TheUnstitchd
Don’t let anyone tell you that a man should not have his wardrobe stocked with essential clothing items that cover all the basics like classic, casual, fun, formal, etc., as these are important things for any person. What you should rather be listening to is how to build a wardrobe with all the essential clothing items you’ll ever need. While shopping in-store or searching through designer brands online, it is important to know what to look out for. Take stock of what you have in your wardrobe then you will have a better understanding of what you need. If not, well, we have some cool tips and tricks to build a wardrobe for essential clothing pieces.
Are you a minimalist? Or does anything go?
Now, contrary to popular belief, women aren’t the only ones who have large amounts of clothing waiting to be worn. Yes, there are men who enjoy clothes shopping and rack up quite a lot. But before you do anything, you need to establish if you are a “less is more” kind of guy or if you prefer having multiple options.
How do you build a minimalist wardrobe, though? It’s not as easy as you think, but having interchangeable items in your minimalist wardrobe will pay off when you are creating a range of different looks. What are some of the foundations of a minimalist wardrobe? Firstly, you must be versatile. This simply means you must have a range of clothing items (not a lot, of course) that can easily complement each other. For example, a check shirt that you can pair with your favorite casual chinos as well as your date night trousers.
The second part is neutrality. For your clothing to be interchangeable, it will need to feature neutral colors and patterns. You can’t have five green cardigans and five green pairs of trousers; this simply won’t work but what will work are colors that go well together, think navy, brown, gray, and beige – they do work well together. Pro tip: Do keep an item of clothing that does not match with anything, you know, for some spice!
How appropriate is my wardrobe?
Look, you must consider your lifestyle before building your essential wardrobe. Are you a fitness fanatic? Or can you only ever be seen in suits? Or do you mix it up on the weekend with some casual looks featuring sneakers? The challenge comes in when you are all of this in one. A great way to sort through the chaos is to buy a few essential items within each category. For the gym, a pair of shorts, three workout t-shirts, and workout tights should suffice. For work, this is where you spend your most time, so here you can splurge a bit. Consider having three or four business suits you can use when you are presenting to clients or your next great pitch. For day-to-day looks, opt for chinos and formal shirts and throw in a formal blazer from time to time. For casual times, invest in good quality denim items such as black and blue jeans, comfortable yet fashionable sneakers, cardigans, casual shirts, and t-shirts. With a variety of clothing items like this, you can mix and match to form different looks entirely.
Denim
Your wardrobe cannot be complete without some classic denim items. Denim is a classic, yet it is versatile enough to be worn casually to drinks with friends or a date night. What’s more, you can also wear denim in a formal setting to your business casual dress up to work on Fridays. When building your wardrobe, a pair of jeans will more than likely be the first essential item you add. Don’t underestimate the importance of buying good quality denim, though.
The beloved chino
Look, a good pair of chinos can take you a long way. And if they are well-fit to your body, well, then you are pretty much winning at life. Chinos come in many colors and styles; slim fit, skinny, wide leg, the works, and it’s a great alternative to a pair of jeans. Why are chinos an essential item? You can style them in basically any way. For more formal settings, ensure they are fitted as it will help elongate and streamline your look; for nice casual sunny days, pair them with a crisp linen shirt or golf shirt.
T-shirts, shirts, turtlenecks
Absolute staples! White, black, and blue t-shirts are a must. A few formal and casual shirts for those smart looks for dinner with friends or for date night. And how dapper do men wearing turtlenecks look? It’s one of the greatest inventions, and you’ll look oh so handsome.
And finally…
One of the biggest takeaways here is to buy and style smart. In the long run, you can save a lot of time, effort, and money by buying essential items now that you know will work for years to come. And while you don’t have to build your wardrobe from scratch, chances are you already have a few items that can be saved and worn.
Here are some tips you must follow:
- Try on everything before purchasing.
- Keep your colors neutral with one or two outrageous ones.
- Quality over quantity, always!
And while using the words men and fashionista in the same sentence might not bode well for all, men really can be ahead of every trend, remain fashionable, and always look great if you simply have essential clothing items in your wardrobe. And remember, it’s not only about what’s in your wardrobe, you still have to have the confidence to wear your clothes. Confidence, coupled with the correct clothing items, you are winning!