7 Grooming and Dress Tips for Men

Attention to detail is crucial when creating that competitive edge! Sometimes the small details that most of us do not think about, are in fact what others really pick up on. That potential new employer notices your less than perfect appearance, or the new client that you are trying to win over does not see your A-game that day. It is truly the little things that can derail that well thought out outfit or the grooming details that we do not think are important!

My son, Brett, this past weekend told me a story of when one of his colleagues shared their interview methods with him. The colleague, who had conducted many interviews in his career, said that after he was introduced to the applicant the first thing he would look at would be their fingernails. Were they dirty, were taken care of, did the applicant wash his/her hands before they walked in the door? Depending on the quality of the applicants fingernails the interview would continue based on the premise that if the applicant doesn’t take the time to wash his/her hands or take care of themselves, how can they pay attention to the details for the company. While this example may be a little extreme, I find it interesting that sometimes people pay attention to what’s least expected. It’s important to take pride in how you present yourself, your hair doesn’t have to be perfect everyday, but it’s always worth trying to look your best!

Here at The Bespoke Edge would like to offer the following 7 grooming and dress tips that will help polish your image and fine-tune your current wardrobe.

1) Clean and polished dress shoes
If your dress shoes can be polished, shine them up! If they can’t be polished, at least make sure you didn’t spill something right on the toe of your shoe.

2) Match belt color to shoe color
This is a subtle detail that goes a long way. It doesn’t have to match perfectly but a simple rule, brown belt goes with brown shoes, and black belt with black shoes.

3) Socks, socks, socks!
When in doubt, match your sock color to your blazer color. But have some fun here, throw in some brightly colored socks to contrast your suit, can’t go wrong with argyles or a fun polka-dot!

4) Well-groomed hairstyle
Shampoo, conditioner, product. Whatever your style is make sure it’s clean and looks like you’ve paid attention to it in the last 24 hours.

5) Cleaned and trimmed fingernails
Like my son’s story, clean your fingernails and wash your hands. Try to stay away from the bad habit of biting your fingernails. It’s one thing if you’re working out in the backyard and get your hands dirty, but that’s why there’s soap, clean ‘em up!

6) Minimal cologne
Cologne is meant to be an intimate fragrance, if you walk by me and I can smell it for 5 minutes after you’ve left the room, it’s too much! One spray will suffice, spray on your bare neck and chest or on a wrist, then dab your wrist on your neck. Do not rub on your skin, this will reduce the length of time cologne lasts. Focus on pulse points, like your neck and wrists.

7) Take a shower
Take a shower and wash your face. At of all the challenges in your day, this should not be very difficult. Clean yourself up daily and smell good.

Feel free to contact us at with other questions that you have about developing that professional, business wardrobe. A big part of looking and feeling your best are your clothes. Wearing the right clothes for the right occasion and of course well fit clothing. Fitted clothes that match your individual body shape and style go a long way. Shouldn’t you have clothing that is as individual as you are?