Written by Deniss Zelenkov in Trends on the 10th July 2015

At times, it’s so bad it's almost good, yet nowhere near perfect. What constitutes 'taste' in men’s fashion: wealth, exposure, relevance or actually none of those things? The basis of the question is pretty silly - so is the explanation, but why then does “taste” still matter and how often do you question yours?

Tastes differ 

Sometimes the best way to properly define “taste” is to think of your own usage. Ultimately, bad taste is by no means determinable; in many aspects, it’s just a different kind of taste.

Good taste is, similarly, a subjective attribute, as opposed to DNA or genetic inheritance. Although taste in fashion can be neither proved nor disproved through ethics, let alone genetics, leveraging a combination of applied knowledge and expertise may well create a robust approach toward better fashion sense or, perhaps, feeling slightly better about it. Stylists, otherwise known as authorities on all-things-fashion, who are qualified enough to cultivate the trend du jour, might offer a lot by giving you a concise head to toe evaluation, without claiming their interpretation to be the only valid one. That’s fair.

Nevertheless, it’s a question of trust, respect and willingness to appreciate the merits of image-making work even if that work significantly differs from or even questions your aesthetics. In other words, is that particular authority figure authoritarian enough to school you on how to style your dreadlocks? By the way, this also applies to apparel selection. Think about it, is it worth sacrificing inimitable personality for imitable wardrobe? 

Taste is changeable

It’s a common thing, when tastes in appreciating quality clothes change. Expect them to change continuously to various degrees over a lifetime. During the irreversible process, something generically stylish suddenly becomes primarily utilitarian and vice versa. Blame it on cultural bias, advertising exposure, mass-consumption and celibratization, and also, you’re to blame too. We constantly explore, develop and refine our tastes in accordance with our needs, and one day, we could even influence each other.

Taste is a form of conformism

Like it or not, fashion taste is a conformism spin-off. Whether we want them or not, rules of composition, fit, colouring and draping to live by exist, and when it comes to reinforcing men’s status, the overwhelming majority follows the same rules, whilst the minority breaks them. No matter how you brand yourself or how you project yourself to the world, there is a fine line between being exquisite and gaudy, and by the way, there’ll always be someone to point it out to you. Care less and own what you wear now.

A look at how men buy clothing, their typical style preferences and the Problems with Men’s Taste.