How to Reinvent Your Style An unbeatable guide for starting over
Written by Salvatore Marashi
Stagnation is the gravest enemy to a great man. Likewise, your style needs to be invigorated periodically. It’s a new year, Gentlemen. Why not do a little reinventing?
We’re not big on simply chasing trends here, but sometimes wearing the same thing day in and out can make us feel, well, tired. It’s funny how changes in appearance affect how you feel about yourself.
Here’s our primer on reinventing your style for the better.
Reinventing Your Style Out with the Old
There’s a lot of junk in your closet. How many tee-shirts did you forget that you even had? Before you can start reinventing your style, you need to get rid of all the stuff that put you in this rut in the first place.
Identify these clothes and be brutal with your purging. Keep only things with sentimental value (which, doesn’t mean you have to wear it), or essential pieces like basics that can be incorporated into your new look. Out with the old so you can make way for the new.
Finding Inspiration
So you’re seeking change, but you don’t exactly know what you want it look like. Finding inspiration is easier than ever. With Instagram, celebrity style icons, and great fashion sites (like ours), there are plenty of places to look.
Instead of imagining your clothes, first picture how you want your new style to make you feel.
With that in mind, seek out other guys with that air about them. What are they wearing?
Before settling on a decision, consider your lifestyle. You might want to wear Hawaiian shirtsevery day, but is your boss going to like that? Just because you’d like to look a certain way doesn’t mean your environment will support it. Although there’s plenty we all wish we could change about the world, I’m sure.
Think of it as reshaping your style, so you can try something new without breaking the confines of what’s reasonable.
Start Small
Before throwing all your old clothes in a burning pile and dancing to their destruction (or if you’re boring, donating them), test the waters. Start small by experimenting with subtle changes. A new pair of sunglasses or picking up some men’s jewelry might give you what you’re looking for.
Build Up
Changing your style begs for an understanding of what the new one will be. This is a process. While you’re becoming an expert in your new look, it’s wise to build up. Start with the basic pieces of that style. Think of changes like a neon watch strap or camosneakers.
These simple additions provide a solid base from which to expand, while still being easy to incorporate into your current wardrobe.
Invest Wisely
Reinventing your style can be a costly affair. Budget and pace yourself. Poor spending habits may have led to your current wardrobe fatigue.
Instead of buying anything in the realm of your new style, be selective. Thoughtfully choose items that will work together.
Cohesion in your wardrobe will maximize every piece in it, ultimately making the most out of your money. A couple of synergistic pieces are always better than a host of mixed-matched ones.
Budgeting is especially crucial if you’re upgrading to a more expensive look. Save where you can on basics, and invest in the statement items. Meaning, opt for cheaper t-shirts and occasionally splurge on a quality blazer or jacket. Your new style will depend more on these big pieces.
Time to be Bold
Once you have a grasp on your new style, it’s time to be bold. Playing it safe with your sartorial reinvention is defeating the purpose. Get out of your comfort zone and get noticed.
Play it too safe, and you’ll be bored again in no time. Fashion is meant to be a fun method for self-expression, so get creative with it.
Consider a Different Brand
Whether we mean to or not, we often gravitate toward the same stores over and over again. It makes sense. If that store had one thing you liked, chances are you’ll find something else there that fits your aesthetic.
That’s great when you’re happy with your wardrobe, but it’s a problem when you want to branch out. Finding another brand can give you a litany of new style options. Diversifying where you shop is crucial to keeping things fresh.
If you’re in need of some examples, check out the comprehensive list of our favorite places to shop, here.
Beyond the Clothes
Reinventing your style doesn’t have to be limited to clothes. Here are some ways you can reinvent yourself beyond textiles.
Choose a New Hair Style
Most guys pick a hairstyle as a kid or teen and stick to that pretty much their whole lives. If that’s you, you’re missing out. There are tons of men’s hairstyles, from slick-backs to buzzcuts, to a dozen varied types of fades.
When choosing a hairstyle, factor in how it plays with the rest of your reinvented style. For instance, if you’re going for an edgy IDGAF look, you can consider a faux hawk. But if you’re aiming for something more professional, you can’t go wrong with a quiff.
Take the discovery quiz: Find Your Perfect Haircut
That best part about reinventing your style through hair is that it grows back. So if you didn’t like it, you could start over in a few months.
Changing your Grooming Game
Another super easy way to reinvent your style is through grooming. If you’ve just been clean shaving, growing out a Van Dyke or sporting a Chevron mustache can completely change things up. On the flip side, if you’ve had a beard so long that you can’t remember what your face looked like without one, maybe it’s time to revisit your baby-faced days and go clean-shaven.
Don’t forget to build a grooming routine that you can stick to.
A New Body Through Exercise
Your body is the outfit you can’t take off. Improving your physique will massively change your look, of course. The shape you’re in correlates directly to how your clothes fit.
While maintaining a healthy routine, you might find that those clothes you were ready to get rid of? They’re now exactly what you wanted in the first place.
Go get Started
Reinventing your style is daunting but there’s no better time to start than the present. With these tips in mind, building a better look is easier than ever.
Some 2019 Trends
We’ve curated from high to everyday-brow. Again, we’re not particularly keen on fleeting trends, but it’s cool to know what’s out there. Here are some possible inspirations for your journey:
According to Pinterest trends, here’s the latest in men’s fashion based on image searches:
• Vintage wrist watches (Searches for vintage watches +98%)
• Light-wash denim (Searches for light washed denim +70%)
• Sling-bags (Searches for sling bags +1184%)
• Corduroy (Searches for corduroy +507%)
• Mismatched patterns (Searches for mismatched prints +89%)
• Fades for hair (Searches for french crop haircuts +84%)
• Plaid (Searches for plaid pants +267%)
• Men’s scarves (Searches for neck scarves +29%)
• Cropped trousers (Searches for cropped trousers +671%)
• Quarter socks (Searches for quarter socks +266%)
And if you’re of the bourgeois persuasion, here’s what Vogue has to say by looking at designer runways:
• Loud brand logos
• Fire department inspired workwear
• Oversized shoulder pads
• Wild West inspired clothing
• Excessive layering
• Checkers and plaid
• Cartoon prints
• Caps
• Pinstripes
• Leather coats
Let us know where you want your style to improve. We’ll provide our expert advice below!
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