plaid and stripe. Usually a set of different patterns coordinate for a highly fashionable outfit but some patterns alone can create a complete look-example, a windowpane suit (jacket and pants) in bigger sized squares. Yet, if the top and down pieces are identical plaids or checks it would make an odd duo.
Stripes always look best in same width; two different widths will put your silhouette out of proportion.
Detailing
Detailing can at once change character of any garment from casual to formal, or reverse. For instance a mandarin collar on plain white dress shirt will make it unsuitable to wear at work or interviews.
Shirt Detailing
Fabric– thick and textured fabric will make casual shirts like corduroy. While plain fine fabric will make formal shirts, poplin.
Fit- formal shirts fit you elegantly with some decent margins in sleeves and torso. casual shirts are more fitting than formal ones.
Collar- starting from top a standard size point collar with right spread is mandatory for a shirt to be formal. Standard point collars, tab-collars, cutaway, wingtip collars are formal type. Mandarin and slim, club collars and button-down are casual collars.
Cuff- formal shirts have wider cuffs whereas casual shirts may also feature slim cuffs.
Button– contrasting colour buttons make the shirt casual, viz. black buttons on white shirt, you cannot wear it formally. Always have neutral or transparent buttons on formal shirt.
Miscellaneous– tags, signs, labels, contrasting stitching all these details are found on casual shirts. More curved hem, short length of shirt are also casual features.
Trousers Detailing
Pleats pleat is a strong feature of formal trousers. Men may have one or two pleats to accommodate their lower structure. Pleats only happen in formal pants. Flat front trousers like khaki is a less formal type of trousers but still fares well in interviews and work situations. Khaki is perfect for business casual outfit.
Crease front crease also occurs in formal trousers which gives it a conventional appearance
Denim, chinos do not have crease or pleats therefore belong to casual department.
Flannel pants may be tailored as dress pants with pleats and front crease or with a flat front.
Comfortable fit
Formal pants are comfortable and do not trouble the wearer for they are meant for long hours. Denim is mostly fitting wear with less comfort than dress pants.
Pocket Style
Side or cross pockets define a formal pattern in dress pants and chino styles. Denim displays pockets that have sharp cuts, narrow opening and deeper pockets.
Why denim is most casual garment?
- Denim fabric is rough and heavy with washed appearance.
- Most denim styles viz. slim, straight, skinny have tight crotch area.
- Metal buttons are used to reinforce stitching.
- Visible contrasting stitching used to impart a casual and rugged feel to the fabric.
Judging Accessories
Neckties
Some (not all) dark colour ties, black, red, navy, brown, dark grey are common formal neckties in solid colours. Striped ties with muted colours including certain other shades like green orange as one colour, polka patterns are also considered formal while all other light tones and patterns belong to less formal category.
Tie fabric- mostly silk ties make the best formal ties for their sheen and elegance.
Belts
Leather belts in black and brown are always compatible with formal attire. Belt should not be wider than 1.3 inches in a formal outfit. Wider belts are casual to be paired with denim. Textured leather belts are ok if the texture is subtle.
Canvas belt, cloth belt, braided belt are good with casual attire. Never wear these belts with dress pants.
Likewise traditional prong buckle is an excellent choice to wear with dress pants. It is sober item that looks perfect in business context. Other solid face buckles are less formal. Bigger heavy and fancy buckles are for casual events.
Watches
Wear a dress watch as a formal accessory. Simple leather strap watch with minimalist dial and no extra detail will be a nice article to match with suits and dress shirts. Sports watches and casual watches should be left here. These watches are for any other occasion where you are throwing on more casual outfits. There is no harm if you always wear a signature watch on wrist that represents your style theme.
Define formal shoes or casual hoes
Colour
Black shoes are ever man’s routine footwear. Standard shoe colour is black, next comes brown, then all other colours tan, white, grey are casual colours. Black is always best in all formal situations because being dark it looks serious and conservative. Black shoes can be worn at business, interviews, funeral, parties, and work.
Brown is less formal than black. Not always you will wear brown with a business suit unless you are wearing light grey or blue or khaki suit. Brown shoes dilute formality of an outfit making it more versatile.
Material
Best formal shoes are made out of pure leather. Leather possesses the lustre that is first requisite for any formal shoe. Its softness and flexibility imparts great comfort in long hours of wear.
Design
Formal shoes must have traditional cut and sleek design in order to qualify for formal occasions.
- Any good leather shoe with minimum pieces is a fair construction. More the individual pieces more the stitching which will produce a cluttered shoe. Therefore oxfords, derby and Wholecut is a certain versatile shoe style.
- Wholecuts are made of a single piece of sublime leather, so they achieve best look.
- Lacing is yet another key factor to decide formality of shoes. Closed lace shoes like oxfords are top formal shoes Wholecuts also feature closed lacing. Derby shoes exhibit open lacing method and therefore are slightly less formal than oxfords.
- Oxfords are most formal due to the fact that quarters of the shoes are sewn under the vamp which appears a cleaner and more systematic design. Contrarily derby shoes have their quarters sewn over the vamp making them less formal.
- Toe-cap is an additional factor to determine the style of leather shoes. Pointed toe caps are most formal while round shape of toe-cap makes them less appropriate in strict business professional environment.
Detailing
Contrasting stitching is a casual feature in shoes. Some shoes have white stitching around black soul or any other bold stitching over the surface. Such shoes lose their formality.
Odd colour sole is also another casual feature. Black formal shoes must have black leather sole, black stitching. Brown shoes- brown sole/stitching.
Decorations
Brogues shoes earn special reputation and recognition for their ultimate perforations over the vamp. Small big holes in a planned pattern look fabulous but make the shoes least formal only to be worn casually. Since brogues are predominantly worn in brown colour they are fantastic footwear for business casual and smart casual ensemble.
Similarly spectator’s shoes have dual colour construction having bright and showy vamp or quarters partially or fully made of a different colour or material.
Casual shoes
Boots, sports shoes, most loafer designs are casual. Sports shoes or sneakers best match casual fashion including denim chino, shorts, t-shirts attire.
