Gentlemen, style is an important part of being a man in today’s world. It’s as important today as it was in medieval times when a man’s dress uniform was armor, or in Greek times when the color and cleanliness of a man’s toga denoted his place in society, or all the way back to the earliest forms of clothing when it was important just to keep you alive in the elements.

For the modern man, style is the armor we wear, it denotes our place in the world, and it keeps us socially alive (plus protects us from the elements). We’re not talking about that nasty industry of fashion. Fashion rarely makes sense, it comes and goes too quickly to matter, and it will make you compromise your integrity, and posture, just to fit its current whim. Clothing for the sake of fashion is not worth wearing, even owning, as it only benefits the designer and manufacturer.

But all that aside, there are aspects to style many men are completely lacking, and it shows. It screams to the world that you are not ready to be a man, that you are not ready to play in the big leagues. Think that’s just an analogy? When was the last time you saw a pro baseball, basketball, football or soccer player walk out onto the field or court looking like a slob? I can’t remember that far back.

Your daily wear is your uniform. It is how you present yourself, and how the world greets you. It matters.

So, without further ado, 5 things you must learn as a man about style.

1 Learn to do your laundry. Living at home and mom does it? Married and the wife does it? Single and just shove it all in the washing machine? Not good enough. Not manly. Learn how your clothes are cared for, and how to do it. We know, figuring out how to handle washing clothing almost needs diagrams and flow charts. Almost. I’ve seen engineers balk at learning what settings go with what clothes. They can figure out the obscenely complex formulas to design a nuclear reactor, but stumble on how to wash a pair of jeans. It may seem hard, but it really isn’t.

Yes, it may be that many women were raised learning how to do this stuff. That means it’s not genetic, you can learn it, too. And it’s not manly to have a woman wash your dirty drawers unless she chose to be a domestic engineer (what we formerly called a housewife). Learn to do the laundry. Read the labels, they’re not as complex as putting together some furniture (you know the furniture I am talking about). Learn what gets washed in a machine, by hand (yes, men have such things), and dry cleaned.

A man knows how to care for his gear; that unquestionably means his clothing too. Besides, not every woman was raised knowing how to do laundry. My wife sure didn’t, and after 20+ years of marriage she still asks me what settings things are washed on.

2 Speaking of your underwear… stop wearing worn-out, nasty drawers. Elastic seen better days? Color fading (or no longer white anymore)? Starting to lose their shape? Got a streak in the back even after a few washings? Getting a few holes? Crotch wearing out? Get rid of those things, now. Good underwear isn’t expensive. And no, those are not your lucky pair. You may have gotten lucky in them in the past, but the longer you keep those things around the less likely you are to get lucky again. Underwear has a purpose, it serves a utilitarian need to protect our equipment, and maybe help it look a little better. Your drawers are not an heirloom, stop treating them like they are.

3 Learn to iron. Seriously. It’s a manly duty. Back 50+ years ago you may have had a wife that was a homebody and had the time, but those days are long gone. Those are your shirts, learn to iron them. She probably doesn’t even own clothes that need ironing. And if you live outside the home and your mother is still doing it, turn in your man card. It’s called an iron, its heavy metal, it’s a golf club, its steal and heat and manly.

What? What do you mean you don’t have any clothes that need ironing? Don’t make me smack you.

4 Socks and sandals or slides do not go together. Ever. EVER. ‘Nuff said

Fine, fine. Socks have a purpose, a reason for existing. They are made to help cushion your stride, and control sweat and odor from the feet. Basically, they’re protection for your feet and shoes. Sandals are open air footwear, allowing your foot to breathe naturally while providing protection for the foot sole. The two do not belong together.

And you look like a dork in them. If your feet are cold, wear actual shoes. This is one of those things we talked about regarding fashion. Makes no sense, makes you do stupid things to fit into the latest stupid trend. Often just to break the rules of style for no other reason than to “be different”. When millions are doing the same thing, like sheep, you’re not different.

5 Learn how to shop for clothes on your own. You can pick out your own clothes, it is possible. I do it all the time. Many of your ancestors never once entered a clothier with the woman in their life (wife, mistress, or mother). Yes, it can be nice to have your girlfriend or wife with you for the company, and I will acknowledge that another pair of eyes can be better than a mirror. But, learn to shop for your own clothes on your own. She doesn’t take you shopping with her. Most women have learned it’s nothing but frustration taking a man shopping for her clothes.

Not to mention there’s no surprise when you dress up for an event in clothes she picked out. You can’t walk in and stun her in your tasteful brilliance. She knows what you’re wearing, she picked it out. Add to that, if you two split, your next girlfriend isn’t likely to be too happy with a closet of clothes that were picked out by the ex. The new girl may have a very different idea on how you should dress, which may be entirely because it’s not how the ex dressed you. You’re not a doll, and you’re not a child. Shop for yourself, develop your own style, and never have to replace your wardrobe because, well, it wasn’t really yours, was it?