Anyone who is lean and muscular appreciates how difficult it can be to dress smart-casual in ways that look effortlessly stylish.
Fortunately, there’s a code you can follow to always look like the best version of yourself and it’s our privilege to bring you style advice from the Marco Baldassari, co-founder of the prestigious Italian fashion house Eleventy Milano.
1. CURATE A STYLISH MINDSET
A well-worn rule of making a good impression is to always dress one level above what’s required.
This tactic helps you stand out from the crowd and become better across all aspects of your life – your workouts included.
“I believe when you see yourself in the mirror and appreciate your style, your entire mindset changes positively because you feel modern, cool, and comfortable,” explains Marco Baldassari, an international fashion consultant and the co-founder and Men’s Creative Director for Eleventy (www.eleventymilano.com). “This confident mindset recharges your body and gives you more energy to take on the days challenges.”
This healthy headspace is vital if you want to forge a healthy body, much of this starts with improving your dress sense.
Look good and you’ll feel good and train stronger.
2. FIT GUYS DON’T ALWAYS FIT CLOTHES
Scrawny pencil pushers love suit jackets that make them look wider, bigger and more powerful.
Conversely, if you’ve got inbuilt wide shoulders, padded jackets can sometimes just make you look rather comical.
Fortunately, you can have it all.
“When people work hard to take care of their body, they can choose something fitted and tailored, which extenuates the hard work they’ve done,” says Baldassari. “We appreciate both approaches, but we focus on making garments a little more tailored to fit the body perfectly with shape and comfort for movement.”
Don’t take his word for it. Train cover guy Brian Mazza, who is no stranger to the building muscle and looking professional, had this to say.
“I used to own a custom suit company, but when I moved on from that I had no clue where I was going to get my clothes going forward,” smiles Mazza. “I was having a lot of trouble buying off the rack. Eleventy Milano has eliminated that process for me with their tailored silhouette and soft shoulders, which is especially good if you have larger shoulders from lifting. Anyone who has some size knows how frustrating buying a jacket to fit your shoulders and waist, can be so partnering with the right brand of clothing allows that to happen.”
3. YOU’RE MORE THAN WORKOUT GEAR
You live in many worlds that ask you to blend the aesthetics of workout gear with the style of your smart casual attire.
You can create a visual for yourself that blends the best of both.
“Taking care of yourself not only makes you feel good but puts you in the best position to improve all other areas of your life,” says Baldassari. “Casual style is currently a strong trend, which means you can wear more sportive and technical clothes to the gym, then do the same after a workout to meet friends. You will always look appropriate and feel good.”
“Since most athletes are used to wearing very slim outfit to workout in, they can use that experience to migrate to a more tailored fitting casual wear that is comfortable and offers a far better aesthetic.”
4. SWEAT MANAGEMENT
Training sessions happen at all times. Before work. At lunch. At the end of the day.
This means you’ll need to cool your body down after, so you’re not left wearing embarrassing sweat patches.
“To get around this, I suggest natural fabrics,” suggests Baldassari. These offer much more breathability, not only after a workout but throughout the long days where you’re going from the gym to work to your family and anywhere else your busy life takes you.”
5. DETAILS MAKE THE MAN
A typical training session is an accessory rich environment.
The phone. Earphones. Fitness Tracker. Hat. Towel. Water bottle. The list goes on.
It’s worth applying a similar mindset when you’re in your smart casual wear.
“I always try to educate my clients to wear an entire outfit where everything coordinates perfectly down to the smallest detail of pocket square, belt, or socks,” suggests Baldassari.
Here are some of Marco’s prime examples for making your style timeless and comfortable so you always stand out from the pack.
-Pocket square is a detail which makes your jacket look great, especially now that ties are unusual.
-Using a backpack instead of classic briefcase will make your life more functional and fit perfect with a casual expression of style
-Wearing a suit with a jogger trouser with a smart sneaker and luxury knitwear will make your style super cool and young.
When in doubt, follow the cues from our cover guy Brian Mazza who has a deft touch for always looking dapper whether he’s pressing plates in the gym or pressing the flesh in the boardroom. A part of this is finding clothes that are versatile and sophisticated.
“I wear my Eleventy Milano down vest every single day, it’s super lightweight and fits perfectly,” he explains. “I wear it to the gym or to a meeting. I also have an amazing double-breasted sport coat that can be worn causally with a T-shirt under or more formally for business. It’s wise to stick with a multifaceted fashion brand that leaves you feeling confident.
If you want to level up all aspects of your life, use these golden rules to make sure your performance and stylish appearance is always turning heads.
