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Firm Advice for Those Looking for Rugged Style Guidance
For practitioners of traditional menswear, there is no shortage of rules and tips. Style authorities like Alan Flusser and G. Bruce Boyer have published precise, laser-sharp guidelines that, over the decades, have guided the dressing habits of hundreds of thousands of style-conscious men.
In the world of heritage style and rugged menswear, though, such guidance is much harder to come by. There are excellent resources covering casual menswear (Simon Crompton understands the topic as well as anybody), but the advice found in books and online rarely touches on the high-octane world of heavy selvedge and rugged style.
Even in our own book, The Rebel’s Wardrobe, we focused almost entirely on the garments and their history—not on how they might be contained to create stylish and rugged looks.
We’ve been reluctant to offer firm style advice, and there are good reasons for this. Rugged style practitioners are, by and large, a wild and rebellious bunch who are more keen to break rules than to follow them.
Still, some of us (myself included) like the kind of structure that rules can provide.
If, like me, you’ve been looking for (without finding) firm style guidance for the rugged gentleman, you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got some strong opinions on the subject, and I’ll be sharing them below.
An important caveat: These rules are not intended to shame or cajole anybody into conforming to an arbitrary standard. They are opinions presented in the form of rules. If you don’t like them, cast my advice over your shoulder and carry on.
Rugged Rule #1
Two-Collar Maximum
Collared shirts can absolutely be layered over top of each other or worn with collared jackets, but, if you are old enough to remember the layered polo craze of the , you probably remember what happened when layering similar collars was carried to extreme lengths.
No matter how they’re combined, anything more than two pointed collars will draw a ton of attention to your throat. The outfit can be brimming with well-selected, top-shelf pieces, but people won’t notice what you’re wearing so much as they’ll notice how much of it you’ve got on.
Supporting Stars
Not all collared shirts are adept at playing second fiddle. These ones are made for those supporting roles.
Rugged Rule #2
70:30: The Golden Ratio
Eye-pleasing outfits tend to be a sonata of simplicity. Two colours (one primary, the other contrasting) in a 70:30 ratio. The primary colour provides the rhythm, the contrasting one the melody—simple, effective, and fool-proof.
The ratio doesn’t need to be exact, but, as we drift in one direction or the other, either one colour begins to dominate the picture or none of them do.
If we want people to notice the details we care about, we can’t overwhelm them with layer upon layer of dark indigo. Give that beautiful selvedge something to play against by placing it next to a contrasting colour.
Easing into Contrast
The easiest way to add contrast to your outfit is with white or grey cotton basics like these.
Rugged Rule #3
Know Your Layering Limits
Layering is a fine art—one practiced and celebrated in the rugged scene—but it has definite limits. You’ve crossed those limits when the shape you create with your layers is no longer recognizable as you own.
Yes, our clothes should flatter us, showcasing our best features and keeping some of the others out of sight, but our true shape should shine through our clothes. We dress ourselves to advantage; we don’t sculpt an entirely new version of ourselves, using our clothes as clay.
They say that, before leaving the house, we should remove one piece of clothing. If you have the layering sickness, perhaps you should take off two or three.
Perfect for Natural Layering
If you’re looking to add a middle or outer layer to your outfit, make it one that can move with you:
Rugged Rule #4
Mind the Gap
Sure, if you’re hanging for the monkey bars or working on the plumbing under the sink, it’s a given that you’re going to show a little flesh above the belt line. Otherwise, though, you should be able to reach for something on either the top or the bottom shelf without providing a peep show.
It’s good practice, when trying on a shirt for the first time, to raise your arms above your shoulders. If the manoeuvre exposes any flesh above the belt line, the shirt is too short.
If you prefer lower-rise jeans, it’s good practice to look for longer tees and button-ups that will help you preserve a little modesty. Tee shirts should touch the top of your pockets, and the bottom button on button-up shirts should fasten across the waistband of your jeans.
Either/Or
Minding the gap means either longer tees or higher rises. We’ve got both covered for you:
Rugged Rule #5
Dress for Context
We love denim, but there are times when we need to lay this love to one side. Weddings, funerals, and other formal or semi-formal affairs deserve nothing less than appropriate attire. If you’re lucky enough to attend a western- or workwear-themed wedding, fill your boots. Otherwise, invest in a dark blue suit.
The same goes for offices that allow you some latitude in how you dress. You don’t want to be the guy who forces management to reconsider their lax dress code. You don’t have to change your stripes, but it does help to be able to be a bit of a chameleon depending on the social or professional setting you find yourself in.
It’s just as easy to over-dress as it is to under-dress. If you’re at a backyard BBQ and most of the guests are wearing shorts and flip-flops, horsehide and heavy selvedge might not be the best fit for the moment. Read the room.
Rugged but Ready for Anything
Invest in a few code-switching pieces that can adapt to just about any occasion.
Rugged Rule #6
Hard Over Soft
Whenever layering pieces, the layers should get progressively lighter and softer as you get closer to the skin. Heavy denim shirts are wildcards in this equation. Once they’ve been worn and washed enough, they are soft enough to be worn as either a middle or inner layer, but when they’re raw and stiff, they look best when treated as a jacket.
The hard over soft rule becomes particularly important when dealing with sweaters or jackets (like the A-2, the varsity jacket, or the N-1) that have knit cuffs. These cuffs should be treated as a layer (i.e., they should only be worn over something softer than the cuff). Wear them over something hard and heavy and the cuff won’t function like it should.
Wear hard under soft and the combination will just never look or feel right. If you’re wearing anything with a knit cuff, stick with something soft like a well-worn chambray, a thin flannel, or a sweatshirt.
Something for In Between
You might have something soft and something hard, but how about something in that Goldilocks zone between them?
Rugged Rule #7
Only One Statement at a Time
We can turn the volume up on our outfits with a bold statement piece, but we don’t want our statement pieces in a shouting match. If you’ve got a piece with bright colours or a bold pattern, place it in the middle of the spotlight by pairing it with subtler pieces that won’t steal its thunder.
Here’s the rub: Anything made from heavy selvedge denim is already a statement piece. For example, a denim jacket north of 20 oz. does far more than clear its throat. Its weight speaks volumes. It will shine brightest when paired with plain but well-made garments.
If you’ve got something bright and bold that you want to make a statement with, consider pairing it with some of the simplest pieces in your wardrobe. Allow it to hog the limelight and you’ll shine with it.
Something Subtle or Something Bold
Add something bold to your collection, and give it something subtle to play off.
Rugged Rule #8
Use ‘em or Lose ‘em
Empty belt loops draw the eye to the waist and keep it there. If we want the eye to linger anywhere, it’s probably almost anywhere but there. If your jeans have belt loops, fill them with an appropriate belt (the heavier the denim, the heavier the belt; the higher the rise, the thinner the belt should be).
This is doubly important if your waistband also includes suspender buttons. Either attach a pair of suspenders to them or cover the buttons with a belt (never do both). Though they’re harder to find, I prefer throwback pairs that feature suspender buttons without loops, like these Full Count 1373s.
I recommend a similarly austere approach to pockets. Chest pockets on tees are an unessential piece of detailing that make one of the simplest pieces in your wardrobe look a little fussy, and handwarmer pockets on Type III jackets mar the exceptionally clean design that made the jacket an instant classic. If you don’t need the pockets, lose them.
What’s the Hold Up?
If you’ve got loops or buttons that aren’t fulfilling their function, these will do the trick.
Rugged Rule #9
Easy on the Accessories
Rugged accessories tend to be on the bold and heavy side, making them a perfect complement for heavy selvedge. When used relatively sparingly, necklaces, bracelets, wallet chains, and rings can add a lot of personalized punch to outfits, but it can be easy to get carried away.
With rings on every finger, chains around both wrists and your throat and at your hip, the accessories begin to dominate the picture. The viewer loses sight of you and of the style you’re attempting to cultivate. They’re blinded by the bling.
Accessories are the accents in a great outfit, not the focus. My rule of thumb is to not double up on anything. One ring per hand, one chain, and one bandana (either around my neck or in my back pocket) at a time. Anything more than this, and I start to feel like I’m trying a little too hard.
Hit the Accents
These accessories deserve the spotlight. Don’t bury them.
Rugged Rule #10
Be Authentic
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, it’s important to use style to say something authentic about yourself. You don’t have to be a construction worker to wear workwear, a rider or a cowboy to dress like one, or a veteran to wear military heritage pieces. We’re not here to play gatekeeper.
Still, when you cross that line separating personal style from cosplay, your look can end up feeling like more of a caricature than a respectful tribute.
It’s better to blend pieces together to create a unique and coherent style that is, if not yours and yours alone, at least not definitely somebody else’s. Blur the line between inspiration and wholesale appropriation and you’ll likely end up striking a false note.
Finding an Authentic Personal Style
If you’re looking for inspiration, start with our book, The Rebel’s Wardrobe. Thumb through the book until you find a piece that speaks directly to your sense of style, then incorporate it into your look.
The post The Rugged Rules: 10 Guidelines for Stylish Heritage Looks appeared first on Denimhunters.
DENIM and PATCHES sourced this post originally published on this site
