20 Reasons for a guy to dress well when he doesn’t have to (or want to)

No one is saying you have to suit up every day (or at all). Hardly. We live in an era that leans heavily casual. But that also means it’s never been easier to dress up without really dressing up. So what happens when you just. don’t. want. to? Because you don’t have to, and hardly anyone else is trying? Here’s a list of 20 reasons to swim against the tide, and look decent when you don’t have to. Or don’t want to. 

1. When someone you find attractive wears something attractive, isn’t that great? Reciprocate the favor.
2. Being taken seriously isn’t something that happens to many of us, unless we look at least semi okay.
3. Practice makes comfortable. If you feel awkward dressed up? Wear that stuff more. This works. Promise.
4. You’ll project an air of mysteriousness.
5. Buying something nice and never wearing it is a waste of money. Wear it or sell it.

6. The bar is super low right now. Everything is relative. Take advantage.
7. Rest assured other people will wear the cargo shorts for you. The world won’t miss out.
8. Because dressing well projects competence and power. Don’t undersell yourself. Be honest about your capabilities. Dress like it.
9. You never know who you’ll run into.
10. It’ll help you see clothes, even your nice clothes, as just clothes. Nice clothes have power. But if you wear them when you don’t have to, you’ll have power over them, and not vice versa.

11. It’ll keep you in tune with how your stuff fits. You don’t want to be caught off guard when you need to look good (wedding, job interview, etc), and not have anything that fits.
12. Tucking a shirt in, or ironing, or shining shoes, is only a pain when you rarely do it.
13. It’s after 6 o’clock.
14. The days you don’t want to dress nice because your confidence sucks are precisely the days your confidence will be boosted by putting on decent clothes.
15. Cougars.

16. If you have a jack-arse of a boss/coworker who thinks he’s all that but isn’t AND dresses like crap, it’s hard for him to spin that lie when you look decent and he doesn’t.
17. You’ll look expensive. Even if your stuff isn’t.
18. People will often give you the benefit of the doubt.
19. Sometimes well dressed guys are seen by others as arrogant jerks. But if you’re a true nice guy (kind, respectful, etc.) and you’re also well dressed? The world is your oyster. People really seem to like that combo.
20. Opportunity may knock, but it hardly ever calls ahead to tell you it’s coming.