If you’re wondering where PRAKTICALA takes its style cues from, the answer is JAMES BOND.

If I’m dressing professionally or want to be taken seriously in any way, I just ask myself, “Would James Bond wear this?”

This is an especially important question if you want to carry a strong, masculine presence. Granted, not all men do. The current trend in men’s style is something I call “gay chic” – clothes that are too small or too tight, paired with flamboyant accessories like speckled bow-ties and socks that look like they escaped from Ronald McDonald’s dresser.

There’s nothing necessarily right or wrong with jumping on the metro bandwagon, as long as you don’t mind looking silly to most serious professionals (and to most women). But to keep up with this trend is to latch on to the tail-end of a passing fad – in a couple of years, you’ll look silly to everyone, not just professionals.

In contrast, James Bond’s sense of style has remained remarkably consistent over the years, and he always looks cool, whether in 1975, 1995, or 2015.

The great thing about this test is that it’s so easy to measure. One look at an outfit and you can instantly tell whether Bond would wear it or not. Would Bond let his dress pants end two inches above the tops of his shoes? Nope. Would he wear dress shoes without socks? NOPE. A man bun? HELL TO THE NOPES.

See, it’s a really easy test.

Bond also doesn’t ever look like he spent the entire morning in front of the mirror primping his hair to swoop just right, or hours in his closet picking a pocket square that matched both his tie and his personality perfectly. He doesn’t really give a crap. He makes it look easy.

In fact, it is easy. Get clothes that fit, in strong, classic colors, with understated accessories, and you will remain in style for all time. Just ask George Lazenby.

Ever notice that as misogynistic as Bond is, female moviegoers remain crazy about him? You know who women aren’t crazy over? Hipsters in bow-ties and capri trousers. Obviously there are exceptions, but in general women aren’t super excited over the prospect of boys who are prettier than they are.

This doesn’t mean you have to be dressed up all the time. Bond can be casual too. He just doesn’t cuff his shorts or wear super low V-necks. AND HE CHECKS THE TIME WITH A WRISTWATCH. Not a cell phone.

This test is a simple and quick way to make good style decisions without having to get into the specific details of which socks to pair with which pants, or whether an outfit is too garish. Would James Bond wear it? If so, walk out the door with confidence! If not, send it packing!

What do you think? Do you like this advice, or are we way off? Let us know below!

SPECTRE, the 25th film in the James Bond series, opens tomorrow, November 6, 2015. It stars Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, and Ralph Fiennes, and is directed by Sam Mendes.