Spring is the time of new opportunities, when good jobs and better women are both in play, and shouldn’t lose either because you got your style details wrong. Inspired by Dad’s tender advice (“Better work on fundamentals. You’re no Jordan, pal!”), we are revisiting the rules on how to dress, so you can put a little distance between you and the average guy, who frankly, isn’t looking so hot these days. Here are a few ways to beat him to the deal, the woman, or both.

The Triangle formed by the jacket, shirt, and tie is the linchpin of formal male style, according to Alan Flusser, author of Dressing the Man: Mastering the Art of Permanent Fashion. Properly managed, that wedge guides her eyes to your face, which is your best weapon. “Your face is the artwork,” says Flusser, “your clothes, the frame.” When choosing a jacket-shirt-and-tie trio, match its level of color contrast to your personal color contrast. “Your primary color signposts are your complexion and hair tone,” says Flusser. If you are a high-contrast guy – dark hair and light skin, or vice versa – your jacket, tie, and shirt combo should be high contrast, too. But if your hair-hide contrast is softer – say, you’re blond or gray-haired with pale skin, or dark-skinned with dark hair—you should choose lower contrast clothes. The contrast-matching rule will draw her attention to your kisser, from which your rakish sex appeal shines.

Two Similar Patterns require two different scales. When you’re combining two like patterns in the jacket-shirt-tie triangle, they should be of different gauges. If your suit has pinstripes ¾ inch apart, your tie should have significantly broader or thinner bands. If your suit is a chalk stripe (with lines more than an inch apart), your shirt’s stripes should be narrower and closer together.

Two Different Patterns require different scales, as well. If you wear two different designs within the lapel triangle—say, a checked shirt and a striped tie, or a striped suit and repeating-medallion tie—they should be of different scales, says MH fashion director Brain Boye’. If your shirt has a narrow stripe, your tie needs a wider stripe. Same goes for checks: Pair large with small for killer style.

Seize the Middle Ground. Choose garments that de-emphasize your extremes. If you’re short, look for strong vertical elements: pinstriped suits, two-button jackets (they form a deeper north-south triangle than the three-button kind). If you are very thin, choose a jacket with wider shoulders. Heavy? Wear darker colors and go monotone from top to bottom.

Your Collar Should “Oval Up” your face. If you have got a long, narrow face choose spread collars to accentuate the horizontal just a touch. Conversely, If you are a round-face fellow, favor pointed collars to lengthen your circle.

Always Keep It Dimple. The single most important rule about wearing a tie: Be sure that it’s always dimpled just below the center of the knot. A small vertical cravat crease lends sophistication to your image.

Be Meticulous. When you take your jacket off for the day, brush it briefly and hang it up right away. Cedar hangers are the best but pricey; plastic is much better than wire. Don’t suffocate your jackets by smooshing them into an overcrowded closet. Make sure there is at least an inch of breathing space on each side. “And don’t dry-clean your suits more than three times a year,” says Boye’. “The chemicals will shorten their life span considerably.”

Play To Your Strong Suit

When having a jacket tailored, remember these guidelines from Alan Flusser, author of Dressing the Man.

• Behind your neck, the top of the jacket collar should rest halfway down the height of the shirt collar—no higher and no lower.
• The jacket sleeve should fall only to your wrist bone. “No less than ½ inch of the shirt cuff should show below the cuff. Most men wear their coat sleeves too long.”
• When the jacket is buttoned, there should be no pulling of the fabric across the front. “Beware of an X pattern in the cloth around the fastened button. This means the jacket is too tight.”
• Your jacket should cover your butt completely. When in doubt, go longer. Too-short jackets make you look like a ventriloquist’s dummy.
• Lapels should extend no more than halfway out toward the jacket’s shoulder line.