How to Dress Up And Dress Down a Look Like a Pro – Dress Code Law

DRESS UP AND DRESS DOWN A LOOK LIKE A PRO –

A DRESS CODE HIERARCHY (DCH) LAW BY KOBI KOACHMAN

Have you ever thought of an easy guide to help you with the endless style rules you need to master as a Stylish Gentleman? Wouldn’t it be nice if there was a cheat sheet to consult for all your style troubles? Lucky for you we’ve created one to help you in your style journey. We present to you a simple guide and formula on how to dress up and dress down a look.

In today’s guide, we offer great insights on how to dress up and dress down like a pro using the Dress Code Hierarchy (DCH) formula. 

Before we delve into the order of the day properly – let’s look at the concept of Good Dressing and Sophisticated Style.

THE CONCEPT OF GOOD DRESSING

Being able to successfully Dress Up and Dress Down a look without making any style blunder is a renowned skill that every stylish gentleman should master.

The concept of Good Dressing involves putting some thought into a cohesive outfit in a bid to look well put-together irrespective of the occasion or dress code.

While style is a method of self-expression, the enormous amount of clothing options can make it very challenging to know exactly what to wear and when to wear it.

There are different rules and expectations depending on the circumstance and occasion. 

It is the duty of every good dresser (and aspiring good dressers), to understand the different rules to apply to their dressing depending on the circumstance, occasion and style preference.

This is what the Fundamental of Good Dressing and Sophisticated Style is all about. It has an endless stream of benefits as it will make you a sartorial pro and better still a style/image connoisseur in the fashion world.

These rules can be mastered on a foundation level using what we call THE DRESS CODE FORMULA.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO DRESS UP OR DRESS DOWN A LOOK?

Dressing Up an outfit means wearing smart, sharp and clean clothes in a way that the outfit is considered ‘formal’. For instance, wearing a blazer on a dress shirt and dress pants, wearing a suit or Tuxedo, etc.

Dressing down means ‘casualizing’ a look to make it less formal or putting on attires that are casual, laid back and informal. For instance, substituting your dress pants and dress shirts for a Jeans and collar neck Tshirt respectively.

Still not clear on the difference? Alright, go back and read it again one more time.

Done?

Now that you understand the basics, let’s introduce our Dress Code Hierarchy (DCH) Formula – which will ensure you don’t have to cram this concept or ever wonder when or how to dress up or dress down ever again.

DRESS CODE HIERARCHY (DCH) OF FORMALITY FORMULA FOR DRESSING UP OR DRESSING DOWN

There are different formality levels of dress code and dressing well is achievable at any level of formality and for any occasion.

The problem usually is not knowing how to dress up or dress down an existing outfit you already have (at a particular level), in order to move from one level of formality to another without altering or changing the entire clothing.

For instance, if you are on Level 0 – Ultra Casual in the dress code hierarchy of formality ladder, how would you instantly re-style your outfit to move to Level 1 – Casual or Level 2 – Smart Casual, maintaining at least one or more of the clothing piece(s) you are wearing?

Let’s look at what the dress code hierarchy (DCH) of formality formula is all about and how it can help you become a sharp dresser.

THE FORMULA:

DCH DRESSING DOWN = Ultra Casual -> Casual-> Smart Casual -> Business Casual  -> Informal (Business/Office wear) –> Semi-Formal –> Formal

and

DCH DRESSING DOWN = Formal -> Semi-Formal -> Informal (Business/Office wear) -> Business Casual –> Smart Casual –> Casual -> Ultra Casual

Refer to the illustration below:

II. Kobi Koachman’s  Style Law of Dressing Down says –

The formality level of your dressing decreases as you move down the dress code hierarchy of formality ladder from Formal to Semi-Formal; Semi-formal to Business formal; Business formal to Business Casual; Business casual to Smart casual, Smart Casual to Casual and then from Casual to Ultra Casual. When dressing down an outfit, DO NOT move more than two (2) steps down the formality ladder from TOP to BOTTOM. You run the risk of creating a big style blunder if you take more than two steps down the formality ladder while maintaining at least one or more of the clothing piece(s) you are wearing.

To understand how to apply the DCH Formula when Styling any outfit continue reading.

DCH Rule: How to Apply The DCH Formula when Dressing Up or Dressing Down Your Look

No: #1 rule

When dressing up or dressing down an outfit, DO NOT skip more than two (2) steps in the Dress Code Hierarchy (DCH) ladder either from TOP to BOTTOM or from BOTTOM to TOP. You’ll run the risk of creating a big style blunder if you go beyond 2 steps.

Scenario:
You are wearing a Crew-neck Tshirt, Ripped Jeans and sneakers which is a Casual dress code.

To DRESS UP this Look – The rule says you should not go beyond 2 steps. Therefore, you can only elevate this look to either a Smart Casual or a Business Casual.

To Elevate To A Smart Casual: Dress up each element of this outfit by one step:

• Substituting the crew neck T-shirt with a banded-collar t-shirt, a Ripped Jeans with Chinos and the sneakers with a Moccasin or Boat shoe.

To Elevate To A Business Casual: Step up each element of your base outfit by two steps.

• For your Top, go for banded-collar t-shirt, Henley top or Sports shirts. Keep your Chinos and Moccasin loafers and then throw in a nice Blazer.

No: #2 rule

You can step up a look by just one step. By doing this you will need to add one or two items in the next step to dress up the look.

No: #3 rule

When dressing down a Formal look, always consider the occasion. As you have seen from the diagram above, the level of formality changes when you step up or step down.

For instance, ditching your Tuxedo pants by pairing the Tuxedo Jacket (Formal) with a Black Suit Pant (Semi-Formal or Informal/Business wear) is acceptable as you are stepping it down by one step or two steps. But this makes it not appropriate for a work environment.

Final Thoughts

People assume better things about well-dressed people. Make every effort to dress right at all times and dress perfectly for the right occasion. 

I assure you it’s not such a difficult task to pull off once you know the basic rules. Once you master these rules, you will be well on your way to being a pro on how to dress up and dress down a look effortlessly.

So, gentlemen, that will be all on the Dress Code Formula for Gentlemen.

Until next time, continue to do well, live well and dress really well. Stay Classy.

Yours in Style,

Kobi O. Mbagwu (Mr. Kobi)
Founder, KOBI KOACHMAN
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Mr. Kobi

My name is Kobi O. Mbagwu, a professional image consultant, menswear style expert, and entrepreneur who uses fashion, style and clothing as key tools in transforming ordinary men into extraordinary classy gentlemen. My personal goal is to help gentlemen dress better, live well, do well and develop a unique personal style that matches their lifestyle and goals. I believe that success can be built through style. I believe that fashion is a tool that can be used to change people’s lives positively. I also strongly believe that if you dress well, you look good, and if you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you worry less, and the less you worry the more you are able to stay motivated and focused on your goals pursuit and by so doing you are able to live a more fulfilling and successful life.

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