I would never tell someone they werent dressed properly, I never have and I never will. People ask me for opinions, I give them.

The only time I ever comment on someone's clothes is when im genuinely and positively curious about something or admire an outfit or garment.

However, there are these people, they read something somewhere, and they purposefully want to make others uncomfortable by letting them know they dont fit in. They come from all classes and professions, and theyre jerks.

There was this guy. Lets call him Dave. He was fascinated by my style, which really something I wasnt interested in discussing in public, and he used to test me on it, like he was the teacher and I was the student. He knew very little, and he rubbed me the wrong way often with comments like, "Oh, I thought you shouldnt wear such and such with an xyz" or "I prefer the peaked lapels to the shawl lapel" when it was apparent he'd worn a dinner jacket exactly once in his life. This person actually used to pull my pocket squares out of my breast pocket before I knew what was going on and start reshaping it or take it apart to see how I folded it.

He actually would ask me to remove my ties untied so that he could see the tie knots. Youd think hed just ask for some guidance. Oh-no, not Dave. Dave was learning the rules to hold them over people, he could never have not known something.

Me, I was always an open to a reccomendation. I sought out those in the know and learned. I told them, dont worry about insulting me, I want to learn everything. Lets assume I know nothing, teach me. I believe in every facet of life, well at least when youre dealing with certain segments, you get a lot more when you open your mind and youre willing to praise and accept the knowledge a style master has to give you. I visited one such style master yesterday, and he had something on that knocked my socks off. I mean, just when i think Ive seen everything, he comes out with an outfit Im going to copy, from shoes, to suit, to vest, to shirt...sprezzatura!

Im actually going to do a feature on this man and his ingenious, elegant style. This man is to style, what Ella was to jazz and what Bogey was to film noir. In any case, one must absorb the style force from these people and get in touch with their inner dandy chi. That, and repetition, like a science theory.

For now, if one wants to continue their journey to sartorial nirvana they need to:

1. Seek out and accept the teachings of those who know. Praise them for their wisdom, rather than pretend you know. Fear of both mistakes and discarding previously held style misconceptions retards the dandy's growth.

2. Experiment. Some things look good on you, some things dont. Some things look good even though the rules scream no! A dandy must be confident. Confidence is part of style (so is grooming and hygiene.)

3. Constantly reinforce the rules to prove theyre still valid. I do this often. Im actually in a very conservative mood right now. I wear white shirts, solid ties, either solid medium or dark grey or navy or b&w Prince of Wales suits, slightly lighter grey solid socks and black calf or brown suede lace ups . My emphasis is on the knot and the pocket square placement.

4. Enjoy being a dandy for its own pleasures, dont use it as a tool to place yourself above others. Enlist converts. And when they ask you how its done, share the knowledge. The Beau himself started this tradition. He used clothes to exhibit his superiority but he would generously instruct all those who came sincerely to worship at his altar of style. And so it is, that any true dandy will do what he can to help his fellow creature look his best. After all the dandy's eye wants to observe style as much he wants to be observed as a thing of style.

Strict adherence to the rules for their own sake  belies two types of people:

1. The ones that cant function without a rule book because they never feel they can get it right unless someone else tells them exactly how.

2. Those that like to feel superior to others because theyre doing it well and others arent, usually they like to point it out to others. You can find many of them on the friendless line.

3. The talentless, who never develop their own style. I think of small minded clerks who correct trivial spelling errors all through life as a badge of control, often getting it wrong!!! That is often a right they heartlessly exercise whether or not its appropriate under the absolution of "Someone Has to enforce the rules, or there will be anarchy."

Well OK, three types of people...

None of the great dressers I know go by some strict guideline. And, I know some of the best in Manhattan. I learn things from them every day and they dont involve measuring button distance from the end of the sleeve.

Seersucker is worn in the evening for plenty of reasons, not least of which would include a seersucker dj. If you can pull off a seersucker suit and look good in it, then really to blazes with the rule book.