Editorial Standards
Every article on this site is written and rewritten by our team before it's published, and checked against a database of verified data and a fixed set of style rules. Our managing editor, Letícia SCAA, sets those rules and has the final say on corrections. This page explains each step, what we do and what we don't.
Who is responsible for the content
Dress With Intention is written by our editorial team. Letícia SCAA is the managing editor. She owns the standards on this page, decides when the review rules change and has the final say on corrections.
We don't invent authors, bios or credentials. When an article is signed "Dress With Intention Editorial," it was written by the team, not by a person we made up.
How an article starts
Every article starts with a real question, the kind someone searches before an interview, a wedding or a purchase. Topics are researched for American readers, with US stores, US sizing and US dress codes in mind. We don't translate articles from our Portuguese-language site.
The first sentence of each article answers the question. The rest explains why, lays out the options and says who each one is for and who it isn't for.
How we review every article
Each article is written by a member of our team and then reworked from top to bottom in review. Nothing goes live without that second pass. The review checks three things:
- Numbers. Every figure has to match our database of verified data, with the source cited.
- Style rules. The article is checked section by section against our checklist and scored. Below the minimum score, it goes back for a rewrite.
- Products and links. Every product mentioned has to be in our verified catalog, and every link has to open the right page.
The managing editor owns the checklist and decides when a rule changes. When a mistake gets through, we fix the article and the rule that let it through.
Numbers and research
We only use numbers from our database of verified data, each tied to an author, an institution and a year. The source appears in parentheses the first time a figure is cited.
When there's no research on a point, we say it's experience. We don't dress up opinion as science. Figures we can't confirm in the original source stay off the site, even if other blogs repeat them.
Style rules that don't change from one article to the next
The review checks every article against a list of rules we've already verified. A few examples:
- Dark dress socks that match your trousers or shoes. White socks only with athletic clothes.
- Your shirt cuff shows about a quarter to half an inch below the jacket sleeve.
- The tip of your tie reaches your belt buckle.
- Black tie means a tuxedo. Black tie optional means a tuxedo or a dark suit with a tie.
- Black shoes are the most formal, brown shoes are the most versatile. Neither is off limits.
An article that contradicts one of these rules doesn't get published, whatever its score on everything else.
How we choose products for buying guides
In our buying guides, we only recommend products that exist and are on sale when we check. For each one we record the store where we saw it, the date we checked and the price range we found. We recheck the catalog every four months and remove anything that's been discontinued.
Every guide says where each recommendation comes from. Pieces our team has worn and evaluated firsthand are marked as tested, with our own photos and what we noticed in use. The rest are recommended based on the fabric, construction and fit the maker describes, the return policy and what buyers report, and the guide says so.
Every guide includes a budget pick next to the premium one. Prices are always shown as a range, because they change every week.
Affiliate links, ads and partners
Some links in our buying guides are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Commissions don't decide the picks or their order. A product makes the guide before it has a link, and a product with no affiliate program can still be the top pick.
No brand pays to appear in our articles. If we ever publish sponsored content, it will be labeled at the top of the article, in line with FTC guidelines.
The Vulori app is a commercial partner of this site. When you download or subscribe to the app through one of our links, we may earn a commission. The app appears only in the closing block of each article, clearly labeled. Everything above it has to be useful to someone who will never download the app.
Our full affiliate policy is on the Affiliate disclosure page.
Updates and corrections
We review articles regularly, and buying guides whenever the catalog changes. When an article changes in a meaningful way, the "Updated" date at the top changes with it.
If you find an error in a fact, a price or a link, email [email protected]. We fix the article, and when the error changed a recommendation, we note at the end of the article what changed and when.
What we don't do
- Invent authors, bios, credentials or testimonials.
- Say we tested a product we didn't test.
- Publish a number without a verified source.
- Promise results. Better clothes change how you're seen, but they don't guarantee the job, the deal or the date.
- Take payment to change a recommendation.