Just by making simple fashion decisions, you can boost your self-esteem, make you more productive and improve your career opportunities. Every week, I help 1,000+ men make the most of their wardrobe with fashion tips to upgrade your life.
Inspired by "Bold Choices: The Art of Strategic Fashion Risk-Taking" by Jordan Mitchell
There's this moment every guy experiences when getting dressed. You've got your basics down, everything fits well, colors coordinate perfectly, but something's missing.
You look fine, maybe even good, but you don't look like you. You're dressed, but you're not making a statement.
That's where the magic of statement pieces comes in.
I used to think statement dressing meant going full peacock with bright colors everywhere, patterns clashing, and accessories competing for attention.
Then I watched this guy at a coffee shop in the West Village completely nail it with just one bold choice: a paint-splattered vintage denim paired with the most basic white tee and brown jacket you've ever seen.
That paint-splattered denim wasn't just a pair of pants; it was his entire personality expressed through one piece.
The beauty of statement pieces isn't about shouting the loudest in the room. It's about having something to say and saying it with intention.
The best statement pieces work because they follow one simple rule: they enhance rather than overwhelm.
A vintage band tee becomes a conversation starter when paired with tailored trousers.
A bold burgundy jacket transforms basic jeans and a white shirt into something memorable.
Wide-leg painted jeans turn a simple sweater into an artistic statement.
I started experimenting with this approach last fall. Instead of buying five new "normal" pieces, I invested in one oversized brown corduroy jacket that felt completely different from anything in my closet.
Suddenly, outfits I'd worn dozens of times felt fresh again. Same black jeans, same white sneakers, but now I had this anchor piece that made everything else look intentional.
Here's the crucial part: that confidence must come from choosing pieces that resonate with you, not from copying what you saw on Instagram.
The guy in paint-splattered jeans worked because those pants told his story. A finance bro wearing the same pieces would look like he was in costume.
The secret to statement pieces is starting small and building confidence.
Maybe it's colorful sneakers that peek out from under classic trousers.
Or a vintage watch that sparks conversations.
Or even just rolling your jeans in a way that shows off interesting socks.
Once you get comfortable with one bold choice, you start seeing opportunities everywhere.
That weird vintage shirt you've been afraid to wear? Pair it with your most boring jeans.
Those statement pants you bought but never wore? Throw on a plain white tee and call it a day.
The goal isn't to reinvent yourself overnight; it's to gradually incorporate pieces that make you feel more like yourself, not less.
When you find that perfect statement piece, the one that makes you stand a little taller and smile a little wider, you realize something important: fashion isn't about following rules or fitting in.
It's about finding creative ways to show the world who you are, one bold choice at a time.
Make your statement count. Make something memorable of it.
I used to wear them to work at least four days a week in spring, fall, and winter, and a bit less often in summer.
Now, in an office where the dress code is the flexibly casual “dress for your day", I certainly CAN wear them, but I don’t as often as I used to.
Most of my ties spend their time carefully arranged on a rack in my closet, occasionally coming out when I need them or get the urge to wear one.
My knit neckties, carefully rolled up in a box to preserve their shape, get the most use.
Knit ties usually have a distinctive square end, as it’s the easiest shape to make in a knit, although some are tapered or stitched to form a more traditional necktie point.
They often taper slightly so that less material has to go around the neck and through the shirt collar, but even in a high-quality, tubular knit, they’re a fairly simple design.
Knit ties have been around since at least the early twentieth century, as an alternative to the traditional smooth, woven necktie.
They were worn as part of officers’ dress in the British Army during the First and Second World Wars, being issued to enlisted ranks as well starting in 1944, and remaining part of the No. 2 dress uniform today.
In the early 1920s, a few years after the end of the First World War, the New York Times noted that there had been a jump in demand for knit ties and that they were more popular than ever before.
There’s no way to prove it, but I suspect that this rise in the popularity of knit ties was a result of their use in the war, for a couple of reasons.
First, a knit tie at its simplest is just a long rectangle, by far the easiest item to make alongside the knit scarf (which is just a wider rectangle).
It would be easy and relatively inexpensive for a knitter to make one for a family member fighting in the war, and would provide a keepsake that they could wear at all times, thus causing a lot of men to feel particularly fond of the knit ties that they received from home.
Additionally, simply having a knit tie as part of a military uniform would increase awareness of it and cause the style to trickle down into the civilian clothing market, as military styles often do.
Thirdly, knit ties are often made of wool and cotton, which are less expensive materials that would not be as liable to wartime shortages as silk was.
Comfortable, affordable, and with a military flair, knit ties took off among the working class in the inter-war period and, like other casual clothing items such as loafers or button-down shirts, were quickly adopted by Ivy League college students of the era.
A major representative of that time’s collegiate style was F. Scott Fitzgerald, author of This Side of Paradise and The Great Gatsby.
Fitzgerald had attended Princeton in the 1910s, leaving without a degree after a failed love affair caused him to join the army.
His literary success beginning in 1920 made him famous as a chronicler of youth culture, and Fitzgerald adopted the same clothing as the young university-age men he wrote about, particularly button-down collars and knit ties.
Knit ties remained popular as a casual accessory through the Depression and Second World War, and reached their high point in the 50s and 60s as they became more acceptable in all settings.
They were worn on the silver screen in the 60s by Sean Connery, Rod Taylor, Paul Newman, and the Beatles, and when 1960s-inspired clothing made a comeback in the 21st Century, post Mad Men, knit ties reappeared at clothing retailers en masse once again.
Knit ties are usually found in one of three materials: wool, cotton, or silk.
Wool and cotton are naturally more informal than silk, but all three can be dressed down and worn with chinos or a good pair of jeans.
The design of the tie varies - they are often solid colors, but can feature dots or stripes (usually horizontal).
They tend to be knitted in a seed stitch, which adds some texture and causes silk ties to have their distinctive “crunchy” feel while handled.
I like the weight of knit ties, which tend to swing and drape satisfyingly.
In the James Bond novels, Ian Fleming describes in detail the clothing choices of his hero, and one item that comes up again and again is a black silk knitted tie.
While somewhat unusual for the 1950s, this tie would be ideal for a minimalist like Bond, who would be pairing it with one of a handful of suit and shirt combinations.
Lord knows I’m no wardrobe minimalist, but I see the appeal.
Having packed a single dark necktie for a wedding trip not long ago, I agree with Fleming that it’s ideal to have one tie that goes with jeans, a blazer, a V-neck sweater, and a nice grey suit all in the same weekend.
Do You Need My Help?
Have you ever found yourself staring at the closet, not knowing what to wear?
Do you need help with coordinating pieces?
Do you constantly struggle putting an outfit together and want to turn that confusion into confidence?
Then let's talk about how we can improve your look.
Just by making simple fashion decisions, you can boost your self-esteem, make you more productive and improve your career opportunities. Every week, I help 1,000+ men make the most of their wardrobe with fashion tips to upgrade your life.
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