Finding your style.

Everyone has a style, in the loosest sense of the word, because everyone has a certain manner of dressing and presenting himself. What we're talking about here is finding style, in the sense of being a person who knows how to dress well. Dressing well is not equal to dressing expensively. An inexpensive suit worn well speaks more to your ability to dress than an expensive suit worn poorly. Dressing well means giving thought to your outfit, putting together elements that complement each other, and wearing your ensemble in a way that shows you care about your appearance.

One of the benefits of living in the Midwest is that it's easier to upgrade your style. It's not as difficult to improve your dress relative to those around you, because most men around here are content with their khakis and polo shirts. Trends do not change as rapidly here and tend to arrive later, if at all.  You can adopt a traditional approach to dressy clothing and be confident that most elements of your wardrobe will remain appropriate for some years, leaving you the flexibility to incorporate some trendier items as you desire into your base collection. Of course, you can also adopt a trendier approach if you find that's what you like, and it will be easier because you'll have to worry less about the constant game of one-upsmanship that can take place in those areas where everyone's striving for trendy.

So how do you go about figuring out where you want to head with your style? Open your eyes: pay attention to what guys are wearing on TV or in movies. Buy some magazines like GQ or Esquire and flip through them. Browse some street style blogs or some men's style blogs.* Go down to the Plaza or your local shopping center and stroll through different stores, browsing their displays. Take note of what you like and use those ideas to help direct you in your determination. Once you've done this, you should have some idea of labels and stores that carry items you're interested in incorporating as part of your style.

* Keep in mind that many of the examples in magazines or on blogs will be more "cutting edge" (some might say "extreme"). You may not want to head out and try to recreate the entire outfit, but at least take note of particular elements you'd like to incorporate into your wardrobe.