Garments

Style is subjective — the primary criterion is whether you yourself find the result aesthetically satisfying. There are no strict rules, but a practical framework helps.

Dressing well comes down to understanding a handful of fundamentals. Each one is a skill on its own, and together they form the complete picture:

1. Proportions & fit — how a garment sits on your body. The right silhouette matters more than the brand on the label.
2. Colours — how they combine with each other and with your skin tone. Covered in the Science of Colour.
3. Style guidelines — what garments to use and what to avoid (e.g. minimal sneakers over chunky ones, no hoodies in smart casual), and how to combine details (e.g. socks matching trousers or footwear).
4. Layers — base, middle, outer, bottom, and footwear. Each layer has its own rules and interacts with the others.
5. Brands & heritage — understanding a brand's history and positioning helps you judge quality and price.
6. Garment types — the vocabulary of clothing: what each piece is called, how it differs from similar items. Covered in Garment Types.
7. Materials & fabrics — fibres, yarns, weaves, knits, and fabric types. Knowing what a garment is made of tells you how it will look, feel, and age. See Materials & Fibres and Fabric Types.

1. 01 Garment Types Base, mid, outer, footwear — the vocabulary of clothing.
2. 02 Classification & Terminology How garments group by material, weave, function, and layer.
3. 03 Fabric Types Oxford, denim, tweed, flannel — what each name actually means.
4. 04 Materials & Fibres Plant, animal, regenerated — and the grades of leather.
5. 05 Styles Streetwear through business casual — the dress-code ladder.
6. 06 Colour, briefly Five-minute primer on colour for getting dressed.