Psychological studies have shown that "power dressing" really works you'll feel better about yourself, be taken more seriously and be more likely to thrive at work if you dress well and look smart. That may be harder for men than women: here are some ideas on how to go about it.
Not so very long ago, men took pride and pleasure in their shirts they were an aspirational item, says Esquire editor Alex Bilmes in the FT. Now, they're just another of life's boring essentials and are sold in discounted packs of three, like tea towels. Change that this year by buying yourself some decent shirts.
The best of any kind I have ever owned, says Bilmes, were by Emma Willis. She will make you one to your own specifications from her shop in Jermyn Street, London, for £350. As Willis says, you wear a shirt all day, so the feel is important. Try hers and you'll never go back to a "bog-standard" shirt again the difference is like that between "silk and sacking".
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You'll obviously also need a suit to go with it, and Savile Row, London's most famous sartorial address, is still the place to go for a bespoke suit, says Troy Patterson on Bloomberg Pursuits. The favourite place among the "style cognoscenti" is currently Norton & Sons, which once made suits for Cary Grant and Kaiser Wilhelm II. Now owned by Patrick Grant, a judge on the BBC's The Great British Sewing Bee TV show, the tailor now takes a more contemporary approach, trying to blend traditional craftsmanship with a more modern feel. Expect to pay upwards of £3,000.
The earth under your feet somehow feels better in a pair of great shoes, says David Hochman in Forbes. "For me, it's about the distinct heel clack and the solid grip with each step. You're not just walking somewhere, you're grounded in who you are and where you're going." Hochman's shoes of choice are the GO3-GOL from Fiorentini + Baker, an Italian-based shoe company that handcrafts its men's and women's footwear with "old-fashioned sophistication that somehow never feels stuffy". The firm's shoes have "supple leathers, audacious stitching" and above all provide "inviting comfort". (Prices from about €300.)
The shoes you wear really can make all the difference at work, as Ellen Hoffman says on Business Insider. "Keep it simple and classic and there's no going wrong, no matter how much you choose to spend" at least, if don't mind spending several hundred pounds on shoes. Well-regarded British shoemakers, who are mostly based in the shoemaking heartland of Northampton, include John Lobb, Edward Green, Crockett & Jones, Cheaney, Alfred Sargeant, and Church's. All are easily found online.
Among the cognoscenti, there seems to be a broad consensus that the Crockett & Jones Handgrade lines are a good middle ground in terms of quality of workmanship and price. The quality is evident as soon as you try them on. Try the Weymouth 2, for example, available in black and brown from CrockettAndJones.com, which cost £510.
For the finest-quality handmade leather belts, wallets, watch straps and other accessories, MoneyWeek's editor Cris Sholto Heaton recommends Equus Leather, a small British firm. "I already have two belts and will buy a third soon. They are superb quality." The Baranil Line and Raised belt in calf leather would make a good premium suit belt for those wanting to splash out. Price £348.
If you're setting about a sartorial overhaul, then save some New Year enthusiasm for your grooming routine, says Cillian O'Connor on FashionBeans.com. A bracing scrub with a bar of Coal Tar might once have been "the only legitimate way for a real man" to scrub up, but "your dad was wrong". Use a pea size amount of mild gel or foaming face wash instead, and moisturise. Care for your facial hair with specialist beard shampoos, and keep your shaving tools in good nick by cleaning and oiling your razors.
Try traditional shaving foams, badger-hair brushes, old-style razors and skin-care products, such as those from Taylor of Old Bond Street. The Jermyn Street Shaving Cream Bowl is a pleasant shaving cream for sensitive skin (£11.95 for 150g) and the Razor Birch Wood Shaving Set with double-edged safety razor and badger hair brush on a chrome stand (£339) makes an attractive three-piece grooming set.
Alternatively, book in and get someone to take care of it all for you. A top-quality barber "really is a man's best friend", says Alexander Dalley on HuffingtonPost.co.uk. "Going for a little trim, wet shave and complete facial every couple of weeks might just prove to be your best-ever move." Taylor of Old Bond Street, for example, has a traditional gentlemen's barbers on Jermyn Street in St.
James, while Ted's Grooming Room(pictured top) also has locations across the capital and City, and all the staff are "expertly trained in delivering the most superior Turkish shave", which includes burning ear-hair with fire, deep muscle massage and steaming the skin with hot towels. A one-hour master cut followed by hot-towel treatment and clean shave or beard design costs £75. See TedsGroomingRoom.com.
Other ideas
Other ideas for the well-groomed man are pictured above (clockwise from top left): dressing gown from Otis Batterbee, £175; Urban Spirit cufflinks from Montblanc, £225; Peckham Rye silk scarf, £67.50; Burberry leather briefcase, £1,395; Cedes Milano shoe horn, £175, MatchesFashion.com.
