How To Dress Consistently For A Lifetime

7 Rules For Clothing by Todd Shelton

Ever noticed how strange it is that time always seems to be moving slower when you’re counting down? Waiting for that hour hand to turn to the five. Freedom awaits you, my friend. Maybe you just spent hours sorting through reports at a desk, or grading papers from a class of two hundred and five students-- or maybe you’re on the other end of the lecture, studying and learning from 9-5. Whatever you’re doing from sun up to sun down, know that when the clock strikes five, it’s go time . Now, whether you’re gearing up for an afternoon beer with the boys or buttoning up to hit the city, there’s only one thing we know for sure. Your style is key. And you know what they say, first impressions are everything. Luckily, Todd Shelton has provided us with the guidance (oh, and the effortlessly tailored looks) to bring any outfit from day to night. 

You’ll wanna stay for this one… 

Let’s cut to the chase -- with Todd Shelton your style with elevate to a whole new tier between class and comfort. It’s quintessentially suitable for an everyday look that works every. single. time. Oh, and don’t let us forget the best part, they’re sustainable too. You heard right folks! Every Todd Shelton piece is made-to-order by customer request, so we know that every garment is tailored to fit your needs without compromising the environment. 

And when it comes to dressing up, Todd Shelton doesn’t mess around. They’ve carefully curated what they like to call the 7 Rules for Clothing -- the ultimate guide to help you create an individualized look that you can wear day to night, and year after year. 

Rule 1: Pants should be darker than shirts.

Build something tall, and the heaviest layers are at the bottom. Look at a landscape or painting, the darker colors are at the bottom.

Rule 2: Wear solid colors only.

As menswear dress codes become more casual, patterns have become increasingly popular, making solids seem too simple. But patterns can be hard to match. Solids are modern, versatile, and don't go out of style.

Rule 3: Wear normal colors.

A narrow range of colors is required to build a balanced wardrobe. The more colors in your closet, the less cohesive your style will be. 'Normal' is what's normal for you. Identify your normal and commit to it, getting dressed will be easier.

 Rule 4: Pant length should stop at the top of the shoe.

A common style mistake is wearing pants that are too long. It can look careless. To eliminate fabric bunching around the ankle, pant leg should stop at the top of the shoe. This helps keep pant lines clean.

Rule 5: Don’t wear socks that draw attention.

Fun socks are a popular way to show personal flare. But there's risk in wearing fun socks. They can draw the eye and break clean visual lines. Wear socks in low contrast to your pants.

Rule 6: Stop multi-brand contamination in your closet.

Mixing brands in your closet results in inconsistent fitting clothing; leaving your wardrobe out of balance. Identify a brand that matches your fit and aesthetic and try to stick with it.

Rule 7: Don't dress to impress.

There can be risk in over-dressing. Overly thought out outfits can be misinterpreted as trying to elevate or separate yourself. You can

A Few final Words With Todd Shelton

How has your brand made it a priority to be vocal about reducing waste in today’s society?

I’m 100% opposed to fashion’s business model of pumping out product and aggressively marketing it. It doesn’t serve modern-thinking consumers and it’s environmentally wrong. It does, however, serve consumers who want cheap product, large corporations, and those resistant to change. But it’s easy to speak out on something that is so clearly right. Stopping over-manufacturing will help fix environmental problems and the unhealthy consumerism we’re seeing. I’ve yet to meet a person who doesn’t agree that over-manufacturing is a problem. It’s not political or controversial.

How do you keep your pieces sustainable? Could you also elaborate on your factory?

Stopping over-manufacturing is what anyone who cares about sustainability should be focused on, everything else in the sustainability realm is secondary. We use on-demand manufacturing which means we make a product when a customer orders it. Having our own factory enables on-demand.

Could you tell us more about what inspired your 7 Rules for Clothing?

Our lives are busier and more distracted than ever, and it’s hard to find the time to manage our wardrobes in an organized way. We wanted to create guidelines to help guys build a wardrobe. For anyone who wants to be a sustainable fashion shopper, my first recommendation is to develop a set of rules for themselves. With rules, a person knows exactly what clothing they should buy. Having rules helps eliminate buying clothes emotionally or recreationally, which many times results in buying things that don’t get worn regularly.

Words: Kiana Kanoa

Model: @officialkingclout

Photos: @kianakanoa