How To Dress Like A Gentleman: 5 Principles You Need To Know

Why get lost in the endless options out there? Take it back to first principles – here are the five principles you should know to dress like a gentleman.

Being a gentleman is one thing, of course, but dressing like a gentleman is one of the first monumental steps any man should make in his life when he is of age.

What does it mean to dress like a gentleman? Instagram and other well-known social media platforms are awash with horrid ill-fitting clothes, all localised on the hashtag #gentleman. I hope it is clear that we are not conforming to that definition or idea of a well-dressed gentleman.

I want to provide you with five principles that define what it means to dress like a gentleman in the modern era.

1. Dressing well is a form of good manners

Every time you select your clothing, you make a judgement call. Even if you put no thought into your outfit, that was a judgement, i.e., not to care at all.

How you present yourself to the world is fundamental, and this undoubtedly includes the way you look. Yes, how you behave matters more, but not everyone will get to see how you behave, and those who do will see you physically before they get acquainted with you. It's correct you make an excellent first impression, as they should do for you.

Having self-respect is a start for respecting others. That's good manners.

2. Buy less, but buy better

One of the worst financial mistakes men often make is throwing money away when it should have been spent building a proper wardrobe. Those stylish pieces you buy every year might feel cheaper at the time, but you will have spent more money as the years go by than if you had bought one decent pair of shoes or one proper coat just once every ten years instead of every season. This is important because dressing like a gentleman involves purchasing the highest quality you can afford.

3. Learn about fits, fabrics, and construction

When making your purchases, you must consider the fit, the fabric, and the appearance or aesthetic. This is what high quality boils down to in the end. It is not about the brand. What makes you look like a proper gentleman is that your clothes fit you, firstly; that you are prepared for the climate, whether hot or cold, thanks to a high-quality fabric; that the appearance of the clothing is stylish and conforms to golden rules of colours and patterns; that the clothing has been constructed by people who know what they are doing and do not make things dysfunctional to wear.

4. Details are everything

Firstly, learning about all the details for the fit, fabric, and construction is essential as all of those details will accrue to form a powerful big picture when people see you. Secondly, learning how to accessorise your outfits tastefully (not like a peacock) is one of the great skills you must learn to dress like a modern gentleman. You don't need a fascinating pocket square, but you need to know what general colours and patterns go with what.

5. Understated Elegance

The most important principle of dressing like a gentleman is how you wear your clothes. On the outside, this might look like toning down on the number of accessories. On the inside, this is more about carrying yourself in a particular manner that conveys to people how calm, collected, and elegant you are. When we're enthusiastic, we tend to overdo it. Authentic gentlemanly dressing involves making a powerful yet subtle statement.

Good manners are always about other people, so not drawing too much attention to yourself in any walk of life is the key to elegance. Convey this in your fine clothing choices, and you will crack the ultimate code to dressing like a gentleman.