Written by Paddy Maddison in Tips & Advice on the 9th June 2017

Have you ever spotted a guy whilst out and about who just seems to radiate cool, but try as you might, you just cannot pinpoint what his secret is? Perhaps you have a friend like that? A friend who always looks brilliantly dressed but at the same time exudes an aura of nonchalance - like he just picked up his clothes and threw them on without a second thought? The Italians call it 'sprezzatura' style.

Hardy Aimes once said “A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care, and then forgotten all about them.”

It’s the look that every style-conscious man wishes he could master, but by being a style-conscious man, by definition it becomes very tricky to get right. After all, if you put a lot of thought into your outfits, how can you be expected not to think about them? That just doesn’t make any sense. It’s paradoxical. However, there is a magic formula to pinning down that oh-so-French-and–sophisticated, devil-may-care approach to clothes and once you know it, it’s very simple to achieve.

The key here is to live by the mantra “less is more”. A common mistake that style-conscious guys make is to go over the top. Whether that’s with branding on their clothes, channelling the spirit of Mr. T when they put their jewellery on, or simply wearing one too many accessories. Overdoing anything is never going to lend you an air of achingly-cool indifference. Overdoing your outfits will make your style look contrived at best and cringe-worthily vain at worst.

Coco Chanel advised that before you leave the house, you should take a look in the mirror and take one thing off (bar trousers and shoes, obviously. We’re going for effortlessly cool European guy here, not half naked nutcase) and she has basically said it all right there. The key to truly effortless looking style and nonchalance is to strip back your outfit to the bare bones. This could be done by going beltless, leaving the hat at home or losing a layer of clothing (do you really need that T-shirt under your button down).

Try wearing a jumper without a tee underneath, or go without socks for a day. These are the little details that make a big difference to your look overall. Keep that “less is more” mantra in mind when shopping too. Does your T-shirt actually need the brand name spelled out in studs on the front? Do your jeans actually benefit from that embroidered detail in the back pocket? The answer is always going to be no. Keep it simple and you’ll have that carefree look down to a fine art in no time.

How to be more style conscious by adopting the less is more rule. Here's The Secret to Effortless Style That Nobody Is Telling You.