Why Men should not be afraid of style

So I went out until 6 AM celebrating one of my good friend's 21st. Inevitably, going out requires one to dress up better than one would usually. It is de rigueur for women to go all out, but for us guys it can be off-putting for a guy to care about his appearance too much. You cross the line and you're immediately a "metrosexual". God, I hate that term. In England and Europe, men aren't afraid to dress sharp not only for going out, but for regular old afternoon jaunts. Here, if you don't just put a ballcap and sweatpants on, then people seem to question your sexuality (both men and women).

Now, the best term for the guidelines I follow when I dress: I try to be as rakish as possible. I'm not incredibly trendy, but I try to wear form-fitting clothes that fit both my physical body and my conception of style. So, I don't just buy whatever; I put thought into the image I want to project because as much as people claim to not be shallow, we actually very much are. You get judged by your outward appearance and I've found that I get treated considerably better at work and in everyday life when I put thought into what I wear. In other words, when I go somewhere wearing a cashmere sweater with a nice dress shirt underneath and tweed pants, I get considerably more respect than when I wear a hoodie and jeans from co-workers and the cash-register girl at The Coffee bean. In fact, let me give you a clue as to what ensemble consistently gets me attention and respect: a Ralph Lauren jacket, cashmere Scottish scarf, Bachrach black Italian tie, a striped H&M dress shirt, a blue Express merino woolen sweater, Armani grey pinstriped pants, and Alfani Italian-made shoes. Basically, I trust that italian men know how to dress so i take cues from them largely. Basically, one of my good friends said this, "A guy should not have as big of a wardrobe as a woman, but his clothes should all be quality stuff."

So I'll keep wearing my Armani pants, Italian shoes, and merino sweaters, because they very much impact the way I get treated, especially in an urban environment. Image isn't everything, but one cannot deny its importance in even quotidian circumstances. That's why i salute Tom Brady and George Clooney for giving a touch of class amongst all the Dane Cooks of the world.

That said, I want to clarify what is NOT rakish. And that is any article of clothing from Abercrombie, American Eagle, and Hollister. Never in a million years could you pay me to set foot in any of those stores. The clothes are poor quality, tattered, and give off an unprofessional look. And yet, Midwestern girls and guys lap this shit up like it's Dom perignon. If you're going to spend that kind of money on clothes, then you could always buy something from Polo at the same price point with atleast some panache and class.