The Birth of Aiding in Elegance

The inaugural post of Aiding in Elegance must be held to high standards. As such, I will give a basic yet essential foundation for a sharp, clean personal appearance to get you started in embracing and mastering the qualities that Essential Living serves to relay to its followers.

Looking Sharp
Looking sharp is one of the easiest ways a man can elevate his lifestyle. The first fact every one of us must know about the seemingly overwhelming task of always looking your best for all occasions is a simple one: it's easy. Now, I understand that many of you either think that you're well dressed and groomed, and the rest of you think it's a daunting and generally difficult task. Chances are, both of you are wrong.

Sure, everyone wants to be an individual, break from the norm. That's the downfall of the common man. Stick to the raw basics and you'll beat all those 'creative-types' that flood every workplace. The countless colored sweaters, ties with elaborate patterns or logos, and colored shirts belong to an unfortunate group of people. These people make themselves go unnoticed simply because everyone is trying to set themselves apart, and frankly the colors and variations day in and day out soon go unnoticed. These people are never thought of as "well dressed".

If you think that this trend of individuality is attractive, think of the last time you thought "So-and-so looks good today in his purple sweater and neutral colored tie". Never happened.

Solution? Stick to the basics. Get yourself a suit, French-cuffed shirts, a nice pair of shoes, a matching belt, and neutral/simple ties. This is all possible with one simple trip to a mall or without leaving the confines of your own home. Now, the size of that home probably correlates to your budget. That's not a problem.

Suits
If you're not going to be buying the highest end suits, you have plenty of options. You can buy a suit, or have one tailor-made.
(Note about tailor-made suits: Find a good tailor. Ask an exceptionally well dressed friend, coworker, or a very high-quality store. You'll get suggestions. Find these tailors and meet with and talk to them. You want a tailor you're comfortable with and who has experience with suit-making. Use the right fabric. Ultimately, this is up to you, but if you're buying real suits for the first time, take the tailors suggestion. Use 110 grade or higher fabrics for a suit that no one will think is a department store pick-up.)

If you'd rather just make a purchase, there are plenty of retailers and for all styles and price ranges. Some recommended suit sources are (in ascending pricing order):
Joseph A. Bank
Hugo Boss
Gucci
Ermenegildo Zegna
You can't go wrong with the suits listed above (that are appropriate for your price range) if you stick to a basic. A grey or black suit will never let you down, and are essential in every man's wardrobe.

Shirts
When buying a suit from one of the above brands, walk to the shirts section (or move your mouse, exert yourself with a click or two, and navigate to their french-cuffed shirts). Conveniently, these shirts will be perfect for the suit you're about to acquire. You need enough shirts to take you through the work week, so depending on how often you make it to the dry-cleaners purchase accordingly. Shirts should be fitted, and generally will be done for free in-store if you don't have a tailor just yet. Unless you fall into the heavier category, a shirt should correctly outline your physique without the need to tighten it in the front (leaving an unsightly bunching in the back).
Try to stay away from button-down collars. Stick to the Spread collar-type or the trendier, slim-tie friendly Point collar-type. This decision depends on the type of tie you enjoy wearing, and either the spread or the point will keep you looking sharp.

Accessories
This category is so broad that I have reserved the topics below for another day. Here are the basics to tide you over until then:

1. Match your belt to your shoes (color-wise)
2. Get yourself a watch that you like enough to make your workweek choice. Stick to blacks, blues, and silvers as your main color. White and gold accents (when applied tastefully) can do good things for a watch. Both metal and leather bands offer equally attractive watches, but this is a preference choice. If you have proven to have bad taste thus far (colored sweaters), ask for advice. The people that sold you your suit will know your price range, as well as having a thorough knowledge of the watches their clients and customers typically wear.
3. Ties can be tricky. Without great natural taste (which, if you possessed, you probably wouldn't have read to this point in the post) you're going to need to stick to basics. Keep the flashy ties at home, men. Solids are your best bet.

At this point you should be looking sharp. Even more important than all of that, though, is confidence. If you  see yourself in the mirror and think "I look very well put together", you're leagues ahead of those "individualistic" conformists. Those people either have no confidence and are looking to carve their own niche into their environment so as not to be forced to compete with or be measured against the rest of the community, or they have falsely placed confidence in the fact that their choice to be unique has resulted in a more attractive style. 

The truth is, classic styles remain classic not because they follow a simple set of guidelines, but because they are timeless in their clean and aesthetically pleasing nature.

The above is written to serve as an introductory piece to Aiding in Elegance, serving to give an idea of the quality of writing and content matter to be discussed in future posts.