The modern man has his disposal an impressive array of accessories and sartorial details, which, if he pays attention to, will enhance his appearance and make him look more polished. The details of your outfits are very important, as they are a great way to express your personality. Many men, however, are not sure what to make of certain pieces or how to wear them correctly.

If you’re looking to improve your appearance and don’t have the cash for a personal stylist, you can probably just make do with these three simple changes to your style and still come out ahead of the pack. Let’s take a look at the three sartorial things you should pay attention to.

Doing More with Neckties

Just because neckties are losing some of the spotlight with the casualization of the American workforce, doesn’t mean that they’re worth ditching altogether. Like it or not, there are still a multitude of times in your life when you’re going to have to wear a tie. Job interviews are a good example. While the average guy is no longer accustomed to wearing a tie on a day to day basis, formal events, weddings, important meetings, and other occasions of that ilk still call for the pièce de résistance of male formalwear.

So what actually constitutes a good tie? All it really takes is a quick look at your body’s proportions. You might have heard somewhere that the skinnier the tie, the better. Unless you’re fine looking like a better fit for Green Day than the boardroom, you should probably take a more nuanced approach. If you’re on the stockier side, a skinny tie isn’t going to be the most flattering look. Go for something slightly thicker. For the guys with thinner frames, go ahead and rock a skinny tie around 2.25 to 2.75 inches / 5,7 to 6.9 cm wide. It’ll look natural. Now on to the length. The rule when it comes to a tie’s length is that is that tip of the tie should hit right at your beltline— not higher, not lower. For a safe bet, stick to a single Windsor knot and you’ll look great.

If you are not sure how to match colors, stick to solids or simple patterns and avoid loud colors. It’ll look much more integrated with your overall look. After all, you want to wear your tie, you don’t want it to wear you.

The right socks

One of the most commonly overlooked elements on men’s style is the humble sock. While men have spent decades settling for plain blacks, grays, and navies, it’s time to take a look at our footwear with a fresh perspective. Designers like VK Nagrani have begun selling designer over the calf socks for men which bring a whole new dimension to footwear. They’ve built a veritable empire around luxury socks. In the words of Mario Bisio, CEO of Mario’s, “I would have never thought that a pair of socks would make me re-think the entire merchandising of my store. The attention to detail, the story and the consumer’s love affair with the VK Nagrani brand made me want everything in my store to have the same effect.” While shoes have long been the be-all end-all of style decision making for your feet, socks add another element to experiment with your look. This is a great place to add some of the color we told you not to use in your necktie. Bringing a bright color down to a stripe of ankle is going to add interest to your overall appearance and draw attention down to a pair of killer shoes. Contemporary tailoring is shifting toward shorter slacks so if you want to be in sync with the trends, this is the way to go.

Also, why not match your socks to your tie? That can be a fun way to break a neutral outfit.

Paying attention to cufflinks

While you might be tempted to eschew cufflinks as a relic of past generations, they can actually be an awesome way to add interest to more formal occasions. The gents over at AskMen had a great way to explain the the importance of wearing cufflinks. They “enhance your appearance by making you seem more presentable and smartly turned out. As well, since French-cuffed shirts are generally worn on more formal occasions, or at least in a business environment, the purpose of wearing such a shirt is to look polished — something that is hard to accomplish when your sleeves are flapping about.” In the end, it’s not a matter of just wearing any old pair of cufflinks either. If you really want to make a positive impression, it’s about finding a pair that serve to express your personality. Because of their relatively small size, cufflinks give you the chance to pick something a bit unusual without overwhelming your overall look. So go ahead, be a little adventurous with your French cuffs.

Once you’ve gotten your tie, your socks, and your cufflinks in order, it’s going to make a world of a difference for your appearance. Trust us, people are going to take notice of the changes in no time.

Fraquoh and Franchomme

P.S. What do you think? Do men pay enough attention to the details? Should they pay so much attention to detail when it comes to their clothes? Share your thoughts in the comments below! For more articles on style, fashion tips and cultural insights, you can subscribe to Attire Club via e-mail or follow us on Facebook or Twitter!