The Key to Dressing Right: Class, Style, Sophistication, Status

 

By James V. Ruocco

A real gentleman is someone who leaves nothing to chance.

Standards are high and must be kept up at all times.

His clothes must be smart and stylish - of the finest cut and quality - and in immaculate order.

Appearance is everything.

 

The key to dressing right is not how much you spend on clothing, but how you wear it, how you feel when you wear it and knowing exactly what looks right on you and what doesn't. First and foremost, fashion is all about individuality. It s an extension of yourself, your personality, your lifestyle, your background, your social position and the statement you choose to make. That's it, in a nutshell.

For me, fashion is easy.

It always has been. 
I know what works, what doesn't and how to make clothes look good on me, fit correctly and represent who I am at that particular moment. Growing up, my parents felt that classic clothing - Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, Burberry - was well worth the investment. It was classic. It was masculine. It was smart. It would never go out of style. It also looked very good on me.

Since color was important, my mother always bought me the right wardrobe to complement my blue eyes. That was was key to dressing right. So clothing -  in all shades of blue - was prominent in my wardrobe for university, the theater, the opera, the movies, dinner parties, dining out or hanging out with friends.

When I was a student at New York University, my friend Judy Baldwin told me, "Jim, you could wear a burlap bag, and you'd still look like you walked right out of the doors of Bergdorf Goodman onto Fifth Avenue."  I laughed, of course, but the more and more I thought about it, Judy was right.

Today, I'm older, but maintain that fashion mindset that was given to me in my teen years and later, at university. And yes, I get compliments from friends, family and complete strangers. If my parents were still alive, they would be very proud of this and take me into New York to shop on both Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue.

Growing up, my parents, uncles, aunts and my grandmother would always venture into New York to go to the theater, have lunch and dinner and shop at their favorite stores - Brooks Brothers, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bonwit Teller, Lord and Taylor, Burberry, Bergdorf Goodman, Gucci, Tiffany and Co., to name a few.

 

 

 

Watching them pick out clothes, try things on and find right salesman was second nature to them. They even had charge cards set up in my name, but with restrictions. If I bought something ridiculously over priced or just plain stupid, it was returned immediately.  

Years later, when I became a buyer for men's clothing at Saks Fifth Avenue, I had the world at my fingertips. I was able to buy things at cost or with my store discount of 40 per cent off. Or I was given shirts, ties and suits for free from the store's most prominent designers.

Regardless, I played by the rules.

Clothes create a picture of you. If you couldn't speak a word, your wardrobe would do the talking for you and send out the right signals, Therefore, when dressing for a particular occasion, the first rule of thumb was "Understand how it all comes together"....suit, tie, shirt, socks, shoes, belt, cologne, watch, colors, texture, contrast. If not, one can and will look ridiculous. Or be dubbed "an oddball."

Balance is everything. 

You can get ideas from magazines or walking around the showrooms of your favorite store. But what looks good in the storefront window, in adverts or on Timothee Chalamet, Ryan Gosling or Brad Pitt, may not necessarily work for you. So take notice...Just look in the mirror....and go from there.

 

 

The first rule of thumb: Don't (and I mean don't) buy clothing from catalogues. Or purchase things without trying them on. Today, all sizes and cuts differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, designer to designer and store to store. It's the same thing with the fabrics and the materials used. Not to mention... how much you are paying: $500 vs. $5000.

As I mentioned early on, color is essential to dressing right. You can work almost anything into the ideal color combination, but when doing so, you have to think about the entire picture, the entire look and what works best, from top to bottom. You also have to take into account what expression you're trying to make without going overboard. It should be effortless, not a three-ring circus.

Good grooming....clean hair, clean shaven, fresh-scrubbed face, the right cologne and the right deodorant...is mandatory. Mandatory. 

Cologne can be very tricky (I learned that first hand), so before buying any fragrances, visit the store of your choice, bring a friend and pick out whatever you like and spray it on your arm or hand and go from there. It's that simple and it can be lots of fun.

Shoes....make sure they shine and are squeaky clean. There's nothing worse than seeing a well-dressed man with shoes that are dirty, not polished or have run their course. Or even worse, entirely wrong for what you are wearing.

The right tailoring is also essential. If you buy something off the rack, make sure it fits properly. Adjustments are often necessary, even the subtle ones. For the best look, however,  pick a store like Brooks Brothers or Ralph Lauren that has an in-house tailor. It makes all the difference in the world.
Or find a tailor, close to where you live. I have one. In fact, I wouldn't go to anyone else but her.

When all is said and done, clothes are what you make of them. Their charm and strength lie not only in the maintenance of classic traditions, but the right combinations, the mixture of patterns and the harmonious coordination of the entire look.  Bear that in mind and you can't go wrong.