I love the new year. I think of them like mile markers, helping me gauge what I’ve done versus what I had planned to do over the past twelve months.

Now that you’ve been along for the ride with us at EG, I encourage you to set some style goals for yourself as well. I’m sure most of you had goals you tried accomplishing this year, and there are probably some things you haven’t gotten to yet.

Things like finally clearing out your closet that’s stuffed with crap you no longer wear, or purchasing a navy suit so you can get your grown man on. Maybe there are some essential pieces you’ve been wanting to pick up but just haven’t yet.

Don’t worry, you’re not expected to do it all in one shot, so it’s okay if you haven’t even taken care of all the basics. In fact, I have some things I hope to take care of this year.

Here are a few of mine:

• Find an awesome gray wool puff vest for the colder months
• Pick up a gray flannel suit, two-button, single breasted, double vented
• Buy a few white / light blue oxfords (I’ll probably just snag a few of the new 5&B ones coming soon)
• Solidifying my personal uniform, something I’ve been working on for a while now
• and more, I’m sure, which I’ll figure out in the next week

What are yours?

Just like regular life goals, if you don’t commit to them in writing (or even better, in public) you’ll probably never get around to it.

I want to hear your style resolutions for the new year. What are you hoping to acquire? What changes are you looking to make?

Remember, establishing your personal style isn’t about picking the most expensive items, or having a warehouse-sized wardrobe to choose from every morning.

All you need are several key (interchangeable) pieces in your closet, mixed in with a few things you love that aren’t necessarily considered basic, but help to define your personal style.

Having trouble thinking of ideas? Check out Dappered.com’s suggestions from the beginning of 2011. This is a good place to start.

So let’s hear em below! Consider the comments section of this post a place to hold yourself publicly accountable. And if I can help in any way, let me know.

Till next time.

ps — you should join us on Facebook!

Hey gents,

Earlier today on Facebook, I came to the realization that EG’s two-year anniversary blew by, and I did nothing awesome or memorable to celebrate!

Kinda sad. So today marks the two-year, one-month anniversary of this site. Here’s the first post if you didn’t feel like digging through the archives.

Mostly, I just wanted to say thanks.

Thanks for reading, for your insightful comments and kind emails, and most of all, for trusting me with advice that you apply to your daily lives (which is really cool, by the way).

Two years ago I wasn’t sure of how this site would progress. I got plenty of questions from guy friends, asking me what to wear with a certain shirt or pair of pants, or what shoes go best with whatever they had on. This happened often enough that eventually, I figured that if my friends had these questions, other guys must as well. And so EG was born.

We have a pretty active readership here; it’s been great getting feedback from you guys and I encourage you to keep commenting, emailing, tweeting, etc., if you ever have questions or think of topics I can cover. I’ll do my best to continue writing (hopefully) informative, thought-provoking, slightly smart-assy (but all in good fun) articles that you can learn a bit from.

What to expect in 2012

Early in the new year, I’ll be releasing a guide for sale that will help you evaluate your closet, get rid of the non-essentials, and restock it with classic, long-lasting, interchangeable pieces, all at your own pace. Once you’re finished with the guide, you’ll be the best-dressed version of yourself you’ve ever been.

I’m super excited to release this, as I’ve been working on it for a while now. I’m confident this step-by-step guide will really help those who may have the motivation to change, but aren’t exactly sure where to start.

More on this later, but to make sure you don’t miss any updates, make sure to sign up for the email list (if you haven’t already).

Of course, I’ll continue the writing on this site, and if you ever have any topic suggestions or things you’d like to hear about, don’t hesitate to let me know through the comments, or in an email.

That’s all for now. Have a great holiday weekend with your families. Merry Christmas!

I recently started reading The Flinch, by Julien Smith. The basic idea is that we humans have this inclination to protect ourselves. This self-preservation, this flinch, is a defense mechanism meant to keep us alive and safe. It’s the flight in “fight or flight”.

The problem is that in our modern society, rarely are we humans put in a situation where we need to flinch. Rarely are we ever in THAT much danger, relatively speaking. We have longer lifespans, modern medicine, homes that shield us from the elements, the absence of dinosaurs and flesh-eating mammals roaming the streets.

Yet, we still flinch. We let these fears prevent us from doing awesome shit, making great change, and improving our lives.

That fear of speaking in public? Of doing a Skype call with someone you haven’t yet met? Of going up to unfamiliar yet attractive strangers in bars? Of losing weight? Of dropping bad habits?

That fear, that’s the flinch.

What does this have to do with personal style?

Glad you asked.

I get a lot of emails and comments that allude to this issue of insecurity. They say things like “I can’t dress like that with my group of friends,” or “Not sure what my girlfriend would think if I suddenly started wearing blazers and nice shoes.”

These comments are clear indicators of the fear in these gents’ minds when it comes to change… and this fear prevents great change from happening.

The flinch.

In reality though, if you REALLY think about it, what do you have to fear when trying to improve yourself? At the most, one or two jeers (from poorly-dressed peers, naturally), maybe a couple confused looks, some questions based on curiosity (“Whoa, when did you start dressing like that?”)… but I’m confident that if you keep at it, most of the reactions you receive will be positive, uplifting, and supportive.

The first step is pressing on despite any fears you might have.

Here are some common issues and internal questions that tend to come up

What will my friends / loved ones think?

You’re likely to encounter one of three reactions.

One: Negative, either of the “Eww, I don’t like your new look,” or “Who do you think you are?” variety.

I don’t understand either, particularly the latter. Since when is it bad to want to improve in every aspect of your life, especially the most outward-facing one, your appearance? And the former is usually said by people who have little or no knowledge of good style, so how much weight do their opinions really hold?

Two: Ambivalence, unsure of what to think or how to react. They’re not negative, but not necessarily positive either. These people will come around, if you keep evolving, learning, and doing your best.

Think about it. It’s a drastic change to go from ripped, faded jeans and dingy tees, to dark denim and button ups. People won’t know how to react when they see you. So those who are unsure but mostly okay with it will come around and turn into supporters eventually, trust me.

Three: Positive, the ones who are like “Hell yeah! you look great!” are the folks you want to keep around. Why? Well, for support, and because it’s good to keep positive peeps around you when you’re making an effort to do things differently.

Who gives a crap?

Side note: When I first started writing this, my first inclination was to proclaim, “Who gives a crap what people think? Even your closest loved ones? If they hate, then forget about em.”

I still believe this, don’t get me wrong. If they’re truly your friends or loved ones and care about you, they’d be supportive of you no matter what, especially if the changes you’re making in your life are for the better.

But, I know this is easier said than done; every situation is different, and dynamics can vary drastically. So the above is my more thought-out answer. If you’re more pragmatic and no-nonsense like me, you can go with the “Who gives a crap?” answer.

Can I really pull off a new look?

Dude, of course you can. The toughest thing to get over is that feeling of being overwhelmed.

Take your time; evolving your style and improving yourself isn’t a Sunday afternoon project, complete in a couple hours. It takes commitment, true interest, and the desire to learn and make changes where necessary.

It also takes an open mind, because a lot of the things you believed to be true about how to wear clothes will be challenged. More times than not, you’ll realize you were wrong all along.

I don’t know what I’m doing.

Good thing you found this site then, right? Like I just mentioned, self-improvement (not just in style, but in every aspect of your life) is a marathon and takes consistent action to see any results. Just keep learning and practicing and trying and doing. Ask lots of questions, make decisions, and figure out what you like.

There are too many options. How do I know where to start?

You’ll know where to start once you know where to start. That sounds super vague, but if you keep learning and reading and going to stores and trying stuff on, you’ll easily learn what fits and what doesn’t, what constitutes well-made versus shoddily constructed, etc.

I’ll tell you one thing, every man needs a great pair of denim.

Once you’re ready to start making some good purchases, make sure you consider these things.

There are too many options. Who do I listen to?

Well, me, for one. Though to be honest you’re doing yourself a great disservice by listening to me only. There are a bunch of great writers / bloggers who are super knowledgeable about men’s style, and you can learn a lot from each of them.

Here are some of my favorites, ranging from basic style advice to more advanced topics and ideas.

• Primer Magazine
• Dappered
• Real Men Real Style
• Art of Manliness
• Suits+Boots
• Ethan Desu
• Street Etiquette
• The Silentist
• This Fits
• Valet
• You Have Broken the Internet
• Die, Workwear!

Ultimately, you dress for you

Sure, part of your motivation to dress better is to impress so-and-so who’s caught your eye, or maybe because your significant other gives you dirty looks every time you leave the house and you’re starting to feel her deep, seething resentment.

Maybe mommy and daddy are treating you like a child still, and putting on a collared shirt and ironed chinos might get you more respect and adult-like treatment (you’re still five years old in their eyes, and probably always will be).

What it really comes down to is this: you need to dress better for YOUR own good.

If you’re in this deep, reading practically every article on this site, learning as much as you can about menswear, quality clothing, where to buy what, buying less but buying better, then your primary motivation should be to improve your life and style and appearance because YOU want to.

Impressing others and gaining approval as a source of motivation only lasts for so long. Eventually, that drive fades, or you lose interest in the other person, or you stop caring about what others think.

The only thing that will bring long-lasting change is the desire for constant self-improvement and the motivation to present yourself better.

Make sense?

What’s holding you back?

I’m sure a few of you can relate on some level. What are your hang-ups? What’s holding you back from experimenting or discovering your own personal style and taste?

Is it the feeling of overwhelm? Not knowing where to start? Not sure who to trust? Or maybe you just need more time to read, absorb, and learn?

Let’s hear it down below in the comments. I’m curious and maybe I can help.

ps — if you have a minute, please like Effortless Gent and Fifth&Brannan on Facebook, wouldja? You rock.

Hey gents,

I don’t spend much time pointing out bargains to be found online (my buddy Joe at Dappered already has that covered and does a great job), but this is one I definitely had to tell you guys about.

Bonobos is having a massive Cyber Monday sale, and if I were you, I’d save all the pennies in your piggy bank for this. You can pick up a bunch of great items at prices way below what you’d pay on a normal day.

I gotz some inside info, and lucky for you, I’m able to share it with you here. Bonobos is marking down some of their most luxurious selections. Things like cashmere at 30% off, and suiting (and more suiting, and more) at 50% off.

Admittedly I’m a bit of a Bonobos fan boy, but c’mon, you have to love what they offer, plus they have awe-inspiring customer service and a great fitting product.

This Monday is your chance to snag a couple things at a great savings. Consider it an early Christmas gift to yourself, and to everyone who has to look at you during the day.

You won’t see the deals just yet, but come Monday morning at 9am, they’ll all be posted on bonobos.com. And there will be WAY more than I’ve mentioned here; you have to see for yourself on Monday.

I wouldn’t miss it if I were you. Set an alarm on your phone, throw up a couple Post-It notes around the house, anything to get you to remember.

BOOM. Thank me later.

So the daylight savings switch was yesterday, a time when we move our clocks one hour ahead and we get longer afternoons. Perfect! I really hate when it gets dark at 5pm and I’m glad we’re transitioning into the warmer months.

This got me thinking about the closet and what I’ll be phasing in (and out) of there, and what, if any, new things I would pick up.

I was looking at all the new collections arriving in stores, and though I’m not much of a non-sale shopper (have I ever told you that I rarely ever buy things full price?) I’m excited to see all the great spring colors and lighter fabrics.

Here are 3 things I’d pick up if I were in the market for new stuff:

Fresh chinos and shorts!

(L to R) twill from Club Monaco, Gap, and Dockers

Spring and summer gives you a little more freedom with the lighter weight pants and brighter colors. This means you should experiment with washed chinos that are as far away from the khaki color as you can possibly get, the further the better.

Really go for variation this year. Your blue denim and khaki-colored chinos will always be there, so this is your time to venture out and try something new. Something like orange pants may be a little too much, especially if you’re just starting to branch out, but take a few steps away from your usual and you may discover that you look pretty good in sky blue. Or salmon. Or light gray.

(L to R) shorts from Lands' End and Club Monaco

Same goes for your shorts. Basic colored chino shorts are staples, so aim for getting some color and pattern in your closet. I suggest staying away from denim shorts. Also, the basic rule is to let the bottom of the shorts hit somewhere in your knee region when standing, anywhere from just above the kneecap to right under it. I prefer right above the knee, personally. And keep your cut slim, just like you do with your chinos. We don’t need any more manpris on the streets.

Lightweight sweaters

cardigan from Banana Republic, cotton shawl collar and cardigan from J. Crew

I’m a big sweater guy. In the winter I love my thick wool and chunky knits. In San Francisco, you can usually get away with a sweater as your outer layer, since it doesn’t get super cold. In the summer, I lighten the material and stick with a blend like cotton cashmere or linen cotton, or just straight up cotton. Lightweight merino wool or cashmere works as well.

Crewneck style (like the collar of your basic white t-shirt) is a staple, but since you’re trying to break out of your current style habits in order to try new things, buy a v neck or a shawl collar, maybe even a cardigan. Just make sure those armholes are high and the body and arms overall are slim.

Sportcoats as outerwear

(L to R) seersucker blazer from LLBean Signature, corded cotton blazer from J.Crew

I love wearing sportcoats as my topmost layer during the warmer months. There are many styles to choose from, and they range from casual to office-worthy. These jackets are often unlined and made of materials like twill, seersucker, chambray, and linen. Time to put away the heavier wools!

If the occasion is casual, you can wear a polo or a plain tee underneath, but I typically stick with button-down oxfords no matter what.

Hope this gives you some ideas for finding new items for spring and summer.

An Upcoming Launch

By the way, just a short announcement before wrapping up. I have a mini “launch” planned for this site. Mini in the sense that it’s not completely changing EG, but more like adding on to it. I think style encompasses more than just clothing. I’m sure you’re aware of several other factors that can affect both your coolness factor and your confidence. I’ll be releasing a new segment of EG pretty soon that will cover something related to coolness and confidence as it pertains to personal style.

That was such a vague description, but I’m working on some great stuff and hopefully it will resonate with you all. Best case scenario, it introduces a whole new group of readers to the community that can appreciate both style and… whatever this new *thing* is. More soon!

—

What are you looking forward to most about spring and summer? Any cool items you got last year that you can’t wait to pull out?

Come Like EG on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter.

Hey gents (and ladies),

Happy new year!

2011. Wow. 2010 just FLEW by! How did that even happen? It’s funny how fast the years go by as you get older, and I’m sure there’s no slowing down.

Lots of stuff happened this year for EG. We celebrated our first birthday not too long ago, and we’ve had some great discussions on this site. Thanks again to all my regular readers for your insight and conversation. I love seeing you guys interact in the comments and through Twitter and Facebook. As always, if you ever need to reach me, feel free to do so on the contact page. I read every email.

Remember “The Project”?

A couple weeks ago, I asked what do you want from me. I’ve gotten great responses, some more detailed than others, yet all seem to have this underlying theme:

How do I transition from College Schlep to Grown Man? And how do I do so when my wardrobe consists of mostly worn jeans and T-shirts, and I have an entry-level job with barely enough money for a weekend bar tab, let alone a new wardrobe curated by the editors of GQ Magazine?

All very valid questions. So, in 2011, I aim to create an über guide. Let’s consider it the Essential Guide to Wardrobe Transitioning: From College Schlep to Grown Man (totally just made this title up right now, and it’s not finalized at all.) Here are some topics (requested by you) that I’ve considered including in the guide:

• Where do I even start?
• What are the essential items?
• What are not necessarily essential, but really beneficial to have?
• What kind of suit should I get, if I can only afford one?
• Chinos: What’s the deal? How and where do I find a good pair?
• What is the happy medium between jeans / t-shirt and a suit?
• What looks good on different body types, different physical attributes?
• Common casual wear (going to the coffee shop, a game, the bar, the park)
• What goes best with brown shoes / black shoes?
• Carrying your stuff: what’s a good bag?
• Can you recommend a nice dressy coat?
• Can you recommend a nice casual jacket?

Here’s where you come in

What else can you suggest? I welcome any and all suggestions because I want to make this the most kick-ass über guide ever.

Please leave your suggestions in the comments below! And RT and Like this post (up at the top!) so we can reach as many people as possible. The more input the better.

Thanks, and I look forward to reading all your suggestions!

Oh and by the way, if you enjoy this site, I’d love it if you subscribe by email. You should also follow me on Twitter.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful time with their family and friends.

Be safe and eat lots,
EG

Hey gents,

A little over a year ago, this site was born. It came out of the necessity to teach guys how to dress. Not hoity-toity, high fashion dressing necessarily… but just to help everyday dudes who want to try a little more and look a little bit better. My hope was to write about topics that he could relate to, give him tips and suggestions, and eventually post offers that could help this type of guy. I think we’ve done a pretty good job so far, and I hope to continue improving and offering more of what you need and want to read.

That was one reason I released the post a few days ago asking what you need more help with. If you haven’t yet told me what you would like to see fleshed out as a guide (downloadable as a PDF for easy viewing / reading / printing), make sure to send me a note, or hit up the post and let me know in there.

Why should you be a subscriber here?

First off, if you already are a subscriber, you may have noticed new posts were being delivered straight to your inbox recently. This was a feature I wanted to release a while ago, but I’ve become so busy with this site and my other ventures that it kinda fell off the Must Do Now list. I finally sat down to set things up, and it is now active. Woohoo!

Give me my three reasons

There are plenty, but sure, I’ll give you three.

1. Subscribing is super duper simple and beneficial. How is it beneficial? Well just read #2 and #3. How is it simple? All you do is go here, and enter your email. That’s it! Feel free to opt out at any time (there’s an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every email), and I never spam, ever. Trust me, I hate that stuff as much as you do.
2. Fresh-baked articles delivered straight to your inbox. That means no more having to type in http://eforttless… or wait, is it effartlessge… crap I don’t even know how to spell effortless! (it’s effortlessgent.com, by the way… bookmark it, kids.) You basically never have to visit the site just to check for new content! Pretty nifty, right? You should come by anyway, but even if you don’t, at least you know you won’t miss a thing.
3. Get special discounts and first dibs on exclusive offers. I treat subscribers like my best buds, and give them the first chance to jump at any delicious digital morsels I have, or plan to have in the future. 2011 will be a year of many awesome offers and fun partnerships for EG, and these peeps are gonna be the first to know about it.

Pretty convincing, right?

Get free and easy updates by email, or get free and easy updates through RSS

See you on the other side!

Have you heard of JackThreads? I discovered them recently and I think they’re worth checking out.

Much in the same vain as Gilt, JackThreads is a members-only shopping community that provides sales at deep discounts. The catch, naturally, is that these pieces are only available for a limited time (or until they run out) so you have to be quick.

The focus on JackThreads seems to lean on the more casual / streetwear side of fashion, though they are getting more and more grown-up casual pieces and brands, which is nice to see.

Once you sign in, you can browse through their collections. These links won’t work unless you’re signed up, (keep reading till the end for more info), but I’ve seen some nice pieces by Sabit, Howe, 191 Unlimited, Nuco, and Premium Lounge. Caulfield Preparatory is another brand to watch out for; they were carried on JackThreads recently but their sale must have ended.

I can’t recommend everything personally, since I don’t own all this stuff, and like I mentioned, some pieces are too “street” for my taste. Admittedly though, if you take the time to look, there are some nice items that you can work into your more classic wardrobe. The prices are also a lot more manageable compared to other sites. You’ll probably notice that as you browse around.

All in all, I suggest giving JackThreads a look-see and visiting regularly, as you might find some great deals for a ridiculous discount.

Here’s how you sign up and get a sweet ass deal!

The folks at JackThreads were nice enough to provide my readers with a special deal. If you sign up through this URL:

http://www.jackthreads.com/gent

You get to bypass the whole wait list thing (because, be honest, waiting sucks), and you will get a $10 credit that goes towards any purchase! Not to mention, you also get your own special referral URL once you sign up. So if Billy Bob signs up with your referral URL and makes a purchase, you’ll get a $10 credit! Not bad, right?

(Disclosure: signing up at http://www.jackthreads.com/gent does not get me a $10 credit. It doesn’t get me anything, actually. But it does get you, dear reader, a sweet $10 credit in YOUR account. Not me, you! So make sure you sign up through that URL! And enjoy.)

Happy shopping! And let me know what you end up getting.

By the way, you should subscribe by email to The Effortless Gent here.

Hey friends,

Seems as though the holiday season is upon us, so it got me thinking, how about we do a gift exchange? You give me something, and I’ll give you something back. Kinda like a Secret Santa, minus the secrets and face-to-face awkwardness.

This will be your gift to me

Tell me what you want to hear. More specifically, what can I help you with? Maybe you need a no-frills guide to buying jeans. Could it be a manual on how to pick the best shoes for the occasion? What about guidelines on how to dress casually, grown-up style? After all, t-shirts all day, every day just doesn’t cut it once you’re over a certain age… really.

Rather than trying to guess what you want, I am open to all topics and suggestions you can come up with. I will compile all the suggestions I receive and figure out which 3-5 ideas are the most requested, and out of that more refined selection, I will let you guys decide which one will be the most helpful.

That’s your gift to me.

My gift to you

…will be writing the most kick-ass, no-nonsense, bullshit-free guide ever, once you tell me what topic you care about most.

TAKE NOTE: I want to create a freaking GUIDE. A mini book, a manual you can take and print out and read. Something bigger, better, more useful, and less scattered like blog posts tend to be. Keep this in mind when suggesting topics. They should be more broad than the topic covered in one normal blog post, but not so broad that it’ll be useless.

Think of it as a belated Christmas gift, because I don’t think I’ll finish it before the 25th. But trust me! I’ll end up putting so much into it, it will be worth the wait.

How to deliver your ideas to me (if there are no elves around)

Email me with your big idea (bigidea[at]effortlessgent[dot]com), or simply reply in the contact form below.

Please RT and FB this post so it spreads, wildfire style. I want to hear everyone’s suggestions. Looking forward to hear what you have to say!

[contact-form-7]