I do, on occasion, like to dress well. If you know me you will know I’m not adverse to a sharp looking suit and all the trimmings. I feel better smart and when I’m off out for a dance (especdially at Manchesters premier Northern Soul Night The Black Bee Soul Club https://www.facebook.com/BlackBeeSoulClub Looking the part in your best dancing shoes is all part of the fun.
Here are my (nowhere near definitve) tips.
1: The devil is in the detail.
Tie your outfit together with attention to the small detaisl. Pick out a colour in your shirt, tie or suit material and highlight it with socks or a pocket square of the same colour. The right people will notice, everyone esle will think “get you!” Braces, cufflinks, tie pin, pocket square… these are your little flourishes.
2: Buy what you like, not whats “fashionable”
Us normal people with real bodies look rediculous in fashion clothes. The “slim fit” suit or shirt is the scourge of the modern age, sacrificing comfort and fit for a stuipd ideal anbd an unrealistic body shape. ( TIP: slim fit suits often have a rediculously high crotch too which makes them painful to wear for any lenght of time, I tried a few on and put them back as I couldn’t imagine THAT feeling all day long!) I buy things out of season but that fit me and that I like. In that way I can buy decent clobber at a price I can afford and be my own man. If you can, spend time searching for quality. That shirt from primark may be cheap but there is a reason ,and you’ll know what that is when the buttons fall off and the stitching goes.
3: Know your size
When iwas at my fattest (post giving up smoking) i bought clothes that were far too big in an attempt to hide. WRONG. I looked even worse. Now I know my size and accept what I am. I always try stuff on though as many places (H&M) being the worse have adopted a S/M/L sizing scheme which gives you none of the proper dimesnsions. This is especially frustrating for shirts! Im a 15 1/2 collar, is that S/M/L ?? I still dont know. Also, and who knew this was true, sizes at different places are different. I always thought this was a myth but it aint! Try before you buy
4: Suits you sir
I love a suit. classic British tailoring, usually a single button with thin lapels and if at all possible, pocket and ticket pocket. I like a bit of a mod look. I dont know a lot about suits but I know what fits and what looks good. 
Jaegar Suit ,( http://www.jaeger.co.uk/) Ben sherman shirt http://www.bensherman.com/ , Grandads knitted tie. Jaegar make an excellent suit and although they may sometimes seem a bit pricey you can find a bargin when the seasons change and pick up a beautiful suit that will last you well)
(TIP: the only time all the buttons on your suit jacket should be buttoned is if it has a single button! If it has three, top two and leave the bottom one open. Trust me, all buttoned up you look silly and uncomfortable)
5:Be bold be brave!
Red socks, why not?! Floral pattened shirt? Do it. Stripes AND checks?? Sometimes it works. Be bold, be brave, be an individual. In a world of sameness, you can stand out in the clothes you wear and the way that you wear them. They might not like it…but they certainly will remember it…and anyway, who cares what they think .
Jaegar Suit, paul smith shirt, Dads tie.
Oh, and if all else fails…channel the spirit of a beatnik poet, dress all in black all the time and you can’t go wrong.
Where are we now?
Sometimes you can find the most exciting things happening in the most unexpected of places. That’s why you would not expect some of the most cutting edge, challenging and mind wrangling music to be coming out of a nice and presentable back-to-back, red-brick terraced house in Levenshume. But it is from the heart of as yet to be gentrified sub-urban Levy that God Unknown records 
You must be logged in to post a comment.