So you’ve got the classic look with a contemporary spin. You look like a modern James Bond and anyone would think you had something about you.

You now need to make it personal and unique. You want to put your own spin on it all, perhaps with a unique watch or a splashing of a favourite colour. I like red and so am often found in a red tie or red jumper, even a red belt; almost like a trademark. A small piece of jewellery with sentimental value can be good too – I personally have a chain with various pendants that gets a lot of compliments. You may even want to invest in a tattoo if you can pull it off, just be sure that you won’t regret it in a week’s time.

If you’re the quirky type then a novelty tie, belt or even a hat could look good but again don’t try and pull off a hat if it’s really not your thing. The quirky among you can try the more obscure stuff too – why not wear trousers with different coloured legs? If you have a hobby or interest too you can display it, much as you did when you were a young surfer, but try and keep it a bit more subtle.

Alternatively you can try and mimic a celebrity or someone whose style you admire. So long as it’s not the current it-guy that everyone’s trying to impersonate (and it’s not Jonathan Ross) you should come out looking fairly original but stylish (still though make sure you depart from your idol from time to time to avoid looking like a mini-me. Think ‘overall feel’ instead of ‘identical outfits’.).

Other items can say a lot about your personal style too. Are you an iPhone guy (the tech-savvy man-child) or a Blackberry guy (the means-business fella)? Do you opt for a Man Bag (the metrosexual choice) or an all-strings attached Briefcase? I have a friend who still has a Nokia 3210 which makes a statement and is kind of retro-cool (if the rest of your ensemble is flashy then you won’t be mistaken for a hobo). Even your wallet is revealing. I once had a kid’s wallet I’d had since I was 10 that closed with Velcro and was garishly colourful. It was a conversation starter though and contrasted the get-up I wore to work so it worked well until the Velcro lost its stickiness.

Another aspect of your style that can have a big impact is your hair. Here you can either go for something understated, or go for something a bit more drastic. Again, unless you’re in your teens long hair is out but otherwise just pick something that matches your head shape. Mid-length hair is good too as you can gel it into various styles or have it flat for casual occasions. As for facial hair, a goatee can make you look kind of intense (which is great if that’s what you’re going for), while the unshaven look can give you a gruff edge if you’ve a strong jaw line so long as it looks intentional rather than lazy (it goes well with the lumberjack look mentioned before).

A final piece of advice is to every now and again try something completely unusual that you wouldn’t normally wear. This is the kind of thing people will notice and you might just surprise yourself.

Mack LeMouse

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