It’s a new year, a new beginning, a new you. If you didn’t get the memo yet, dressing well pays dividends! A study revealed that well-dressed men are seen as sexier, smarter and more successful. So start 2012 with a bang by throwing away your old clothes, buying new ones and getting dressed for success! But what happens when you’re on a budget and the economy is dreadful? Follow these five simple steps and you’ll be good to go.
Vintage, Thrift, Recycle
My first advice is to clean your closet and get rid of clothes that you won’t ever wear again. There’s no point in keeping junk and taking up space. If it’s the Summer, put your thick sweaters back in boxes and make sure you label them so you know what’s inside. Go to any thrift store (ie Goodwill, Salvation Army, Buffalo Exchange, Plato’s Closet), and sell the clothes you don’t want to keep. It might not come out to much but Hamilton’s face could be the pocket money for your next bar drink! I recommend going thrifting as you never know what you could find that will compliment your wardrobe. There’s no shame in wearing clothes that someone has already worn. Like they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Mix & Match
If you’re on a budget, don’t go spending all your cash on an expensive coat when all you need are a few key items in your closet. Every man should at least have two suits (meaning blazer and matching pants), three button down shirts in different colors, two pairs of jeans and two solid-colored v-necks. Now, I may be Asian, but I’m not going to mathematically solve this Punnett square equation. However, the probability of combining different outfits is more than you can wear in a month, and one! I suggest recycling your clothes every month and adding a new color here and there to have an even greater ratio of looks.
Sale items
I love shopping for clothes after Christmas or during Thanksgiving weekend. On second thought, I take back the latter. It’s not my cup of tea to wait in line the day prior to Black Friday, but nevertheless, you will always find great deals on clearance items. Sometimes it’s a hassle going to the store versus e-shopping, but there are many items on sale in store that you can’t find online. It’s always a good idea to pack up on already-reduced items if they can be of use in matching your wardrobe, especially if you aren’t going to be following trends.
Do NOT follow Trends
Trends are created by many different variables from designers and forecasting agencies, to celebrities and the consumer. Everyone wants to fit in with the current trend, or else you feel left out. Fashion is similar to technology, in the sense that there will always be a newer, better, and thinner smart phone. In Fashion, trends usually last half a year and then go out-of-season, until something cooler comes out. So if you’re low on cash, it would be pointless to waste money on looking trendy when you can simply look fashionable. Hence, I tell people: Trends die, Fashion can be bought, and Style is eternal.
Have your personal Style
Yves Saint Laurent once said “Fashion goes out of style, but style never goes out of fashion.” There are those that are trend-setters, and those that are followers. Most people follow trends, and fall victim to fashion. But if you followed steps 1-4 and you still don’t know what the f*ck to do with the clothes that are in front of you, there’s a website that may be of interest. LookBook has all these Fashionistas showing off their looks and getting the hype out. Imitation is a form of flattery indeed, and you can get a lot of inspiration from seeing what everyone’s cooking. All in all, if you don’t feel comfortable with what you’re wearing, chances are that you won’t be able to pull off the look and you’ll end up looking like a clown.
Confidence is probably the most important aspect of wearing a garment. But we’ll get into that topic some other time. Like Mark Twain once said, “The clothes make the man.” Good luck and happy shopping!
About the Author
Ninh Nguyen is one of Amped Asia's style columnists. Of Vietnamese origin, Ninh was born and raised in Paris, France and currently resides in New York City. He's the designer of the NINH COLLECTION, a clothing line designed for the modern-day renaissance man.
Written by Editorial Staff