HeFindsAdam Cleans Up Nicely, Sees How Checks And Stripes Can Be Friends

On Day 3, the wonderful Kalyn Johnson came to my door to prepare an outfit for a more formal evening. Kalyn's work is featured in countless magazines, and she has a number of NYC clients who all rave about her, including Ryan Smith, the co-host of BET’s My Two Cents. She has created a “Little Purple Book of Style” that everyone should get their hands on – focusing on the essentials of building a better wardrobe.

Kalyn’s first suggestion was to go shopping and accessorize. Combinations of ties, cuff links, and shoes can really make an outfit extra special. She also felt I needed a great pair of black dress shoes from Johnston and Murphy as a staple to my wardrobe.

Kalyn showed me ways to put together patterned dress shirts and ties – combinations that I would have never thought of myself. She combined a striped blue tie similar to the one above with a white and blue checked button-down to create a unique and modern look.  

Another great suggestion was to replace plastic shirt collar stays with stainless steel versions for the most important shirts in my wardrobe.   

Kalyn provided me with a full evaluation of my formal wardrobe after our meeting and I highly recommend learning more about this fantastic stylist at www.kalynjohnson.com.

Here are Kalyn’s stylist tips:

• Suits: A charcoal grey suit will look great on you and will work with most of the dress shirts you own.  Once you find the right charcoal grey suit, you will be able to use it in place of your black suit.  Go for an all-weather fabric, a 2-button jacket and flat-front pants with pant legs that narrow towards the ankle.

• Shoes: One way to update or elevate your look is to invest in new shoes. Plan to spend at least $250 on one pair – over the course of time, you will get your money’s worth. Break down the cost of the shoes by number of times you will likely wear them (or number of years you will wear them). Don’t let the dollar amount scare you off, focus on maximizing your investment over the long-haul.

• Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize:  Accessories can make or break an outfit; I cannot emphasize this enough.  For your formal wardrobe, that really means ties and cuff links. Consider adding a pop of color to your tie collection. And for the bling at the wrist, find a pair that make your heart leap. Check out Paul Smith, Century 21, Saks, Bergdorfs, and Steve Alan.

And check out our guide on how to Hippify Your Guy for more ways to make your man stylish.