Did you know everyone has a style they are innately attracted to? Yes, even you! Whenever I work with a new client, I make them do an exercise where they share a couple of images of style THEY think is attractive with me. From this exercise, clients learn so much about themselves and what details they care about. It’s also fascinating to see how different everyone’s aesthetics preferences are.
Understanding what you like is very helpful when it comes to updating your style because it gives you a direction to follow and build on. I call this your style statement! That being said, there are a couple of men’s aesthetics out there, so i’ve decided to do a series of posts defining each one to help you better understand what yours is. The beauty of understanding different aesthetics is you can mix and match them to create a look truly unique to you.
This week we are focusing on the “rugged” look. What is “rugged” style you ask? Men who like the rugged look keep their style practical and casual, however they add in hints of edginess through a military aesthetic.
Before I dive into the examples, do you know about my men’s style course called The Style Game Plan? TSGP is the only course of its kind that walks you through my 10 step styling process to help you create the wardrobe of your dreams. The course covers everything from how to develop a personal style, identify your best colors, dress for your body type, style vocabulary, where to shop, how to put outfits together, so you can feel confident for all of life’s occasions.
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Men’s Rugged Style Examples
Photo Credit: Pinterest
The boots have a distressed feel to them
Field Jackets are a must-have
Photo Credit: Zimbio, Pinterest
The rugged guys’ boots look broken in, his clothes have a bit of distressed detail in them, and he doesn’t care to look so clean cut. Rugged guys like their color palette consisting mostly of earthy and neutrals colors like olive green, burgundy, burnt orange, grey, blue, black and white. A couple of pieces that stand out in the rugged aesthetic are: jeans, denim jackets, field jackets, henleys, bracelets, leather, boots and sneakers.
Key Pieces for the Rugged Look
The rugged aesthetic takes casual clothing and adds a hint of edge through subtle patterns and focuses on small details like the style of buttons. The Rugged guy’s boots say he isn’t afraid to get them dirty, his jackets have a military touch to them and his prints and patterns are muted and subtle.
Here are a couple of key pieces that can help get your look started…
Jeans
Photo Credit: Bloomingdales
Going for jeans and pants neutral and earthy colors can help you achieve the aesthetic. Rugged guys dress for the outdoors and their color choice reflects that. Guys with a rugged aesthetic avoid bright colored bottoms.
Shirts
Henleys
Photo Credit: Nordstrom
Going for henleys with interesting closures at the neck is a subtly edgy detail that brings out a masculine style. Additionally, going for textures in your henley makes it not look so clean, for example, a ribbed or waffle henley is a great choice.
T-Shirts
Photo Credit: Bloomingdales
Solid t-shirts are an easy go to. However, t-shirts with subtle patterns can help your otherwise muted look stand out a bit more. Again, rugged guys avoid bright colors and stick to muted and earthy tones like olive green, blue, grey or burgundy.
Polo Shirts
Photo Credit: Bloomingdales
The rugged guy can totally rock a polo shirt without looking like he’s going golfing. The key is to go for some cool details like edgy buttons or no buttons at all to make the polo look very casual.
Button Down Shirts
Photo Credit: Nordstrom
Being rugged doesn’t mean you avoid button downs, you just go for a specific style. When the rugged guy dresses up, he’s not afraid to have a bit of sheen in his shirts like the blue example above. Plaid shirts totally work, but the key here is to make sure the colors stay in the muted, earthy or neutral categories. Rolling up your sleeves is always a great idea for the rugged guy.
Jackets
Field and Shirt Jackets
Photo Credit: Bloomingdales
Field and shirt jackets are perfect for the rugged aesthetic. Field jackets have a military look to them and can be paired with any casual tops. Alternatively, if you want to dress up a bit, a suede brown jacket will be the perfect layer.
Casual Blazers
Photo Credit: J. Crew
The rugged man keeps his blazers unstructured and in casual fabrics like knit and cotton. He likes the look of a blazer, but wants nothing to do with their formalness of it.
Suede and Leather Jackets
Photo Credit: Nordstrom
Leather is a great addition to your wardrobe, especially when trying to achieving a rugged style. Leather works for dressing up your outfits, while suede can help keep them a bit more casual.
Boots
Photo Credit: Bloomingdales, Thursday Boot
Casual boots are an easy go-to footwear choice. When it comes to the style of boot, you can go for a hiking, combat or work boot. Wearing your pants over your boots or tucked into the top of the boot are both great options.
Sneakers
Photo Credit: Frye, John Varvatos
When going for sneakers, rugged guys like to go for something a little different. The two examples above are unique because of their color, distressed feel, pattern choice and small stand out details. You want your sneakers to look broken in, brown leather or black and grey patterns helps achieve that.
Accessories
Photo Credit: John Varvatos, Etsy: Hagar Talmore
Don’t be afraid to accessorize a bit! Going for cool scarves with muted colors, interesting blends and subtle patterns makes your look stylish and unique. Your look embraces the outdoors, so leather bracelets go hand in hand with it… no pun intended!
…and that’s how you achieve a rugged look! This is a great choice for the understated guys out there who still want style, but not take it over the top. The overall look is pretty casual, but the key is to have hints of unique details to keep it stylish.
Style By Supreet 
Everybody has a style that they are naturally drawn to, did you know that? Indeed, even you! Every time I deal with a new client, I have them do an exercise in which they send me a few pictures of styles that they find appealing. Through this practice, clients discover a great deal about who they are and what details are important to them. The fact that everyone has such diverse tastes in aesthetics is also fascinating.