Manifestos have been used by men and organizations for millennia. They are a way to solidify ideals and to make goals and aspirations feel more tangible. They have been used by individuals, businesses, governments, fraternal organizations, and many other groups of men to help their members improve their lives.

As Masculine Style continues to grow, our little group becomes more and more like a family. Through my coaching plans and newsletters, I’ve had the opportunity to get to know many of you on a personal level. We’re more than just a blog with readers, we’re an organization.

So I decided it was time we had our own manifesto.

I am an intentional man.

I live my life deliberately in all areas and this attitude is apparent in my dress and appearance.

I understand that my image communicates how much respect I have for myself and how much I expect others to have for me.

I refuse to give in to the apathy of dressing like a slob and reject the cowardice of dressing ironically.

I have learned the rules and know how to break them. What I don’t know, I am willing to learn. What I do know, I am willing to apply.

My intentions are as visible in my casual clothing as they are in a suit. There is no hesitation in what I wear or what it says about me.

I can distinguish between timeless & trendy, and use these differences to accomplish my aesthetic goals. I am not limited in my spectrum or its application.

Clothes do not make me the man I am. They never have and they never will, but they do contribute to my reputation and how I am perceived by others.

If you’d like a stylized PDF of this manifesto for your desktop, to print up and keep in your closet, or to share with friends and family, just submit your name and email in the boxes on the top right of the page. It’s free and is a great reminder of why we take our appearance so seriously.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, the name Harvey Specter should ring a bell. For those who don’t know, he’s one of the two main characters in USA’s lawyer drama “Suits.” The show centers around him and his genius/fraud protege Mike Ross and takes the ever popular approach of telling broader stories over series and seasons while tying up neat little plot lines in each episode.

The thing that makes Specter such a strong character is how damn confident the man is.

“What are your choices when someone puts a gun to your head? What are you talking about? You do what they say or they shoot you. WRONG. You take the gun, or you pull out a bigger one. Or, you call their bluff. Or, you do any one of a hundred and forty six other things.”

The man handles conflict and competition with an obscene amount of self assuredness and, while he’s flawed and imperfect, he doesn’t have the dark side of more popular anti-heroes like Don Draper or Walter White. In fact, as the show has progressed, more and more of Specters virtues and integrity come into play.

As can be expected, a senior partner in a top-tier New York law firm, is not going to be decked out in some Jos A Bank, buy-one-get-seven-free type suit. A major aspect of his commanding presence is the way he dresses. While a first-year associate may be overstepping his bounds by adopting the full Harvey Specter uniform, there are a few cues that can be followed to great effect when trying to appear more confident, powerful, and masculine in a suit.

“People respond to how you dress so like it or not this is what you have to do.”

There are quite a few existing articles that attempt to break down Specter’s sartorial approach, but most only touch on the surface level – and the devil is in the details. It’s pretty easy to notice the vest, spread-collar shirt, and windsor tie knot. But it’s the finer points that really make his statements for him. Here’s how to really pull it off.

The Suit

While not always the case, Specter does have a default of a three-piece suit. The vest (or waistcoat) is single breasted and always of the same cloth as the suit – which communicates a level of formality and attention to detail more specifically than a simple two-piece or a suit with an odd vest. The uniformity of the cloth also creates a stronger contrast against his shirts and keeps the attention on him, not his clothes.

The cloth is always of a conservative or business variety. While he does occasionally embrace the subtle pinstripe, the majority of Specters suits are solid, dark colors. The cloth also appears to mostly be piece-dyed – meaning it was woven as one bolt of cloth and then colored after the fact. This creates more uniformity in the color and typically a bit more sheen as well.

The fit is spot on. It follows his natural lines and allows those who see him to know he’s a man who keeps himself in shape. However, they’re not so skinny that they appear casual or trendy. Unlike the Gordon Gekko power suits of the 80’s, Specter’s suits accentuate the good of what’s there, as opposed to creating a false appearance by adding visual heft with massive shoulders or excessive cloth. It communicates a more natural presence because Specter himself looks imposing, instead of scrawny and compensating.

He almost always wears a wider peak lapel. Both the type and the width of the lapel work to his advantage. While a peak is a bit more formal, it still sits solidly within the business world. It’s more attention-seeking than a notch, and needs to be worn by a man who’s comfortable with that attention being on him. The shape of the peak also contributes to a more masculine V-taper. It visually draws the viewer’s eyes up and out, making Specter’s shoulders appear broader and helping him look taller overall. By opting for a wider lapel, this effect is accentuated even more. A narrow option would look dainty next to his naturally broad shoulders.

Other details are minimal. He rotates through suits with and without ticket pockets but never wears anything that detracts from where he wants the attention – on him. No loud buttons, contrasting button holes, elbow patches, or other more-casual details. These are strictly business suits.

The Shirt

Although he does wear patterned shirts in the early seasons, he defaults more and more often to simple whites or light blues as the series goes on. This serves the same effect as the simplicity of his suits; it keeps the attention of the viewer on his face.

Not only does Specter wear a semi-spread collar, it’s tall. By looming more out of his jacket it makes everything beneath his head look larger, again contributing the V-shape most men are after when wearing a power suit. The collar’s height also allows him to wear a larger knot when he has a tie, and keeps it standing properly when he’s tieless.

Although he’s not seen without a jacket very often, the fit of his shirts is exactly as proportionate as his suits. There are no stress lines or pressure points that are indicative of a shirt being too small, but it also communicates exactly what kind of shape he’s in.

The Tie

“Get your skinny tie out of my face and get to work.”

There is nothing small or slight about Specter’s ties. They are large and the windsor knot makes them take up a significant amount of space within his collar. With the four-in-hand being such a staple amongst men who wear ties more casually, the windsor or double windsor contributes to the formality and brook-no-nonsense tone that’s already been established by Specter’s suits and shirts.

While the ties’ size and knots may be bold, their color and patterning are not. He always wear silks and, while he may embrace subtle patterns or the occasional strong color like red, there is nothing distracting about the cloth chosen for each tie. Yet again, this serves the purpose of keeping all attention on Specter himself. The ties frame his face without distracting from it.

The Grooming

Unfortunately Specter’s hair gets worse after a couple of seasons. What starts off as a strong, Mad-Men-reminiscient side part gets swapped out for a boyish faux hawk. His earlier styles are more consistent with the seriousness of his overall appearance and his attitude.

Specter is always clean shaven. The beard is making a strong comeback for men in the Western world, but he understands the dedication and attention to detail that are expressed by shaving each and every morning.

His face isn’t perfect. He has a couple of visible moles that could most likely be taken care of rather easily with minimally invasive surgery. However, by not being too preened or pampered, he avoids looking like a sop who takes his appearance too far and relies on it alone to get the job done.

The Rest

Shoes and jewelry are kept to a minimum. He almost always wears a pocket square but it’s a simple white with a TV fold that just peaks out of his breast pocket. Specter’s entire appearance is pure Refined. There is no Rake or Rugged to his business suits. By committing so strongly to a particular archetype, it shows how strongly confident he is in who he is, what he does, and how to dress for it.

Let’s be honest though, the real reason Specter is so compelling is because of the strength of the man behind the clothes. Specter’s a jerk, but he’s fundamentally a good person. He’s loyal to his friends and respectfully ruthless with his competition. If you want to learn more about how masculinity ties in with clothing, and how Specter is more than just a mannequin in great suits, sign up for the newsletter.

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If you liked this post, you should check out my breakdown of how to dress like Neal Caffrey from White Collar.

Timeless style is a term that gets thrown around constantly in forums and on blogs. Recently it’s reached peak saturation and a lot of the more cynical men in the #menswear community are starting to chafe at its mention. After all, timelessness is impossible to achieve in clothing. A suit from the 60’s would look out of place today, more so 100 years ago, and even more so 1000 years ago.

However, a timeless style is still a valid description and a worthwhile pursuit. The distinction needs to be made between a style that will always look fashionable or one that will always make the man look great.

To better illustrate the point:

Take a look at this photo of Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire rehearsing a dance number. Astaire, one of the kings of the Golden Age of Hollywood, is undeniably well-dressed. There’s a great balance between Refined (hair, materials, cut) and Rakish (rolled sleeves, dark socks, exposed throat). A photo like this can bring about nostalgia from a time that many consider to be the pinnacle of entertainment.

However, if a man were to walk down the streets of any city today wearing this exact outfit, he would be seen as a caricature, not a well-dressed gentleman. The high waisted, full-cut, pleated trousers are about as far from current style sensibilities as one can get (which just means they’ll be all the rage at Pitti in three years). Redditors would tear the guy apart for wearing those dark socks, and the sashed belt looks affected to the point of being a joke. Clearly any man replicating this outfit in 2014 is wearing a costume, not dressing stylishly. Yet we look at this photo and still recognize Astaire for the sartorialist he was.

Here’s another example.

Both of these photos are from the 70’s (technically Redford’s is ’81 but it was still the era of 70’s style). On the left we see a tux that is obviously and recognizably from that era. It’s bad. The piping, massive lapels with a low gorge, ruffles everywhere, bell-bottomed slacks… I could go on but it’s fairly obvious that this is not a timeless look.

On the other hand, we have Robert Redford. Once again, there are some details that would be unwelcome at an awards show today. The trousers are fairly baggy, the bow tie is giant, and the length of the jacket is a bit excessive. However, this photo makes Redford look incredibly refined, masculine, and timeless. Even with the obviously 70’s-era hair, the photo still looks as great today as it would have upon its release.

So, why is it that both Astaire and Redford appear timeless when their styles are in context, but would look silly and outdated if those exact items of clothing were worn today? The key lies in two areas – avoiding anything overly trendy and focusing on clothing that draws attention to the man.

Both of these concepts have already been discussed at great length on this site, so they’re not entirely new ideas. But, their usage can be developed even further to help men attain that “timeless” look many of us are after.

As an experiment, I bet every reader can tell me with 100% accuracy which of the following photos I believe contain timeless style and which illustrate dead trends.

Again, all six of these would look ridiculous if worn today. However, the top three keep the viewers attention on the men, while the bottom three clearly demonstrate clothing that distracts.

Just remember that timelessness isn’t always the goal. In the example from the 70’s above, the kid on the left was attending his prom. He was much more concerned with looking great amongst his peers and probably trying to see how far he could get with the girl on his arm. He wasn’t planning on getting married, accepting an award, or representing a business. The whole purpose was simply to look cool (groovy?). It was both intentional and acceptable that his powder-blue tux stole the limelight from everything else about him that night – that’s what it was supposed to do.

With all of this in mind, I make and will continue to make recommendations that are certainly going to look silly in a decade or two. Sockless, overly high gorges on jacket lapels, etc. They all have their reasons, but their popularity will wax and wane as much as any other aspect of men’s clothing. As with any other concept in men’s clothing, the key to wearing something well is knowing the message a man wants to communicate and which clothing does so the most effectively.

image from City Home Collective

One of the most common refrains I hear about why most guys don’t dress better is that shopping is too frustrating and/or painful. While I get the sentiment and even laud the companies that attempt to make it easier, this is a stupid and invalid reason to dress poorly.

In fact, it’s a serious #firstworldproblem when men consider buying clothing to be a painful experience. I get that it’s uncomfortable; it sucks to feel like one has no idea what he’s doing, and our egos are damaged when we feel un or undereducated about a particular topic. But painful? Pain is having a home foreclosed on, going to war, or losing a child. Shopping may be frustrating, it may be humbling, but it shouldn’t ever be considered painful.

And even if it were, that doesn’t mean it needs to be avoided. I’m in a little bit of pain right now. After a brutal leg day with some new friends yesterday morning, I can barely walk up or down stairs, I resent the fact that my car is a manual instead of an automatic, and the fact that my daughter may drop something and ask me to pick it up fills me with dread. My friends told me tomorrow is going to be even worse. But, that pain is a great thing. It reminds me that I went hard yesterday, that I’m actively improving myself as a man, that I have a body capable of being pushed to the point that it feels pain and then recovers better and stronger.

I’m no masochist. I don’t enjoy pain for its own sake. But I also don’t think it’s the ultimate factor in deciding whether a given activity is worthwhile. Sometimes going to work is a pain. In fact, sometimes writing a post for the site is a pain. Being a father, son, husband, boyfriend, friend, mentor, student, boss, employee, or any other role in which we find ourselves can be painful. Doesn’t mean they’re not worth pursuing.

There’s really only one type of person who lets pain and its effects completely outweigh all of the other pros and cons of an activity or role – a child. And, as a father, it’s kind of a pain to have to teach my children that pain can sometimes be a good thing.

If a man wants to make building a wardrobe, looking for clothing, and improving his image a more manageable and enjoyable experience, there are a few things he can do.

First is to embrace the fact that it’s going to be a bit of work. How much work is dependent on the man, his current style, his style goals, and how hard he’s willing to work to get there. However, aesthetic inertia is the same as any other kind – getting the ball rolling requires a lot more effort, energy, and pain than keeping it moving.

The second thing he can do is to shop like a man instead of a woman. I’d venture a guess that one of the reasons most men find shopping so difficult is because it’s typically done with the women in their lives. Most women tend to browse, touch, try, and experience while they’re shopping. It’s great for them but that kind of attitude will drive the majority of men crazy. The solution is to treat wardrobe building like the mission it is. A man isn’t at the mall for the experience. He’s there to accomplish a predetermined goal. The amount of planning and hyper focus necessary will vary with each man, but knowing what he’s there for and specifically searching for clothing makes the experience more productive and more enjoyable. This doesn’t mean he doesn’t check for other items or even deviate from the course when presented with a better opportunity, it simply means he knows his purpose before venturing into a store.

Which brings us to the third suggestion. A man isn’t shopping, he’s wardrobe building. Whether he hires someone to teach him, reads through great internet sources, watches how-to videos, or even turns to physical books, wardrobe building is better accomplished when it’s learned with the help of an expert. Eventually the man will be able to stand on his own two metaphorical feet, but until he can, he saves himself (and his wallet) from a lot of unnecessary bumps and bruises by turning to someone who knows what he’s doing.

In the end, it doesn’t matter how enjoyable or difficult wardrobe building is, it’s a worthwhile endeavor that will immediately impact a man’s life and help encourage other improvements as well. Embracing the importance of it, and the ways to make it more manageable will help keep the discomfort of doing so a productive pain.