The Sunday News
EVERY now and again I get a request from some of my readers to explore and explain the difference with some concepts in fashion. This week I received a rather interesting request, which I know perplexes a lot of people, even those that deem themselves fashion experts or is 
it fashionistas?
The question is, is there a difference between being well dressed and having style?
I have on countless times spoken about being a sartorial gent, having style, being stylish, being fashionable — but what does it all mean?
A common question asked by young men is – what makes a man stylish, is it his ability to fork out hundreds of dollars on a suit? Could it be the fact that he has a keen eye for accessorising?
With all those characteristics being part of it, style is really a blend of what you wear and how you carry yourself.
As you all know trends come and go, but style is something that one possesses for a lifetime.
For most stylish men, items like classic suits and blue jeans will never go out of style.
These items are not loud and they suit virtually everyone, though in different situations. They may look good on someone but it would be a different story for the next person.
The way a man carries himself can make the difference between picking up a girl at the bar or club with a simple smile or having her look at you like you are David Beckham.
People love wearing labels to emphasise a certain trend or style set by a style icon.
These labels somehow tend to become an artistic identity, which define how we dress, our goals and our perceptions.
We throw these terms around left, right and centre but do we really know what they represent?
One might assume that being well dressed and having style are not mutually exclusive.
To be well dressed one must of course be stylish and to be stylish you must be well dressed.
I think you could argue that these two concepts are in fact two very different things.
It is possible to be interested in clothes and care about your image and still look unappealing.
To realise the concept of being well dressed or stylish in our minds requires us to take personal taste into account.
We each have our own ideas of what does and does not look good, meaning that each and every one of us has his own personal taste.
If you desire or seek to be deemed stylish or well-dressed you must always be consistent.
Of course this applies only when you are in good health, we don’t expect you to look super dressed when you are suffering from a cold or flu.
What you wear is up to you and will depend entirely on your style.
It doesn’t always have to be your best dress, which many of us keep for Sunday, you can dress down and dress well but it should always be considered.
Focusing on men, a well-dressed man is understated; he will blend into the background but always be noticed.
He has confidence in his clothes, confidence in himself and is comfortable in his image.
He will appreciate all aspects of fashion and even have an appreciation of other clothing items he may not wear.
Being well-dressed is a concept true to the individual. In the real world, in the everyday situation a well-dressed man is king.
I got something off the Internet, which basically differentiates the art of being stylish and that of being trendy:
Style vs trend: What’s the difference?
You may not know it, but there’s actually a huge difference between being stylish and being trendy.
Being stylish means that you show elegance, taste and refinement . . .
And what does trendy mean?
Trendy simply means that you’re following the latest trends and fashions.
Being stylish is about having enough taste that you can put a great outfit together. It’s knowing what looks great on you.
Being trendy is only about being up-to-date with the latest fashion trends. You only need to flip open a fashion magazine or browse to a fashion site to get that information . . .
But it won’t make you look good unless you understand style first.
How do they relate to each other?
While being stylish and being trendy shouldn’t be confused as the same thing, you can certainly be both at the same time.
You can be both stylish and trendy, and you’ll look great.
You can also be stylish without being trendy. You don’t need to follow trends to create killer outfits. You can just stick to the classics and look great.
And you can also be trendy without being stylish . . . but you shouldn’t!
Because without style an outfit looks like crap no matter how on trend it is. In fact, you’ll look more of a fool because you look like you think you know what you’re doing. You look like you’re making a real effort to look good and failing miserably.
So you should work on being stylish first.
Only once you understand what makes an outfit work should you focus on dressing trendier.
The concept applies to both men and women, although it greatly affects men because women always look good in whatever they wear.
- Till next week let’s keep styling. For feedback please sms or WhatsApp ONLY 0772337433.
