The issue with style is that it is unrelated to fashion. So frequently, men who are preoccupied with keeping up with the trend — with being perceived as fashionable – are not stylish.

By default, they tend to seem like clones or clowns, as guys who are industry slaves are typically unaware that not all fashions complement their body type, age, or personality. Undoubtedly, style is a unique identifier of the individual. Not all men desire to stand out as individuals. But, true style requires always going against the grain.

Not merely a sense of style but a style that is uniquely one's own. This is a significant caveat to the even larger challenge of discovering what is commonly known as a "signature style." In the same way that perfumers refer to a signature scent – they typically advise finding a fragrance that you adore and then almost never deviating from it so that it becomes a sensory calling card for your presence – menswear experts may refer to a signature style: wearing a particular type of garment, or a garment in a particular way so that you become identifiable by it. Perhaps, they envision you wearing it when they imagine you. Others wouldn't be able to predict what you'll wear next due to the frequency with which you alter your appearance, which is the antithesis of the chameleon style.

What is Signature Fashion?

Almost by definition, a distinctive style involves wearing something that you both genuinely enjoy, and that functions exceptionally well for you. It is also something that fits you well and expresses who you are without respect to fashion trends.

Determining who you are and what works for you is, thus, the first step in finding your signature style. It is not so much about dressing up as it is about dressing completely and with conviction as oneself.

This is far easier said than done, but merely attempting to find your signature style is a significant step in the right direction. If gurus speak of finding oneself and gaining inner enlightenment, then this is wardrobe enlightenment - finding your sartorial self.

This style need not be formal: a steadfast commitment to wearing worn-in raw selvedge denim or vintage sneakers could become a trademark. Shirts with "foxed" collars (slightly but noticeably worn at the edges) offer a certain cachet in some circles if the attire is more formal. Nor does it need to be bold; here, minimalism is equally as powerful as boldness.

And it can begin with the slightest of details: Fred Astaire frequently held up his pants with a tie strung through the belt loops and tied on the side. This might be too eccentric for many men to pull off nowadays, but Fred Astaire was undoubtedly remembered for it, except for the fact that he is Fred Astaire, of course.

A signature style resembles an example of sprezzatura: Gianni Agnelli wore a shirt with a button-down collar on a regular basis, but he always left the buttons undone. But, it need not be so self-consciously deliberated. A distinctive style might be as simple as always wearing a suit in a particular colour, always wearing monk-strap shoes, or rarely going without a trusted baseball cap. Or without a substantial beard.