Clothing and accessories for MEN with real taste

Over the past twenty years and more, it has been a fun quest for clothes to wear. I wanted to look good, and more specially, feel good. The first ten years or so were the years I started and ended my journey.At least, that was what I thought. For the next ten years, I kept myself amused perfecting my personal style, until I ended up drenched, and honestly, without a clue about what was next. It was like I was wondering if that was all there was, and whether the fun part was over. I was both right and wrong.
In my search for my personal style, I also made a detour by the gym, and also later went through an awkward phase of being overweight, before getting back to my ideal shape, which ironically has become a compromise between those two periods of my life. I am comfortable with my weight and that's alright. I am not into any form of competition, and do not need the fuss of going into diets of any sort.
Of course, during my quest, I cheated. I watched some television programs about fashion, observed how people were dressed, researched Men's fashion magazines to enrich myself about good taste, and ended looking up the Internet for useless articles that seemed more prone to display ads rather than helpful content.

All those years of research led me to a single idea, which could apply to to anyone who is in his 40s or 50s today. If younger, someone may have to research further.

If you want to dress up with class, study pictures of your grandfather in his splendor. They knew how to wear whatever they wore.

That's my opinion. My own grandfather was from China, wore classic Chinese clothing, and I haven't had the chance to catch him in any picture wearing a suit. But I have seen pictures of other people from the first half of the 19th century, and they knew how to dress up perfectly, without any hint of a fashion faux pas. So, it can't be that hard. Apparently, people from that era had a single vision about good fashion, and none about bad style. Adopting that attitude can't be that bad, although more difficult than I envision, because it requires a lot of mindset not to make mistakes.

So I observed and adopted a pocketful of concepts about dressing up, depending on the various occasions that Life takes us into, although the 'one size fits all' philosophy could be the ideal.
When I imagine what to be stylishly dressed could look like, I imagine the look of a high profile contract killer, or a mafiosi, or some other smart Outlaw. They need to be well dressed, but still go unnoticed.
Think Tom Cruise in 'Collateral', Brad Pitt and George Clooney in their 'Ocean' movies' suits. These guys blended in their clothes. They were smart, but you would not even remember what they wore. That's how it is supposed to be done. Observe, learn, and go for it.
Remember Keanu Reeves in 'Constantine', although you must not look as if you just slept in your clothes.
Or you can go further up in History and recall how Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly, Sammy Davis Jr, Dean Martin, Gary Grant always looked good, although they never seemed to overdo anything. These guys knew how to dress simply and perfectly, and never had a bad suit day.
Michael Jackson wore the perfect attire in his 'You Rock My World' video. Dark suit and plain red shirt. You can make an abstraction of the white socks if you are no dancer, but this outfit is some sort of pinnacle of what to wear, and how to wear it.

Today, I kind of find salvation in being dressed down. No appearing designer label, nothing flashy if I can avoid it. There is no definition of how I dress. I just go by my instincts. I rarely look at myself in the mirror, so I have to focus on my own judgement. If I cannot tell what will be perfect, I know in my heart what's not right, which means what is to be avoided.

So, I am left with a question: 'What's good?'
If there cannot be any definitive answer, I try to stick to s few basics:
Plain or pin-striped classic shirts, with white being my preferred option, although blue is the dominant color in my wardrobe. I do have lots of shirts of different colors, but I do not use them very often. I tend to stick mostly to white and blue. No designs, except if it's white on white, and hardly noticeable.
I would definitely stick to white if I could, but I don't wear white that well. And honestly, white shirts have a very short lifetime, while blue can last for years.
Note: The recent slim-fit trend is a cool one, but that is fashion and is bound to evolve someday.
Dark slim pants do the job for for me, and stripes are a bonus as they help look slimmer. My choice.
Ties? That's both simple and tricky. After two decades of goofy ties, slim ties were back and they are to die for. Colored or black, they really can brighten my day. I just need to be careful not to wear the wrong color of tie with my outfit.
Socks must be dark and should go as up so as to cover as much skin as possible. I could wear white or any other color and design on any fancy whim, but by all means, socks must not be flashed. That's Sock Rule Number One, and also the last.

Shoes are tricky. The really nice shoes are expensive. But even spending a lot on a pair of shoes does not spare anyone from making a wrong choice. And unlike clothing, they cannot be tailor-made. Going along with only what stores offer is a pity, but I consider it a challenge to be on the look out for cool shoes. And when they really look good, I buy a second identical pair for later use.
I choose my shoes with care, because they always seem to send a message about the person wearing them. Therefore, I do not want to look like I did not care in the first place.

Underwear: That's my choice. I really feel there that I can do whatever I want, but I always keep in mind I would never wear anything I would not like to be caught in. I also apply the same rule as Rule Number One for socks. Apart from that, I am free.
I also wear undershirts for personal hygiene. Sweat spots are a no-no if I can do something about it.

Accessories, anyone?
Belts: The simpler, the better. A wisely choosen leather belt may last a lifetime and must also go unnoticed. There is no need to show off. I make sure the belt holds my pants on me, and I forget about them for the rest of the day.

Cuff-links are the only accessories I would allow myself apart from the belt. Those tiny pieces of jewelry for men are classy and make quite a statement about one's personal taste.

I have almost stopped wearing watches, although I own quite a few. But I do not really need them since I can read the time on the computer, cellphone, from wall clocks. Plus the bonus of the opportunity to ask for the time and talk to a stranger. You always need to make new friends.
If you need to wear a watch, please do. Just do not go for the bling.

Cellphones: Apparently, they complement outfits, and also complement lack of personality today. For God's sake, keep it it your pocket.

Handkerchiefs: The art of the handkerchief seems lost. I always have one in my pocket. You should too. Now that you keep that damn expensive cellphone where I advised, your handkerchief will help protect your investment.

Now that I have expressed my wisdom, I shall see more clearly whether I do apply my precepts to myself or not. I have wrestled a lifetime out of the misery of a motley wardrobe to a classier one. It's time to reap the respect I owe myself.