It happens every morning. People around the world stand in front of their closets, wondering what they are going to wear that day. The lucky ones avoid the whole morning dress ritual by throwing on a work uniform designed by somebody else. The rest of us have choices. Do we dress for style, function, or comfort?

There is something to be said for each option. On the other hand, there is also something to be said for wearing clothes that meet all three. Actually finding those clothes at the store is another matter. But hey, we all need dreams, right?

• Dressing for Style

If you are the kind of person who puts a lot of emphasis on style, you want your daily wardrobe choices to look good. You want them to be in line with all the most recent trends. You probably care a great deal about what others think of you and your personal style choices. That’s fine. You are free to dress according to whatever standards motivate you.

Style dressers tend to be attracted to labels. They also tend to be the kinds of people who take very good care of their clothing. They are men who never go out of the house without a pair of GC Tech waterproof shoe covers to keep their expensive wingtips clean and dry. They are women who wouldn’t be seen in anything less than Gucci and Prada.

• Dressing for Function

Dressing for function is usually the result of one of two things. First is necessity. For example, construction workers dress the way they do because their jobs demand it. A roofer needs blue jeans and steel toed work boots. His job doesn’t accommodate Hugo Boss slacks and a pair of flip-flops.

The second possibility is preference. Some men are not forced to dress for function, they choose to do so. They might prefer cargo pants because all the pockets come in handy for the many things they carry. A collared flannel shirt with two breast pockets might be chosen over a polo shirt with no pockets, because it is more functional.

• Dressing for Comfort

People who dress for comfort are a curious lot. What makes them curious is that they put a lot of emphasis on something the rest of us only deem important on the weekends. Where we reserve our most comfortable clothes for the weekend, comfort dressers wear them all week.

In a perfect world, we would all dress for comfort all the time. There would be no difference between formal and casual dress. But the world is far from perfect. So we have to dress for each separate occasion.

• Combining All Three

So, is it possible to wear clothes that are stylish, functional, and comfortable – all at the same time? In theory, yes. Practically speaking though, you could spend an awful lot of time shopping only to come up short time and again.

Here is the thing: what fashion designers deem stylish doesn’t always work in the real world. Likewise, what modern society considers formal wear is often less than functional. Perhaps the easiest compromise to reach is one between function and comfort. Trying to pull off either one with style can be a bit trickier.

What is your preference? Do you dress for style, function, or comfort? The choice is exclusively yours, so don’t sweat over it. Just make sure that whatever you wear makes you happy. After all, you are the only one who has to don your clothes. The rest of us have our own closets to worry about.