One of the most common mistakes I see the average guy make with his style is assuming that more formal clothes = better style.

I'll break down why this doesn't work.

A thread.

First of all, formality is entirely subjective and is not always appropriate.

You know this intuitively - it's why you don't wear a suit to the gym or to the beach.

It's why the whole schtick of Barney wearing a suit as pajamas worked. We all recognized how comical the concept was.

So, not only is formality subjective in a more acute way, it's also variable in a broader sense.

Suits were expected on every man in the West 100 years ago because - guess what - 100 years ago the West was both culturally homogenous and very formal.

As the world becomes increasingly more niche and tribalized (while ironically being more globalized) and as we collectively move further and further away from being a dignified, formal culture, we'll see more and more of a move away from formal clothing being the standard.

Take the booming tech industry for example.

You're an idiot if you walk into a job interview at Facebook, Google, or Uber in a full suit.

It sends the signals that you're obtuse about their culture and won't fit in well as part of the team.

Even traditionally formal industries and tribes - like banking and the law- are moving away from their old expectations.

Goldman Sachs allowing casual clothes was the final nail in the coffin.

Formal clothing is largely dead, we're just still experiencing the death rattles.

But let's set all of that aside for a minute and talk formality and style as separate ideas.

Here's an example of the false dichotomy most men create.

Left: casual, comfortable, lame

Right: formal, uncomfortable, stylish

But what if we flip it on its head?

Left: Casual, comfortable, stylish

Right: Formal, uncomfortable, lame

Pretty easy to see the difference there, right?

Also, that suit in the first comparison is going to be incredibly comfortable. You just don't know that because you've never worn a well-made suit before.

So stop thinking that you have to "dress up" more to improve your style.

If everyone at work is in jeans and a T-shirt, the solution is not a button-up or chinos, or a suit, or an ascot.

"Ok Tanner, then what is the solution?"

Easy

You keep the same level of formality, you just do a much better job of it by dialing in other variables.

Things like the fit, the cloth quality, texture, construction quality, etc.

That's what happened here.

The fit is more contemporary (I'll talk more about good fit in a future thread), the clothing is higher quality, and the textures are more interesting.

The dude on the right isn't any more dressed up or formal than the one on the left, but his style is infinitely better.

Fin

If you want to learn more about how to make these kinds of changes, and get deeper dives on things like this so you better understand them, go check this out.

https://masculine-style.teachable.com/p/effortless-style