What every man should have in his closet
Men – take note. These 12 wardrobe essentials are what every man should have in his closet to look sharp at business and casual events. The key is to start small and spend wisely, purchasing quality over quantity.
1-The go to suit–
- Have a great fitting suit in your closet that will work in any event. Charcoal is my pick for the color, as it will look great at a wedding, a funeral or a corporate event.
- Make sure it fits well. The shoulders should line up with your natural shoulder line, the pants should not have that baggy backside and the legs should be tailored and not make you look like a rectangle when wearing the jacket. Make sure to have it tailored.
- Spend the extra money and go custom if you have a build that doesn’t work well with off the rack suits.
2-A White dress shirt-
- Make sure it fits well. Know your shirt size or have your neck and sleeve length measured at the store. Try the shirt on and don’t just pick it up and assume it will fit because it is in your size. There are a lot of different fits out there and even though you may not consider yourself slim, try it because some slim fits are not that slim.
3-A great Blazer-
1. My personal pick now a days is a navy knit or casual blazer. Based on the casual dress codes today, this will work perfectly with khaki and gray casual pants as well as jeans.
2. Once again, try it on and make sure the shoulders fit well, and then everything else can be tailored.
4-Casual pants-
- I really prefer a 5 pocket pant to a chino. I still like chinos but sometimes they can just look dated because they are more likely to be bigger in the leg or pleated (which can make you look wider than you are).
- I think a charcoal or camel color should be the first color and then navy, if you want to add another color.
5-Casual shirt-
- In this category, I like shirts that have a bit of texture or a smaller print or plaid (depending on your style). If you are only going to have one in your closet, I would get something that will go with both your navy blazer or under a sweater.
- Once again, make sure it fits well! No ballooning in the middle when it’s tucked in or if you want to leave it out, make sure the length is a little past the mid fly of your pants/jeans. If you find a shirt that you like and it’s too long, just have it hemmed up to be the right length to leave out.
6-Sweater-
- I have a lot of clients that run hot, so I would get something that is light weight, which will also be great for layering. I like a light gray crew or high v-neck. This will look great under a blazer alone or with your casual shirt under it and a pair of jeans.
7-A great fitting jean-
- So this could take some time, but find a medium wash jean that fits right. It should lay next to your body and be a shade or two different from your navy blazer, so you don’t look like your are trying to make a suit out of a knit blazer and a jean. My favorite fit on most of my clients is the slim straight look with some stretch. Even if you have a bigger build, this will look great on you! It will make you look thinner.
8-A Good white t-shirt
- Find a tee that is thick, not too long and opt for a crew or high v-neck. This will be your go to tee that works with a classic outfit like jeans and tee and will be great for layering under the knit blazer in spring and summer.
9 –Nice outerwear
- A nice wool car coat or shorter overcoat is the best way to complete any outfit. Make the outside match the inside. Steer clear of wearing a nice fitting suit or business casual outfit and then throwing a Northface jacket on.
10 –Matching belt
- If you only have one belt in your wardrobe, make sure you get a reversible dress belt. This will go better with all of your shoes and can be brown or black depending on what color you are wearing.
- Eventually add some casual belts as they do look much better with jeans. They are typically thicker and have a bigger buckle.
11 & 12-Shoes!!
- A casual sneaker or chukka/Chelsea boot. I really prefer that you have both because they will work in a casual and business casual environment.
- Opt for a chukka boot in black or brown (depending on your casual pant color) If gray then get black or navy and camel, get navy or dark brown.
- For the sneaker, I like a leather sneaker with a smaller sole. This just looks a bit dressier and works with any age group.
- The dress shoe- a lace up is classic and I would get a black to go with a charcoal suit, although brown works too. If you need more comfort, get a rubber sole and some heavier padding to make them work better for you.
