DRESSING UP VS. DRESSING WELL: The Difference Between Wearing a Costume & an Intentional Wardrobe

People think that “dressing well” and “dressing up” are the same thing. Because of this, many think that the mere fact they’re wearing a tie or collared shirt is sufficient. The truth is that it looks like very little care or effort was put forward. However, when you are intentional about your wardrobe choices, it makes a statement.

Being Intentional About Your Wardrobe

It can be a very in-depth topic, and there are numerous books written on the subject. My goal with this video is for it to serve as a primer, highlighting the distinction between the two concepts.

Dressing Up has two common implications. We dress up for special occasions (like weddings, graduations, etc.) or for Halloween—masquerading as someone we’re not.

All too often, people look like they’re wearing costumes or at least look out of place. This is specifically because they’re so unfamiliar with how to dress correctly that their wardrobe exudes this.

However, the well-dressed individual can look presentable almost regardless of what they’re wearing because they understand the underlying principles and can apply them to a wide range of situations.

At its core, being well-dressed is as simple as having your clothing fit in a flattering manner. The colors jive with your complexion, and you are in control of the message that the image portrays.

Simple things like switching from graphic tees to solids, baggy clothes to ones that fit closer to the body, avoiding jarring color contrasts, and wearing appropriate footwear and accessories can have a huge impact.

The Suited Shootist
Alex Sansone took his first formal pistol class in 2009, and has since accumulated almost 500 total hours of open enrollment training from many of the nation's top instructors including Massad Ayoob, Craig Douglas, Tom Givens, Gabe White, Cecil Burch, Chuck Haggard, Darryl Bolke, and many others. Spending his professional life in the corporate world, Alex quickly realized incongruities between "best practices" in the defensive world, and the practical realities of his professional and social limitations. "I've never carried a gun professionally. I'm just a yuppie suburbanite that happens to live an armed lifestyle. Having worked in the corporate arena for the last decade, I've discovered that a lot of the "requirements" and norms of gun carriers at large aren't necessarily compatible with that professional environment. I also have a pretty diverse social background, having grown up in the Northeast, and there are many people in my life that are either gun-agnostic or uncomfortable with the idea of private gun ownership. This has afforded me not only insights into how we are perceived by different subcultures, but how to manage and interact with people that may not share your point of view without coming across as combative or antisocial. This is why my focus is the overlooked social aspects of the armed lifestyle."