Guys, don't take another selfie without reading this. 10 rules of guy selfies.

I understand that it is kind of a faux pas these days for a guy to take a selfie. A man selfie isn't considered, um, well, manly for various social reasons that I will not get into. However, there are guys that still do it. In my profession, I dress nice for a living so I will occasionally take a picture of my outfit. Other guys find themselves in interesting places or situations, such as behind the stage with Bill Cosby or at Cape Canaveral waiting for the last space shuttle to launch. In any case, guys will take selfies too, and here is a list of what not to do. 

Rule #1. No one cares about your muscles

Unless you are a fitness competitor, at a fitness competition, do not take pictures showing off your body. Especially the "bathroom flexing in the dirty mirror" selfie. 

Unless you are this guy. He deserves to show off.

Rule #2. No Photoshop

This goes for all selfies, gender aside. Enlarging or minimizing your muscles or other body parts in order enhance yourself is a no no. Not to mention photoshopping yourself in a picture of other people. Have some dignity.

Rule #3. Be aware of your surroundings

If you insist on taking a bathroom selfie, make sure you flush. Make sure there are no little kids in the background, or that unwanted body parts are not showing. Do not include people in your background that do not want to be included in your selfie. 

Rule #4. No one cares about your gun

Posing with your gun is stupid. You don't look bad ass. You don't look cool. In some cases you look dangerous, which isn't the same thing. In other cases, you are dangerous, like this guy with his finger on the trigger. Unless you are hunting, or you are a soldier in uniform, do not selfie with your gun.

Rule #5. No bathroom selfies. Period

Dirty mirrors. Toilets. Stalls. People using said bathroom while you are selfieing. Dirty shower curtains. Messy and dirty sinks. Linoleum. All bad. Avoid it. 

Rule #6. Don't fake the funk

Don't take selfies with your fake girlfriend or get caught sleeping by your fake girlfriend. This smells of desperation. 

Rule #7. Enjoy the moment

I get it. You are excited that you are at the concert, or at the Tour de France race or somewhere else exciting. Maybe it is even a once in a lifetime opportunity. If that is the case, you should put the phone down and enjoy it. Even if Justin Timberlake photobombed you. 

Rule #8. Danger, does not a good selfie make

Do not risk your life or the lives of others for a picture of yourself. It is just not worth it. This goes for the running of the bulls, selfies while driving, and other dangerous situations. 

#9. Respect a serious moment

If you've just crashed your car or come up to a car crash scene, right now is not the best time to take a selfie. If you see a dead body in the street, right not is not a good time to take a selfie. If you've just survived a plane crash, right now is not the time to take a selfie. Respect the seriousness of the moment. 

#10. Less is more

Most of us like attention. Taking a selfie is a great way to get it and chances are, even if you are aesthetically challenged, your friends will still compliment you on it. The key is moderation. So please do not drown us in pictures of yourself, taken by you. 

As always, if you like it share it. 

My name is Joe and I am the owner of Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting. At Style Guy, We Make Looking Good Look Easy. Check me out at: 

@styleguyjoe on Twitter

@StyleGuyWc on IG

www.styleguy.org

www.williampollock.clothing

5 things every guy should know about dressing for an event

Style is the science of knowing what to wear, when and how. Dress etiquette can be defined similarly. Often, the when and the where are dictated by the who. That is, whoever planned the event, and the type of atmosphere they would like to deliver to their guests. However, often, the wishes of the host are disregarded by the guests. Sometimes this happens intentionally and sometimes without intent.

5. Don't be a show off
Ignoring the dress code goes both ways. Over dressing intentionally is just as bad if not worse that being underdressed because of the ease in with you can dress down a suit. Remove the tie and jacket and you are nearly casual. In addition, no one likes a show off. Plus, you will look very silly in a tuxedo at a BBQ. 

4. The dress code doesn't care how much you spent
I've been to several charity events where there is a donation requirement to attend. Often at these events, I'll see men, who have donated freely, dressed below the required dress code for the event. I've heard some of these men justify their under-dressing because of the amount of money they've donated. If you choose to attend the event and to pay its costs, be respectful enough to follow its dress code, just like everyone else that paid.

Speaking of everyone else....

3. Do the right thing
There will be people who ignore the dress code. It always happens. Some people also ignore the "no diving" sign at a pool but that doesn't make it a good idea. Listen, if you were planing an event that had a theme, and no one showed up honoring that theme, you'd feel some way about it. Show the host the same courtesy. Do the right thing regardless of what you think others are going to do. 

2. Yes you should own a suit
Sport jacket and slacks are not a formalwear. Neither are khakis and a polo or your best pants and button up shirt. These are not substitutes for a suit any more than meatloaf is a substitute for a steak. If these are your go to outfits for any event such as a wedding, funeral, job interview or anything called a Gala or a Formal, you my friend need to buy a suit. It doesn't have to be a $1000 suit, just something clean and appropriate that fits. If you can't afford to purchase a suit, make it a goal to do so and consider renting one in the meantime.

1. The dress code for an event should be considered the rule
If you have registered high enough on someone's social scale to merrit an invite to their event, you should respect their plan. This includes starting time, approved guests (if invitation says no children, respect that) and the required dress. If you do not intend to honor their wishes, simply decline the invitation or speak to the host if you require special arrangements.

Here is a quick reference guide to dress etiquette definitions:
White Tie: Black Tuxedo with tails, white vest and bowtie 
Black Tie: Black Tuxedo, Black bowtie
Formal: Dark Suit, Preferably Black or Charcoal
Business: Dark Suit, Black Charcoal or Navy
Business Casual: Blazer or Sportcoat and slacks
Dress Casual: Blazer or Sportcoat with jeans, or with slacks but no tie. Khakis with a collared shirt fit here also
Casual: Chinos, jeans, polos, and collared shirts.
Tips: If attending an event that actually has a dress code listed, it is never appropriate to wear shorts. If in doubt, call the host for clarification.

Here is a link with a more in-depth discussion of dress etiquette
http://www.blacktieguide.com/Etiquette/Etiquette_Formal_Codes.htm

As always, if you like it, share it

My name is Joe and I am the owner of Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting of Mansfield Ohio. At Style Guy, We Make Looking, Good Look Easy. Check me out at:

@styleguyjoe on Twitter
@StyleGuyWC on IG
www.styleguy.org
www.williampollock.clothing

Picture borrowed from www.blacktieguide.com

Love Is

Love is:
It's like the first time you try a dessert that someone has recommended to you. Of course you may be a bit skeptical when they say it's good. In some cases, you don't believe them at all. But,  you don't realize how good until you actually try it then you find out that it is your favorite dessert and you never want to eat another dessert

As always, if you like it, share it

My name is Joe and I am the owner of Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting. At Style Guy, We Make Looking Good Look Easy. Check me out at:

@styleguyjoe on Twitter
@StyleGuyWC on IG
www.styleguy.org
www.williampollock.clothing

The Man Code

I found this piece in my "draft" section. I typed it up several years ago but did not publish it. The orginal source was an email I received from a joke-a-day email service, but I've long since forgotten the name of it. I have made some modifications to the orignial but if you know the original source, let me know so that it can be referenced.


THE MAN CODE
1. Thou shall not rent the movie "Chocolat"

2. Under no circumstances may 2 men share an umbrella, unless they are dating.

3. Any man who brings a camera to a bachelor party may be legally killed and eaten by his fellow party-goers.

4. When you are queried by a buddy's wife, girlfriend, side chick, mother, father, priest, shrink, dentist, accountant, or dog walker, you need not and should not provide any useful information whatsoever as to his whereabouts. You are permitted to deny his very existence.

5. Unless he murdered someone in your immediate family, you must bail a friend out of jail within 12 hours.

6. You may exaggerate any anecdote told in a bar by 50 percent without recrimination; beyond that, anyone within earshot is allowed to call BULLSHIT. (Exception: When trying to pick up a girl, the allowable exaggeration rate rises to 400 percent)

7. If you've known a guy for more than 24 hours, his sister is off-limits forever.

8. The minimum amount of time you have to wait for another guy who's running late is 5 minutes. For a girl, you are required to wait 10 minutes for every point of hotness she scores on the classic 1-10 babe scale.

9. Complaining about the brand of free beer in a buddies refrigerator is forbidden. You may gripe if the temperature is unsuitable.

10. No man is ever required to buy a birthday present for another man. In fact, even remembering a friends birthday is strictly optional and slightly questionalbe unles you are dating.

11. Agreeing to distract the ugly friend of a hot babe that your buddy is trying to hook up with is your legal duty. Should you get carried away with your good deed and end up having sex with her, your pal is forbidden to speak of it, even at your bachelor party.

12. Before dating a buddy's "ex", you are required to ask his permission and he in return is required to grant it.

13. Women who claim they "love to watch sports" must be treated as spies until they demonstrate knowledge of the game and the ability to pick a buffalo wing clean.

14. If a man's zipper is down, that's his problem, you didn't see nothin'.

15. The universal compensation for buddies who help you move is beer.

16. A man must never own a cat or like his girlfriend's cat.

17. When stumbling upon other guys watching a sports event, you may always ask the score of the game in progress, but you may never ask who's playing.

18. When your girlfriend/wife expresses a desire to fix her whiney friend up with your pal, you may give her the go-ahead only if you'll be able to warn your buddy and give him time to prepare excuses about joining the priesthood.

19. It is permissible to consume a fruity chick drink only when you're sunning on a tropical beach... and it's delivered by a topless supermodel... and it's free.

20. Unless you're in prison, never fight naked.

21. When drinking with a woman, always remain sober enough to fight.

22. If a buddy is outnumbered, out manned, or too drunk to fight, you must jump into the fight. Exception: If within the last 24 hours his actions have caused you to think, "What this guy needs is a good ass-whoopin", then you may sit back and enjoy.

23. Phrases that may NOT be uttered to another man while weight lifting:
"Yeah, baby, push it!"
"C'mon, give me one more! Harder!"
"Another set and we can hit the showers."
"Nice ass, are you a Sagittarius?"

24. Never hesitate to reach for the last beer or the last slice of pizza, but not both. That's just plain mean.

25. If you compliment a guy on his six-pack, you better be referring to his beer.

26. Never join your girlfriend/wife in dissing a buddy, except when she's withholding sex pending your response.

27. Never talk to a man in the bathroom unless you're on equal footing: either both urinating or both waiting in line. In all other situations, a nod is all the conversation you need.

28. If a buddy is already singing along to a song in the car, you may not, unless it's the rap part.

29. Always treat your girlfriend/wife's brother as a spy.

30. Never underestimate the power for large drinks in small qualities or small drinks in large quanities. 

As always, if you like it, share it 

My name is Joe and I am the owner of Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting. At Style Guy, We Make Looking Good Look Easy. Check me out at:

@styleguyjoe on Twitter

@StyleGuyWC on IG

www.styleguy.org

www.williampollock.clothing

Brand Awareness Tip

Here is a quick tip to help you manage your brand's appearance and search rankings on the web.

When you open your browser to perform a search, it is proactively trying to find content for you based on everything it knows about you. This includes information from previous searches and websites that you have visited. By doing this it makes the content you find more relevant. 

The problem is when you are attempting to search your brand, the browser will already know what you want to see because, as mentioned before, it has seen you visit your website or similar website and it has watched you perform searches along the same topic. Therefore it will be apt to show you what it thinks you want to see.

The way to get around this is to use an incognito tab when you perform your search. That way you are more likely to see what others see when they are searching for your business or for businesses in your industry. 

Sometimes your search results will be the same between the two tabs.  If you search and your business or brand is showing up on the first page in both tabs, then good job! However,  if you search and it's not, you have a lot of work to do.

Make sure you try different search terms to verify that your web presence is casting a large enough net to catch the customers you are trying to reach.

Thanks for reading and as always, if you like it, share it

My name is Joe and I am the owner of Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting. At Style Guy, We Make Looking Good Look Easy. Check me out at:

@styleguyjoe on Twitter
@StyleGuyWC on IG
Style Guy Wardrobe Consulting on FB &G+
www.styleguy.org
www.williampollock.clothing

Guy’s Guide to building a dress wardrobe

Anything worth building needs to start with a stable foundation.  It doesn't matter if you are building a house or a relationship. The foundation needs to be strong so as to support the weight of anything that is built on top of it.

Building a guy’s wardrobe works the same way.  It consists of the basic items that are needed to to create a fully functional wardrobe that prepares a guy for just about any occasion that he may come across.  Once the basics are there, all a guy has to do is buy pieces instead of full ensembles to grow his collection.

A dark suit:

A suit is a dress jacket with matching pants.  Generally they are cut from the same cloth to insure a perfect match.  The color you need first is either Charcoal or Navy.  With either of these colors a guy can dress appropriately for most events that require formal attire.  Generally they are worn with a tie, but you can dress a suit down by wearing a dress shirt without the tie or a casual button front shirt.

Blazer:

A blazer is a dress coat in a solid color, not designed to be worn with matching slacks, but slacks that coordinate.  Generally, you should seek out a black or navy blazer.  If the dark suit you’ve purchased is charcoal, then either color is fine but if your suit is navy, find a black blazer to give you more versatility.  To dress the blazer up, wear it with a shirt and tie. To dress it down, lose the tie. To wear it casually, lose the slacks and pair it with dark denim and a collared shirt.  The idea is that it is used for less formal occasions that still require a jacket such as calling hours or a rehearsal dinner.  Business casual or dress casual is what you will see listed on the invitation.  Only pair it with jeans if the invitation says casual dress.

Tan slacks or charcoal slacks:

These slacks are to go with the blazer that you purchased.  Remember, the goal for the slacks is to coordinate with the blazer, so do not purchase slacks in the same color as your blazer.  Ideally, try to find a pair of slacks that would also work with your sold suit jacket.  This would give you additional options, with a single purchase.

Jeans:

Purchase a pair of dark washed denim.  These would work well with your blazer, in a casual situation to give you a relaxed, yet smart look.  One of my favorite looks is a pair of dark denim, sweater layered over a collared shirt, and a blazer, with a scarf.  It helps me avoid having to wear a bulky coat of chilly days.

Dress shirts:

When starting out, remember that you are building a foundation.  So when it comes to shirts, the most basic options are the best choices.  A white shirt and a blue shirt works best.  You can have some leeway with the style of the shirt; there are several collar choices, and countless fabrics.  My recommendation would be either a point collar or a medium spread collar.  One hundred percent cotton because it will breathe better and be cooler and non-iron, so that you can use the dryer to remove the wrinkles.  There is some debate on the value of non-iron dress shirts.  Keep in mind, this article is designed for the beginner.  If you have a good laundry service or are handy with an iron and a can of starch, by all means skip the non iron, but stick with cotton.  It wear better, breathe better and last longer.  

Shoes:

When starting out, you need your dress shoes to be versatile.  You also want your shoes to last.  That is why you should always own at least two pairs of dress shoes.  One pair should be black and the other should be brown or cordovan.  Cordovan can be worn with nearly any color slacks and black works with your black and grey tone slacks only.  Whenever possible, try not to wear the same pair of shoes more than two days in a row and use shoe trees to remove the moisture and odor in between wearings.

Belts:

You must wear a suit with a belt or suspenders, but never both.  Your belt should match your shoes.  So if you have purchased a pair of black and a pair of brown shoes, you will need a belt in each color . If purchasing reversible, avoid belts that have been glued. They have a tendency to split over time.  As for suspenders, there is a bit more freedom of expression.  They just have to match or coordinate with the suit, shirt or shoes and be appropriate for the occasion.  The more serious the event, the more serious your suspenders should be.

Follow this guide and you will have a great foundation when building your wardrobe.

Follow me on twitter and instagram for more menswear tips and advice. @Styleguyjoe on twitter and @styleguywc on instagram. Either way, search #styleguysays for quick reference to my posts.

Guy's Guide to Why You Need a Suit

Find It Here

   If you spend any amount of time around me or reading my articles, you will realize that, when it comes to clothing, I'm a traditionalist.  I believe that there are rules, etiquette, purpose and a right and wrong way to do things.  Less is almost always more, you can't buy style, fashion fades and not chasing trends are my hallmarks.  In spite of this, on occasion it is possible to hang the rules to elevate your style.  However, even then, there are rules.  Navy Tuxedo worn to a black tie event?  You may be able to get away with it.  One of these Bespoke Fancy Back Shirts worn to a black tie event?  You will be able to get away with a fancy back shirt because while the jacket is worn no one can tell that you are wearing it.  Canadian Tuxedo worn to a black tie event?  You'll never get away with it.

Find It Here

    During my decade working in the men's retail business, I would often come across the "I don't need a suit" guy.  If you have spent anytime working in men's retail, you probably have met him too.  He would come into the store shopping for a sport coat or blazer.  Sometimes just a shirt and tie.  I started to wonder how someone could manage to live a life that never required anything more than dress casual. 

     After some investigation, I realized that this guy did indeed need a suit.  Nearly every time that he was getting prepared for an event, it was not only suit worthy, but required; still he refused to buy a suit because he thought he didn't need it. Eventually I started to wonder, who's thinking was wrong?  Was everything I've been taught a lie?  What harm was being done?  Once I thought about it, I realized that he is wrong.  He is using the wrong tool for the job and because the job was still getting done, he didn't think that he was doing anything wrong.  To me this was like using a brick to hammer in a nail.

     If I saw someone hammering a nail with a brick, I'd admire them for their ingenuity, but I'd think to myself, that person still needs a hammer.  I think the same thing when I see someone wearing anything but a suit to an event that requires one.

     Weddings, funerals and job interviews are all occasions that traditionally require a suit.  The reason is that these all very important events in life.

     When someone has decided to dedicate the rest of their life to one person, and they have invited you to bare witness, out of respect for the occasion and the host, wear a suit to a wedding unless otherwise instructed by the host.

     When someone passes away, and you were close enough to the deceased or their family to be in attendance for the funeral, wear a suit.  There is a reason it is called "paying your respects". Dress accordingly.

     When you are asking someone to consider you for employment, you should always put your best foot forward.  Show your future employer that they are important enough for you to dress appropriately in their presence.  Unless otherwise instructed, wear a suit.

     If this article has any point at all, this is it:  Every guy needs a suit.   It isn't always the best tool for the job, but when it is, no other tool will do.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more menswear tips and advice. @Styleguyjoe on twitter and @styleguywc on Instagram. Either way, search #styleguysays for quick reference to my posts.