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Typically when I tell some people I do a little bit of writing in the fashion world, I inevitably get the same remark:

“Oh, so you must be like a metrosexual!”

This is insanely depressing. Since when did fashion become something that only homosexual men (or men acting like homosexual men) cared about? Since when did fashion icons like Sean Connery become “boring”? Since when do we trust blithering idiots in Milan to determine that all men need to dress like depressed clowns? Jesus. It’s time to bust down these assumptions and write our own rules of fashion- ones that don’t involve the world “metrosexual” or tell us what labels to buy or what colors to wear.

Fact 1: You don’t have to be gay or metrosexual to be stylish.

Dressing nicely does not make you a homosexual, and anyone who says so misses the point entirely. Let’s face it- a vast majority of us dress reasonably to find suitable mates- very few of us dress nicely just for our own benefit, it’s too much of a pain in the ass. While the unwashed masses may claim that “normal” men don’t bother with anything but t-shirt and jean ensembles, knowing better is the key to looking better. Being stylish doesn’t mean you have to get petticures and trounce around talking about massages either- being stylish can become as easy as breathing if you do it right.

Fact 2: Style isn’t about brand name.

A stylish person is not someone who goes to the Gap or Abercrombie and Fitch and buys everything that will fit- that’s called being unoriginal and stupid. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with finding things you like from certain stores- however, becoming an obsessive freak about wearing all of one style makes you seem unoriginal. Hollister, despite it’s popularity, is not very stylish, and it really smacks of bad form to buy everything from there- or anywhere. Stylish people know how to mix and match different brands and labels to create an overall effect. That being said, this generally is better on the wallet as well.

Fact 3: You don’t have to be a model to be stylish.

Let’s fact it- most of us are not models. Actually, chances are NONE of us are models, which pretty much means we all have our flaws (and the models have them too, you arrogant bastards). You don’t have to look amazing to dress well- in fact, dressing well makes you look better overall. If you have a bigger body type, dress to the body type and ignore whatever body style (overly muscular, insanely skinny) is in at that particular moment. It will go away and you will be the same.

Fact 4: Small bold things turn heads, which is why they are wonderful.

Wearing bright orange pants is stupid- in fact, any massively bold moves are stupid. However, the beauty of fashion is a lot of times in the little details- the cufflinks, the tie, the shoes, everything. Making small statements is much better than going overboard, and it always comes off as much more savvy than any praise wearing a pink suit would ever get you.

Fact 5: Fashion can be cheap

D&G glasses are ugly. Armani suits are great, but are too expensive for the common man. Being stylish does not mean you have to spend thousands of dollars- rather, fashion can be affordable and easy, and somtimes cheaper than being stylisically blind. Savvy fashion shoppers don’t spend oodles of money- they find inventive ways to buy stylish items, like waiting for sales or even shopping online, thanks to the fact that most shops now have sizing systems. People who spend thousands of dollars on things like sweaters and suits need a reality check.

Fact 6: The most stylish men are sometimes the most subdued.

As I mentioned at the start of this article, Sean Connery is a damn fashionable man. People like Sean Connery, Denzel Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson are manly and strong, and they dress like damned pros- but they keep it on the down-low. You will never see Denzel Washington tromping around in a bright pink floral shirt talking about how “catty” hollywood is- he’ll leave that to the idiots on the Style network. Men who know how to be stylish do so without being flamboyant, they do it in a way that makes small impressions over a long period of time. They are the kind of people who stand out in a crowd, but need not draw attention to themselves: their actions and their clothes make the difference clear enough.

Fact 7: I will be wrong in about 2 months, but at least I (hopefully) get the concepts right.

The last and most important thing about style is that it changes like crazy. You never know when the next fad will arrive: and that’s just fine. The important thing about style, if more important than anything else, is that while some fads may come and go, the basics stay the same. Society will always dictate times when you dress up and dress down. Society will always judge you based on how you dress, and there will always be winners and losers in that regard. In that sense, we will always see different trends emerge and die out: the important thing is to get your basics down, so down the road you feel confident and secure, even if you’re wearing something you never would have considered before.

That’s TRUE Fashion.

Tags: Abercrombie & Fitch, Fashion, manifesto, style