Chapter 1

• Intended Learning Outcomes


  • Discuss personal viewpoints about the subject
  • Determine the types of clothes every man should have in his closet
  • Identify the proper way of dressing for one's body type
  • Determine the different essential shirt styles
  • Discuss the guide for men's dress code
  • Explain the ultimate guide for men's shirt
• Early clothing


  Skins thrown over the left shoulder to leave the right arm free for hunting and fighting
• Clothing worn prior to the 13th century

  • Long under tunic or chemise
  • Outer tunic
  • Mantle
  • Long flowing sleeves
  • Girdles
  • Round caps for men
  • Veil held in place with a crown for women of rank
• Clothing during the 15th century


  • Long, close-fitting trousers and stockings
  • Short coats
  • Large slashed sleeves
  • Pointed hats and shoes
  • Smocks for poor men
• Clothing during the Renaissance (16th century)


  • Short, slashed trousers
  • Long stockings
  • Doublet and hose
  • Ruff
  • Cape coat with sleeves
  • Hat and plumes
  • Bright colors with gold and naturalistic design of large flowers and scrolls
• Clothing during the 17th century


  • Close-fitting trousers to the knee
  • Musketeer boots with high heels
  • Coats with peplum
  • Round lace collar
  • Collar and jabot
  • Wigs
  • Hats with plumes
  • Strong and contrasting colors with naturalistic designs
• Clothing during the 18th century

  • Long-skirted peplum coats
  • Stiffened and brocaded waistcoats
  • Jeweled buckles
  • Laces
  • Red heels on shoes
  • Hair in a queue
  • Tri-corn hat with plume
  • Pastel shades
  • Naturalistic motifs with refinement and grace
  • Garlands of flowers tied with ribbons
• During this period, printed linens and cottons began to be used on large scale, due to the invention of power textile machinery
• Clothing after the French Revolution

  • Long trousers
  • Long tail coats
  • High heels
• Clothing during the Restoration period (1814-1830)

  • Beaver hats
  • Long-tail coats
  • Trousers
• Basic pieces every man should own

  • Nice jeans
  • Quality white T-shirts
  • Polo shirts
  • White oxford dress shirt
  • A versatile suit
  • Swim trunks
• Ectomorph


  Lean and slender body type with less body fat and muscle, often tall and lanky with a fast metabolism and difficulty gaining weight
• Endomorph

  Stocky, solid build with a tendency to gain weight easily, often shorter in height with a slow metabolism
• Mesomorph


  Athletic, muscular build with a normal metabolism and the ability to gain and lose weight easily
• Your body type and shape should always take preference over fashion trends
• Know your tailor on a first name basis and trust them like your best friend
• Dress for the body you have NOW, don't put off wardrobe improvements for a future diet plan
• Learn to emphasize the best aspects of your build and divert attention away from your undesirable features
• Clothing for men with triangular body shape

  • Tailored patterned blazers
  • Vertical stripes
  • Jackets with structured shoulders
  • Single-breasted suits
  • Brighter color panels
• Clothing to avoid for men with triangular body shape

  • Fitted polo shirts and roll necks
  • Brighter colors and busy prints
  • Skinny fits and extreme tapers
• Patterns and detailing across the chest and shoulders

  • Help to broaden the narrow upper torso
• Inverted triangle body shape

  • Big triangle with the base at the shoulders and the point at the belly button. Well-developed chest and shoulders significantly broader in comparison to waist and hips
• Finding a good tailor is an indispensable part of building a stylish wardrobe for this body type
• Rectangular body shape


  • Tall and thin frame. Shoulders are roughly the same width as their waist and hips
• For tailoring, make sure you opt for single-breasted styles. When off-duty, create shape by contrasting layers such as a shirt or a cardigan over a crisp white T-shirt or vest to create an extended V-shaped panel on the upper section of your body
• Oval body shape


  • In a bigger guy, the center of the torso is wider than the shoulders and hips. The rest of the build tends to reflect this as well, with shorter, broader limbs that widen at their midpoints
• Trapezoid body shape


  • The waist is the narrowest point on an average man's torso. The rib cage widens steadily up to the collarbone and shoulders, which are the broadest parts of the torso. This gives the body an overall trapezoidal shape with the shorter side at the bottom
• If you're both average build and average height you could be in danger of blending in with crowds. Try to have a few distinct details in your outfit at all times. Just a colored pocket square in the jacket's breast pocket goes a long way. A good watch and shoes have a similar effect. A little visual clutter is a good thing, as long as it leaves the basic shape of your body (and especially your torso) intact
• Your body type and shape should always take priority over fashion trends
• Semiformal/Business Attire


  Professional attire is the look that gentlemen wear in very professional environments. It's the uniform of lawyers, bankers, professors, wall Street traders, and other business environments where decorum and professionalism are woven into the culture and fabric of the organization
• Suit recommendations


  • Navy
  • Gray
  • Black
• Shirt recommendations


  • Plain white shirt
  • Textured shirts
  • Inconspicuous designs like window pane stripes or gingham print
• Tie recommendations


  • Blue
  • Gray
  • Black
• Pocket square

  White, straight fold handkerchiefs adds a crisp and classic element to the overall look
• Shoe recommendations


  • Oxford shoes
  • Brown
  • Black
• Socks


  Trouser socks that matches the pant leg of the suit
• Business casual


  A casual look made for the professional environment, no suit jacket required

  
• Business casual shoe options

  • Moccasins
  • Loafers
  • Oxford shoes
  • Double Monk Straps
• Colored buttoned down shirts are acceptable in business casual

  
• Suits with no tie can be spiced up with a lapel pin and colorfully patterned pocket square