Why pursuing perfect fits & impeccable style is stupid

First, we gotta define “perfect” and “impeccable”. A perfect fit, for this discussion, is destroyed by any wrinkle, any pull of fabric, anything that’s even the slightest bit off. Impeccable style, in this case, is impossible to obtain unless you’re immediately noticed & verbally hailed as breathing art when you walk in a room. The pursuit of nothing but perfect fits and impeccable style has become an epidemic perpetuated by the #menswear internet “culture“. And it’s stupid.

Why?

Because at some point, that pursuit of total and complete perfection starts to contradict the benefits of having a sense of style.

Instead of being seen as a talented/nice/successful/charming guy who knows how to dress well, you become a hyper-critical image-obsessed bore who has his priorities and perspective out of whack.

Or as the famed late 20th century philosopher S. Twain observed about some men: “Heaven forbid, (a hair) should fall out of place.”

Look, we’ve all benefited from buying clothes that fit better, finding a tailor to dial-in our off the rack stuff, and developing a personal sense of style. Confidence is gained, and the image you project pays off in how you’re treated by others. But there’s a line you might cross when pursuing “better” becomes “nothing but perfection”. It’s like the arms race for more and more pixels on TVs, smartphones, and laptops. The costs (not limited to the financial) just aren’t worth the benefits. And besides, the human eye probably can’t even tell the difference.

Take wearing a tailored, well cut & constructed off-the-rack suit in the real world. There might be “flaws” the obsessed, fit-critique-crazy Statlers and Waldorfs might pick apart if an image was posted to a forum. But in our real, 3-dimension motion-filled life? No one sees it. You’d be surprised how much others don’t notice about you and your clothes (see an explanation of “The Spotlight Effect” at 5:30 here).

“But I’d notice, and I dress for ME.” Okay, fine. But what do you lose out on along the way while pursuing perfection? That takes an investment, and not just a monetary one. Also, how do you limit that hyper-critiquing to yourself? The risk is that one day you wake up and you’re the asshole posting to facebook about how you don’t like Jessica Paré’s smile.

“Looks great, but…”

No. No buts. Looks great. Period.

When it comes to style & fit, good is great. Great is rare. Perfect, especially when judged by the menswear obsessed on the internet, means you might want to go outside and play.