Minimalist Style Guide: How To Always Be

Well Dressed (even when in a rush)

Introduction: who this guide is for:

This guide is for you if you want to dress well without thinking too much about what to wear.

This guide is NOT for you if you are obsessed with fashion and keeping up with current trends.

The Minimalist Style Guide: 7 Essential Colors Every Guy Needs to Look Effortlessly Stylish 1
The 7 Essential Colors - Just Buy These (For Now)

These colours are the foundation of a minimalist wardrobe. They should be 80-90% of your
wardrobe. They go well with each other and form a solid base to add other colours.

1. Black
2. White
3. Grey/Charcoal
4. Khaki Green (Military green)
5. Brown
6. Navy
7. Beige

When you shop for clothes whether it’s t-shirts, shirts, trousers, jackets, hats…Try going for
these basic colours. While brighter colours with big designs may appeal to you at first, they are
often trendy rather than timeless meaning you can easily grow out of them or get bored of them.

This isn’t to say you shouldn’t get bold colours. Every rule is there to be broken. But as a guy
who’s getting the basics down, you should focus on these basic colours first - and add a pop of
colour as the ‘POINT’ (the accent) to your outfit. We will discuss this later.

10 Color Combinations That (Almost) Always Work

I use these colour combinations all the time when I don’t want to think about
what to wear. Sometimes you are busy and you gotta put something on and
go. Ain’t nobody got time for a dress rehearsal like girlfriends do before every
outing.

The reason they work almost always rather than all the time is because you
can still mess it up by combining materials/fabrics that don’t go together.

1. All Black

All-black outfit is the easiest way to look good when you’re rushed for time. No
time to think. Black black black black black. It makes you look put together,
sleek and cool. It also makes you look taller because it’s one colour.

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2. Black and White

You can’t go wrong with black and white. They are what I call ‘half-colours’. They go
with everything and of course with each other. Makes you look clean and minimal. It’s
also easy to pick out. Like an all black outfit, it’s very easy to add the ‘point’ (accent)
to this outfit with any colour/jewellry without looking overdone.

3. All Black + Accent Color

All black with an accent colour is the easiest way to look fashionable. It gives you a
bit of personality when all black can make you look like you’re going to a funeral.
Good news is, if the base is all black, you can put just about any color and it will just
work. You can add colour with your socks or jewellery or even your hair.

4. Black/Grey/Charcoal

This works because shades of the same colour (Tone-on-tone*) will make you look
put together. Think of James Dean in this classic pic. We’re talking about shades of
black, shades of grey - again very simple to put together without thinking.

5. Light Blue/Dark Blue (Navy)

This is another super easy combo that just works. Think light blue shirt with dark blue
pants. Since most people have denim, this is an easy way to style jeans. It’s classic
tone-on-tone* where you match different shades of the same colour. Of course you
can do this with other colours and not just blue.

6. Khaki Green/Brown

I was surprised to learn how much of fashion comes from military clothing. Khaki
green which I’m calling military green, goes very well with brown and also with navy.

7. Khaki Green/Navy

Navy and khaki also go very well. I don’t know why but this is a tried and tested
combination in american/japanese casual clothing. We’re talking navy blazers, khaki
pants etc.

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8. Navy/Khaki/Brown

This triple combo will make you look very stylish. Just try to nail the tone. Don’t
make any one of them too shiny. The colour combination itself will make you
stand out. You don’t need to do anything else. Try to let the color do the talking.

9. Navy/Beige

This will also work and make you look stylish instantly. It’s such a good combo
that not enough people make use of. The Navy will ‘tone-down’ and contain the
brighter colour beige. Think of navy blazer and beige slacks/chinos. You see this
in Ivy/preppy looks a lot.

10. Grey/Blue

Grey sweatpants and grey hoodies. I wear this a lot when I’m training or just
working on stuff. As a result I’ve worn these with almost every other colour. Grey
tends to go with most other colours. Grey with blue/navy seems to work very well.
Imagine all grey with blue/navy baseball cap. Or like my high school uniform -
grey trousers with navy blazer and white shirt - classic.

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Tone-on-Tone vs. Tone-in-Tone*

This is the simplest way to think about matching colors. When

Tone-on-Tone - Matching the same colour in different

This will make you look stylish and well put-together.

● Example: Light blue shirt + Navy Jacket + Jeans

Tone-in-Tone - Matching different colors of the same

This will make you look like you know what you are doing. You
will stand out more and look more fashionable.

● Example: strong blue trousers with strong burgundy

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Wanhee’s 3-Color Rule

This is a good rule for beginners to follow. Most of us make the mistake of doing too much with
our outfits. Too many colours, too many details, too many items, too many materials… Cut all of
that out. Try to dress maximum 3 colours – while keeping in mind every rule is there to be
broken. Here’s the rule below:

● Black and white count as 0.5 colour, while shades of the same color count as one.
● Every other colour counts as 1 colour.
● Try not to wear more than three colours.

‘POINT’ - Making Your Outfit Pop with Accents

The ‘POINT’ in your outfit is an accent in your outfit that draws attention to it. This gives your
outfit personality and it’s a great way to think about how to put together an outfit.

Imagine designing a room with one artwork. The room needs to be minimalist and basic for that
one artwork to shine. Same with the ‘point’. You can do this with colour, fit, material, item –
anything can become the ‘point’ (the accent) depending on the context of the rest. The most
normal and random white t-shirt can become the ‘point’ in an all black outfit. This can be:

● Colour: e,g) Bold colour that stands out

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What are the ‘points’ in the outfits below?

Stick to 1-2 points max. Any more, and your outfit looks overdone and we don’t get what the
‘point’ is. It’s confusing and can look try-hard.

Remember points can be very subtle and understated. In fact I think this is the better way to do
‘points’ in general. Make it less obvious. Let the ‘point’ be the unusual stitching that is barely
visible. Let it be the material that shows only when you walk. This is more on personal
preference but a good rule of thumb for the minimalist is this: “the more understated it is, the
better.”

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Biggest Style Mistakes to Avoid

1. Too Many Points

Too many logos, patterns, colours, accents everywhere create chaos. Keep it simple.

2. Looking Too Try-Hard

Whenever it looks like you tried really hard to put together the perfect outfit - it looks less good.
Because it shows you care too much about what other people think. The more an outfit looks
like you just threw it on and didn’t think too much, the cooler it looks.

3. Being Worn By The Clothes

You want to wear the clothes not be worn by them. Some people want to flex their clothes and
buy flashy, brand new stuff. Clothes generally look better when they’ve been worn a bit. This is
also why a lot of stylish people shop second-hand or vintage.

Final Thoughts

Improving your style isn’t about following every trend or buying expensive pieces. It’s about
mastering the essentials, experimenting, and developing a wardrobe that works for you. This
process takes time, and you will make a lot of mistakes. You will cringe at yourself just like I did,
and still do. That’s all part of the process. Like any skill there is no way to get better at ‘style’ or
‘dressing well’ without making a ton of mistakes and trying again and again. But if you follow
these minimalist principles, the journey will be easier.

Remember these are the suggestions and guidelines of a random guy from korea. These aren’t
to be followed like the ten commandments. Just have fun with it. Every ‘rule’ here is there to be
broken.

Finally some people will look good even when they dress ‘bad’ while mannequins always look
average even with the best ‘styling’ on them. Why do you think that is? Your personality, your
body language, the words out of your mouth, the things you do - will always matter more than
your clothes. If you’re really good at something and passionately doing it, you will make even
the dumbest clothes look good.

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