MY SECOND PRINCIPLE OF STYLE

In my previous blog post, I introduced my first principal of Style which is to "Know Thyself”. Be wise about your clothing. Discern what the occasion is and rise to the occasion. Style is a predetermined mediation - not an after thought. What this means is that if someone does not know who he is, and where he is headed, how can he project himself to the world effectively? It’s almost impossible to accomplish it without first knowing which direction he is wanting to travel.

My second principle of style is to “Always be prepared”. Sure, this may seem cliché, but I am a firm believer in this motto. In this blog post I will explain how I use this principle with my wardrobe on a daily basis.

So, what do I mean by “Always be prepared”, and how do I apply this to my style? I approach it from a simplistic aspect. Whenever I put on an article of clothing I go through a list of scenarios that could happen throughout that day, and determine whether that article of clothing could be inappropriate. If it isn’t, I then ask myself, “Can I replace it with something that would be more appropriate?” Sure, this may sound easy, I would hope most if not all of you are already doing this, but a fair amount of the population does not do this.

For example, I work at an office where I am expected to wear a dress shirt and tie every day. On Friday nights, I know that there is a chance that I may go out with friends after work. Therefore, on Fridays; I’ll choose a colorful dress shirt that I can wear with and without a tie. I do this because I know that if I choose to go out with friends, the environment I will be in is business casual. However, I rarely choose to wear a white dress shirt on days that I plan on going out and socializing after work.

* Here is a tip - Pure white dress shirts are associated with business dress, and although you can wear them for business casual, I would advise against it in most settings. I will explain this in further detail in a future blog. *

Here are the questions that I ask myself as I get ready each day. I use the following methodology in all aspects of my wardrobe: Where could I end up going? - Think up most of the possibilities and make sure what you have is appropriate What do I plan on accomplishing? - If your plans are too diverse to accomplish with one outfit, pack an additional outfit.

3. Who will I be in front of?

4. Is my outfit respectful to those that will see me?

5. Why am I wearing this?

6. What do I intend on accomplishing by wearing this?

All of these questions may not be able to be addressed for each article of clothing so don’t stress yourself if you are unable to answer a few of them. As time goes by, allow for this list to become a simple routine as you pick out your clothes every day. Use these questions to help you decide what to wear each day, and you will be more likely to look confident with whatever situation arises during your day.