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His style, his personality

Though fashion itself as a word is genderless, we tend to associate it more with women than men. As a result women are stereotyped as the ultimate trend-setters of fashion. But the fact is that men are as conscious as women (if not more) when it comes to fashion. While women's fashion is more dependent on variants such as season, peer groups and culture, men's fashion is more stable or has a definite pattern to it. Therefore men's fashion invariably becomes more personality driven.

A man's style is either the smartest or the weakest thing he can say about himself. Here's how men can be style smart in their fashion.

Shirt notes:

* Shirts should have seven buttons (eight for tall men) in front and two or three sewn inside as extras.

* The collar should fit snugly when you do up the top button, but shouldn't be noose-like and so tight that you can't slip a finger comfortably between it and your neck.

* The body of the shirt should have no more material than is needed for a man to sit comfortably.

* Next, the placket. This is the extra piece of material on the front of the shirt where the buttonholes go. In a quality shirt, it will be four centimetres wide.

* It should also lie flat and not show any wrinkling or gathering at the seams. If the shirt fits properly, there will be no gaps between buttons. Fourteen stitches per 2.5 cm is a sign of quality; fewer than 11 indicates a poor-quality product. As for the buttonholes, examine the stitching. Avoid ragged ones with loose threads. Pull on the buttons to ensure they're sewn securely; four holes per button are better than two.

* The sleeve should be fitted exactly to your arm length, which is obtained by measuring from the centre of the back of your neck to your wrist. The shirt cuff should extend just over a centimetre beyond the sleeve of your jacket.

Pants notes:

* Pants cut too small will make a fat man fatter. If cut too large, they'll make a skinny man skinnier.

* Slacks should hang loosely, breaking only once - and ever so slightly - just above the shoe.

* What does this mean? The top of your shoe should be completely covered all the way around the cuff. There's a little margin for error on the side of extra length, but not the other way round. Rule of thumb: trousers should be long enough to conceal your socks when you walk.

* The waist should fit comfortably, but only at the point where nature originally intended your waistline to be. Seasonal trends tend to move waistlines up and down as if they were a carousel pony.

* It's no longer trendy to have the band of your boxers visible. If you're still a little unsure, the waistline happens to be where we most precede ourselves.

* The crotch of the trousers should be as high as is comfortable for what's known in the trade as a 'clean' fit.

* Most styles this season are flat front, which are a little slimmer than their pleated counterparts and don't have the hassle of hard-to-iron pleats, which spread after a few washes. Pleats should lie flat. If they do open, bite the bullet and try the next waist size up.

* Cuffs are optional for tall men, but they can make short men look shorter by producing a visible border between slacks and shoes.

Suit notes:

* Jackets can be showcases for bad tailoring. And no other garment can make or break a man like a suit. So combine the stuff before on slacks with the stuff here to be sure that you're buying the right thing.

* When you try on a jacket, make sure you have all the things in your pockets that you normally carry, including wallet and keys.

* When your arms are relaxed at your sides, the back should lie perfectly flat, with no ripples and no bulging between the shoulder blades or under the arms.

* Likewise, the lapels should lie flat on the chest. Most importantly, be sure the collar lies flat. If it stands away from your neck, we're either talking alterations or image problems.

* The material forming the rear of the jacket should cover your rear. And while we're on the subject, a double-vented jacket generally covers it best whether you're standing or sitting. If you are extra wide, though, a single vent provides better camouflage.

* Sleeve length? It should come to the point where your wrist meets your hand. By the way, short men have almost no leeway when it comes to size, since a jacket - or, for that matter, a pair of slacks or a sweater - that is too long, short, big or small will look disastrous.

Foot notes:

Shoes may not be the first thing someone notices about you but you'd be surprised at how often people look down at some point in a conversation. So, shop carefully for shoes, examining all the obvious construction points.

* In general, avoid shoes featuring large chunks of metal, unless you're a mountaineer, motor-cross rider or ageing punk. Conventional lace-ups have five or six pairs of holes. Fewer, and you have leisure shoes; more, and you have high-tops.

* Check the way the sole is attached to the upper. If there's no stitching, the sole is glued on. That's bad because it means it's unlikely the shoe can be fixed if you wear a hole in the sole.

* If the stitching is on the inside, many shoe-repair shops will be unable to do a resole job since the machinery for interior stitching is expensive to install and difficult to operate. Also, resoling a shoe with inside stitching is more likely to alter the size of the resoled shoe.

* The best choice is a shoe with stitching along the outside of the upper, where it meets the sole, since these kinds of shoes can be most easily and cheaply repaired.
* Leather soles present the thinnest profile and are thus best for dress shoes. Besides, leather breathes and moulds beautifully to the shape of your foot.

* Important rules for shoe care: never wear the same shoes two days in a row. Giving them a rest prevents moisture build-up and allows the leather to regain its shape. If you get them wet, stuff the toes with newspaper when you get home and keep them away from heat.

* Don't wear white socks with black pants and black shoes.

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