I always have had a “passion for fashion” in my own sense. Before I got to college I wanted to own my own clothing company. Too little too late, it seems like there are so many out there now a days I had fled that idea, even after carving out a name, logo, and Instagram page. Next up, I transitioned that idea into a higher fashion label, and for a while I had always had the idea of a suit company. I liked dressing up, and was sold on the idea until I kind of realized going to school for design or fashion would definitely couple well with this passion rather than Business and Writing (not to say I have completely given up on this). Fast forward and while I do work at a clothing company, I’d say my experience in fashion is just how I dress and especially on a night out on the town. While I was reluctant to give away these details, here’s my guide to how I go on about picking out my outfit for a night out.

Step 1: The piece

I tend to make my decision first based off of the main piece I want to work around. This can be pants, shoes, shirts, or a hat. While you can get more than 1 centerpiece involved, it tends to look tacky if you are trying to put on too much. It also can draw attention away from the piece you wanted to focus on. A lot of times, I tend to pick a pair of shoes or pants to focus on, and when it’s colder out maybe a jacket or coat to work around. After the desired piece is chosen, we now need to compliment it.

Step 2: Piece together the puzzle

Its like a five piece puzzle, and you just figured out which one is the middle piece, it’s time to put together the border of it with the corners (terrible analogy, as finding the middle piece out of 5 would be easy as cake). I tend to keep it plain as again to not take away form the shine of the centerpiece. A lot of black and white, and occasionally a pop of color to maybe compliment another piece.

Step 3: The accessories

Who says accessories are just for chicks? While I tend to keep it plain, I definitely want to step up this department of my outfits. I have a plain silver ring that is literally stuck on my finger, so it is always a part of the ensemble. Aside from that, I typically pick a watch that goes with the vibe of the fit. I have a black plastic one, a black metal one, and a rose gold metal one. Rose gold when the fit is pretty basic, and the black ones get a lot more play, going plastic on the more casual fits.

Bonus: Tie it together with some musk

You can’t forget: while everyone is eyeing up your fit, they need something to smell that goes along with it. Adding on the sprits of musk to top off the outfit adds a second sense. I have mine dialed to depending on the kind of night, I’ll use certain brands scents. Don’t be afraid to mix and match.

There you have it. Sometimes this process can take 30 seconds; sometimes it can take 30 minutes. It all depends on a medley of variables that come down the pipeline before or after the shower. Just make sure to have some good tunes while you scope your options.