From the time the first neolithic hunter slung a freshly-killed antelope over his shoulders and sashayed around a campfire, flicking gore with each confident pump of his furry hips, clothing has been an integral part of the human (and pre-human) experience. Clothes don’t make a man, but they send a message to the world both immediate and superficial, decoded subconsciously by strangers to show your social status, profession, net worth, religion, and level of desire to have sweaty sex in an Old Navy changing room.

Whether you consider shopping for clothing the antithesis of masculine expenditure or actually sorta kinda don’t mind it so badly, the time for shopping is now. The weather is cooling fast; The new styles are on the racks; The time where flip-flops and a t-shirt can pass for acceptable office wear is over.

(I personally like to shop, because I like clothes, but prefer a precision strike approach to shopping, utilizing the techniques of the Sayeret Matkal to liberate my chosen goods from hostile retail terrorists.)

This week on Dethroner we’ll get you looking sharp for fall, helping you figure out what new styles to avoid, what favorite clothes you should keep wearing, and how to build a perfectly serviceable wardrobe for a not unreasonable amount of scratch. You may spend the next three months in sweat pants, but at least you’ll be making an informed decision.

Image courtesy of Bill A.