Political Media and Fashion Consultant Offers Top Tips for the Clothes Conscious Man

Mark Twain said it best: "Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence in society."

As a media producer for big-shot politicians across the nation, I've learned what "look" equals success. I've also learned that two things concern every politician: what they say, and what they wear. In this image-dominated culture, it's often the latter that winds up winning elections. Whether you're going for a job interview, dressing for a date, or donning threads for a regular doldrum day, you're entering an election too. How we dress says a lot about us, and winning the race of life often requires us to look our best.

Appearance creates credibility. Often times, we remember someone not because of what they said, but simply because that person was better dressed than the others around.

Here're five tips I give my clients for when they go reaching into their closets.

1.PICK POPPING PATTERNS: When combining multiple patterns, work outward, smallest to largest. For example, a shirt with narrow stripes works best with a tie of wide stripes.
2.ON SOLID GROUND: Wearing all solids has become synonymous with a stylish, modern look. To pull it off successfully, be sure to use shades of the same color, and work your way outward (suit, to shirt, to tie), from the darkest to the lightest shade.
3.A SHOE THING: Somewhere along the fashion time-line, something terrible occurred: people decided that brown shoes had to be worn with blues and browns, black shoes with blacks and grays. The truth is the brown shoe should be worn with everything except black, and sometimes jeans. The darker your pants, the darker the brown of the shoe should be. Also, the belt-shoe relationship is true: they should match. Remember, the thicker the shoe's soles, the more casual you will appear.
4.SOCK 'EM: No. Socks do not have to match your shirt. To achieve the cleanest, most fashionable look, pick socks identical to your pants in both color and material.
5.CASUAL CONFIDENCE: When going for the casual look - slacks and a shirt - remember that more contrast (different colors as opposed to a monochrome) means more casual. If you want a dressy casual look, go with different shades of a single color family. For true casual dress, it's best to wear darker pants with a lighter shirt; it'll make you look less top-heavy. As for textures, opposites attract. If your wearing smooth slacks, couple them with a nice pique or textured shirt; if textured pants, go with a slick shirt.
6. DRESS FOR FUNCTION: Always dress for the task at hand. If you're a brick-layer headed for a construction site, jeans, a flannel shirt and work boots are fine, but that's not how to dress when pitching your latest brainstorm to a boardroom full of business bullies.