With more options than ever to buy from, nailing your aesthetic fit is getting even more important.

Here’s why understanding the aesthetic of your favorite brands can help you wear better looking, better fitting clothing.

What is an aesthetic?

If you’ve been reading The Modest Man blog, you understand that fit is by far the most important element of how you dress: cheap clothing that fits is always better than luxury, expensive stuff that doesn’t.

But even within the scope of clothing that fits you, there are tons of different styles and twists: skinny and slim, tapered and wide, high rise and low rise, destroyed and clean, faded and solid…you get the gist.

Where do these things fit in?

The details that you prefer on top of fit are your aesthetic. They can be variations on how things fit or how they’re designed, and there’s no one-size-fits-all: your aesthetic is yours, and it often takes years to figure out exactly what it is.

What are some examples of popular aesthetics?

To help you zone in on exactly what your aesthetic is, here are a few popular ones that you might be familiar with.

1. Monochrome

The monochrome aesthetic means wearing solid, muted colors that play well together. Some popular elements of this style are:

• Faded black jeans
• Low profile white sneakers
• Solid pocket t-shirts
• An army-style watch

Monochrome is cool because it allows you to shift focus on to one element of what you’re wearing. For example, if most of your outfit is muted, wearing a flashy pair of sneakers can create a cool mix of contrasts.

Monochrome and High End Streetwear

Most of my personal looks are a variation on the monochrome aesthetic.

2. Suave

Suave is a classic, classy, and trim take on dressed up outfits. Some popular parts of a suave aesthetic: