Style guy Lloyd Boston likes to keep it real.

He dishes out real information for real women without being insulting or condescending. Let other style experts rip women for dressing too young or too old, for wearing clothes that reveal too little or too much, for being caught in a time warp. That’s not Boston’s style.

“I pride myself on really bringing my written philosophy to life and educating women, teaching women instead of critiquing women,” he said. “I feel like women get enough pressure and criticism throughout their day, whether it’s conscious or unconscious, from magazines, television and movies and billboards. I’ve always found a great oasis and a great joy in teaching women and men what I know about style based on what I see on the runways, the red carpets and having an insider’s place in the fashion industry for almost 20 years now.”

Boston will bring his style philosophy to Dillard’s, Penn Square, May 1 for a Jones New York fashion show. He is the first male spokesman for the brand. Along with two decades of fashion experience, he brings to the dressing room three style books with a fourth hitting store shelves in September, a wardrobe makeover television show called “Closet Cases” and dozens of television appearances where the talk always turns to trends and tips.

So, how do women respond to a guy representing their brand, one that has been around for 30 years? Women share stories about how they were wearing Jones New York when they went to their first interview or got a big promotion to the corner office, he said. They like seeing a face attached to the brand, he said.

Boston is putting his face and his style expertise on view in Jones New York “How to Wear It” webisodes. He said he works with real women and creates fast tips that show how to wear one great piece three different ways. “If you can do that, anything you find in the store is worth the purchase,” he said.

With Boston’s “Closet Cases” television show ending this season, he’s shifting more of his focus to being the Jones’ resident fashion expert and developing more webisodes. Even with so much fashion experience under his belt, he said the show gave him a shot of reality.

What surprised him most was the amount of clothing most people owned. You don’t need as many clothes as you think you do to look your best, he said. “Actually, the most stylish people I know own about half, or less, of what the average person owns; they just know how to put it together. I find that most women and men don’t run out of clothes, they just run out of outfit ideas.”

His philosophy is to maximize what you already own before purchasing new items. “I feel that less is modern.”

It’s easier to subscribe to that way of thinking when you can actually find what you own. Many women have a tendency to skip over how important closet organization is to looking great, he said.

“It’s not just about putting the right colors together, putting the right silhouettes together or layering properly. A lot of it starts in how your clothes and accessories are organized.” Many women think it’s good enough just to be able to find that skirt or jacket in their closet. They don’t realize that digging past mismatched hangers, sorting though stacks of unfolded clothes or rummaging though winter skirts to find summer shorts costs them time and energy in creating pretty outfits, he said.

A beautifully maintained closet can give you the same tingly feeling as when you walk into a boutique and can imagine yourself in everything around you, he said.

An overstuffed closet also means little room for new pieces, including Boston’s favorite spring fashion trends: knit dressing, bold prints and patterns, and glorious color. Shots of color separate well-dressed women from women who just get dressed, he said.

Women can expect to see those trends during the fashion show at Dillard’s. Boston, who was in Oklahoma City in 2006, will be the commentator.

“When I do get a chance to come to any city where women are interested in fashion, I think what happens is it becomes a party,” he said. “It’s not me telling women what to wear. It’s not ever me telling women what is not working about their style. It’s a party where I can validate what they love and what they’re doing right and show them how to do more of the same.”

And for every woman who says she can’t find clothes to complement her age, tell it to Boston.

“This is your moment to say, ‘Hey, style guy, get the word back that we’re looking for age-appropriate clothes that are still youthful.’ Let’s not only make it a party, let’s make it a movement. Come on out and meet me. It’s going to be fun.”

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