10 Men’s Style Resolutions for the New Year

#1. Decide what you’re wearing the night before – Bonus points for setting it out.

#2. Invest in and wear only the best, most comfortable underwear and socks – Trash the stuff you hate and instead buy a bunch of breathable, wicking socks and underwear. That stuff is the Offensive Line of your wardrobe. The flashy “skill positions” (shoes, accessories, watches, suits, shirts, etc.) are worthless if you’re not winning in the “trenches.” Suggestions: Ex-Officio, UNIQLO Airism, Taylor Stitch Merino Socks, Allen Edmonds Merino Cool Socks.

#3. Tuck-in button up shirts more – Ever since the introduction of the “untucked” fit, we grown-up guys have been encouraged to walk around looking like kindergartners on school picture day. Okay, it’s far from that bad. It’s not even bad. Who doesn’t like an untucked-fit shirt? But tucking your shirt in makes you look put together, especially when it’s layered under a suit, sportcoat, blazer, cardigan, etc.

#4. Stop buying stuff you KNOW doesn’t “work” for you. – Maybe it’s gingham button downs. Or a certain wash of jeans. Or brown cords. Whatever. We all do this. We KNOW a certain color, style, fit, or brand doesn’t work for us. Yet we still for some reason buy new versions thinking “this time it’ll be different.” It won’t be.

#5. Stop visiting style websites/unsubscribe from mailing lists that make you feel bad – Unsubscribe. Delete the app. Block the site on your browser. This ESPECIALLY goes for sites and boards that always leave you feeling angry/sad/frustrated. This goes for Dappered too. If you’re coming back out of pure habit and aren’t actually enjoying it/getting USE out of what we’re publishing? We hate to see you go, but I’ll personally love it if you do and it makes you happier.

#6. Go to bed earlier. – They call it beauty handsome sleep for a reason. Staying up until the wee hours watching YouTube and drinking flavored whiskey is taking years off your life and putting them on your face. Been there. I speak from experience when I say you’re not missing much.

#7. Wear more of what you want to WANT to wear – Practice doesn’t make perfect. Practice makes comfortable. Want to want to wear suits more? Or ties? Or pants that don’t have an elastic waist? Force yourself to wear it. After a week or so you’ll feel a shift, it’ll become old hat, and you’ll feel (and look) great because of it.

#8. Wear black shoes more – Boots with a bomber and jeans. Oxfords with a charcoal (or navy!) suit. Brown gets all the love. Someone shouldn’t have to pass for you to wear your black shoes.

#9. Stop using social media as a standard for looks/fit/etc. – It’s not reality. It’ll mess with your head, specifically what looks “good” and what doesn’t. The more a lie (or fantasy) is repeated, the more we tend to believe it, even if we KNOW it’s nonsense. “I’m so f-in’ sick and tired of the Photoshop” – Kendrick Lamar. 

#10. Wear something really nice, once a week. – A really nice pair of shoes. A favorite sweater. Your sharpest (gasp) suit. You don’t need a reason other than you earned it, you have it, and using it will make you less afraid of it/intimidated by it when you really DO need to wear it one day.

Editor’s Note: Resolutions aren’t silly. They’re only silly if you wait around until January 1st to get rolling on them. Start working on them now (this post was originally published in early December), and research has shown that you’re much more likely to succeed. And don’t think I’m pointing fingers. These are also very much resolutions for your friendly neighborhood affordable men’s style editor too. 

“Why are you all dressed up?“
“I made a New Year’s resolution to wear something nice once a week.”
“It’s December.”
“Indeed.“