Unrumpling Dudekind: The Guys Behind Be Better Guys

Joyner: With GQ and Esquire, they require people to make huge changes in their lives to reach that level of living.

Boris: I love GQ and Esquire, but the suits are 2,000 bucks. We're doing this for the regular guy. And the thing that the Web does best is that it's anonymous. No one has to know you're looking. There's a stigma attached to reading anything that might make you look vain.

You guys are based in the area. What are some men's fashion faux pas you continually notice in D.C.?

Joyner: Flip-flops, particularly in downtown D.C. You're not at the pool. You're not at the beach. This is grown-people space.

Boris: I notice three main things: grown men with backpacks. My son has a backpack, and he goes to elementary school. Second, guys with nice clothes who never go to the tailor to get them fit to their body. Third, dudes with ratty shoes. Girls have 40 pairs of shoes -- and they need a 41st, bad . Women pay attention to everything about you, and they're gonna size you up.

What's one pointer you'd give to a regular guy that they could use today?

Joyner: Go to a tailor and get measured. Once you find out what your measurements are, buying clothes becomes a whole lot easier. If you don't get measured, you end up buying a bunch of stuff that doesn't fit, and it sours you on the whole idea of buying clothes.

And after giving all this advice, what's one thing you feel you still need to work on?

Boris: I can't stop talking. I will talk right over people. I'm a motormouth.

Joyner: The regular practice of etiquette. It's easy in the rush of the day to let a lot of it slip. I'm pretty cognizant on the Metro, but sometimes I have the iPod on, I'm deep in a magazine, and five stops later there are five women standing up, giving me that look.

Things Every Guy

Should Know:

1. It's not enough to buy a decent suit. Take it to one of the many tailors around town so the suit fits your body.

2. Learn to cook one edible meal and make one decent drink. Doesn't need to be fancy, it just needs to be good.

3. Your socks -- they match your pants, not your shoes.

4. Within the first 10 minutes of setting foot in your place, a woman will always use the bathroom. Wipe yours down (yes, the toilet and shower, too) before she arrives.

5. Carry a handkerchief every day. Use it instead of your hands or your sleeve when you sneeze, blow your nose or when your girl makes you cry.