How to Develop Good Taste
The advice of Bruce Boyer is well worth your attention.
G. Bruce Boyer is a former fashion editor for Town & Country, GQ, and Esquire, and as such, is an authority on men’s fashion and style.
His legendary books Elegance: A Guide to Quality Menswear, Fred Astaire Style, and True Style: The History and Principles of Classic Menswear are staples for any sartorialist’s library.
The challenge with focusing on fashion is that fashion is driven by trends. Lapels get wider or thinner, as do ties (when they appear). Cuffs and pleats come and go, and the needle on the color wheel stops at various points throughout cycles. In short, fashion is dictated by the world.
Style, on the other hand, is timeless. It’s how you show up — an expression of your inner self for the world to see. Style signifies a certain level of comfort with who you are and how you like to be perceived.
Boyer’s long history with the fashion industry has made him something of an authority on style. And he’s not afraid to dispense advice on how to develop a sense of good taste.
Ten Pieces of Advice on Developing Good Taste in Clothing
Simplicity is usually a virtue, and it’s better to be underdressed than overdressed. No point in putting all the goods in the shop window.
Buying trendy gear is the most expensive way to dress and doesn’t result in suggesting taste or conveying a sense of style. Avoid fads and gimmicks, they’ll be gone soon enough, and you’ll be stuck with a load of expensive stuff that can only date you. Anyone who has the money can buy fashion any time. Style you have to learn and earn. It develops and refines itself. You won’t find it in the shop window, or simply by knowing the trendy labels.
Buy the best you can afford. it’s less expensive in the long run. Invest in quality unless you’ve got so much money you simply don’t give a rat’s proverbial. Every purchase should be a long-term commitment.
Insist on comfort from your clothes. If you’re uncomfortable, it shows, and you’ll make others feel uncomfortable.
There is such a thing as appropriateness. It’s part of the social contract we hold with others to respect the occasion, purpose, setting, and company in which we find ourselves. If you’re dressed like a clown, the only thing you’ll find is a circus.
Know yourself and signal that clearly. Clothing reflects who you are, how you see yourself, and how you want to be seen.
Accentuate your assets and diminish your liabilities. But never use camouflage. Be proud of what you are, and learn what clothes can do to help what nature has given you.
Find a good tailor. People talk about how clothes should fit, but fit is a nonsensical concept. Good tailors are not after fit, but effect. And effect means proportion. The idea is to help your figure, not to reproduce it.
Avoid too many “interesting details.” Too many accessories, too much jewelry, or too extreme a silhouette all call attention to themselves, and no one sees you.
Understated should not mean boring. Distinguish yourself by whispering your individualities. People tend to shout when they can’t get attention any other way.
Listen to Bruce Boyer. He knows what he’s talking about.
And you? Why, you’ve got excellent taste, my friend.
Because you’re Classy AF.
I always look forward to reading Classy AF because, while it's something I can never personally achieve, I love reading about it for those who can!