Though styles shift now then because the times change, a well-dressed man’s characteristics generally remain classic. Of course, not every man has the essential pieces in his closet.
From a well-cut suit to the fitting polo, your wardrobe could be in dire need of a couple of pieces that will make it truly timeless. By investing in those essential items, you’ll make sure that you’re well-dressed and outfitted for almost any occasion.
Not sure where to start? Albeit you’re not big on shopping, these ten pieces represent the right building blocks for a refined, masculine wardrobe. Invest in well-made starter items, and you’ll easily add new colors, patterns, and designs into the combination as trends and seasons dictate.
Classic Range Of Clothes Every Man Must Have
Tailored Suit in Black or Gray
All guys need a minimum of one suit that’s perfectly tailored for their bodies. Modern suits are slimmer cuts than those famous within the ’80s or ’90s, so a sloppy suit could imply that you’re woefully behind the days.
Why persist with black and Gray? They’re the two best Colours to urge the maximum mileage out of your suit. From work to weddings and from funerals to a valid date, a classic, tailored black or Gray suit is often worn in some ways. You’ll also get more mileage by breaking out the suit components and wearing them separately, just like the pants with a colored button-up for business casual.
What to Spend
Suits are often expensive, but you’ll grab a well-made one for $200 to $300 from a store like Men’s Wearhouse, plus another fee for tailoring (usually about 50 per suit). If that’s still a touch steep for you, check department shops during sales: Macy’s often has name-brand Suits by Kenneth Cole and Klein for fewer than $200 on sale, while stores like Burlington Coat Factory offer suits within the $100 to $150 range. Complete the design with a pair of leather suspenders; this chestnut-brown number from J.J. Suspenders is the perfect accompaniment to a Gray suit.
Sometimes called an oxford, sometimes called a button-up (the term button-down is reserved for when buttons fasten down the collar). Whatever you call it, you ought to have one in white for everything from professional wear to church. Please search for a crisp, blue-toned white shirt (not yellow-toned) for the maximum mileage since it can work with most other colors, including Gray and navy.
A white button-up should be tailored, as well. Otherwise, it could look unkempt and oversized. Search for one that matches snugly at the neck but not tightly and allows you to maneuver your arms, shoulders, and elbows without restriction. Once you’ve nailed the white button-down, you’ll start gathering some in other colors, like blue.
What to Spend
Expect to pay anywhere from $50 to $100 on a good-quality evening shirt. If you’ve
got the sweater tailored, you ought to budget another $25 for the service. Colored shirts that only last a season or two could be cheaper.
If you’re unsure if you’re getting to wear a colored version fairly often, buy one on a budget. Department shops like JCPenney are your best bet.
Dark Denim Jeans
While skinny jeans could be trendy immediately, you’ll look stylish through the years to return during a pair of straight-cut, dark denim. Dress them up with a sports coat, or wear them on a Saturday with a polo or your favorite graphic tee. If you’re timid about clothing, they’re the last word no-brainer.
What to Spend
What you spend on denim depends heavily on where you buy it. Lower-cost jeans are often found in stores like a bald eagle for about $30 to $50, but be careful for jeans with heavy WHISKERING (faded crease lines usually on the front) and fading.
If you head to an emporium like Nordstrom, your price should be closer to $100, counting on the brand. Try an alternate like The Rack, Marshalls, or Ross for discount prices on high-quality straight-cut jeans. Remember, a brand is a smaller amount significant than fit and elegance.
Cashmere Sweater
If the thought of cashmere has you brooding about your great-aunt Viola, re-evaluate – today’s cashmere is amazingly affordable, accessible, and, yes, even masculine.
Here’s the thing a few cashmere sweaters: Not only is it super-soft, classic, and warm for the colder months, it’s the perfect piece, whether headed home for the vacations, meeting your girlfriend’s parents for the primary time, or maybe for casual Fridays around the office. Something that versatile deserves a spot in your closet. Search for solid, classic colors, like navy, dark red, cream, black, and brown, and avoid patterns if you want your style to last.
Always check the care instructions for your cashmere sweater before laundering it – counting on the material blend, it’d be a dry-clean-only piece. If you buy cashmere blended with another fabric, you’ll be ready to launder it as was expected and hang it to dry. Whatever you are doing, though, don’t make the error of tossing it within the dryer – otherwise, it’d suit your five-year-old nephew tons better than it fits you.
What to Spend
Sweaters that are 100% cashmere are costlier and may cost anywhere from $70 to $150 at department and male clothes shops. You’ll snag cashmere blend sweaters for less expensive at stores like JCPenney, L.L. Bean, or Gap – they run anywhere from $30 to $70. search for huge discounts on cashmere sweaters at an outlet store like Sierra country store.
Blue Blazer
Even if you already own a suit, a blue blazer can further extend your wardrobe, so it’s worth a glance. A classic navy blazer is often paired with lighter pants for a business casual wear and can be tossed over a graphic t-shirt and worn with jeans for a concert date.
Since it’s a jacket, your blazer might be got to be tailored to fit your somatotype correctly, so don’t forget to budget accordingly (around $25 for tailoring). When choosing a jacket, confirm it fits within the arms and shoulders and falls a minimum of your carpal bone, but not your thumb button.
What to Spend
If you buy your blazer at a trendier store like H&M, you’re likely to pay about $30 to $40. If you’re trying to find better quality, try a male-centric store like Jos. A. Bank, which has blazers from $50 to $150, counting on fabric and fit.
A wild card could be discount stores like T.J. Maxx or Ross, which purchase out-of-season goods from department shops and sell them at a fraction of the worth. You would possibly need to dig for a deal, but you’ll also snag deep discounts for your trouble.
Khakis or Chinos
Every man should have a pair of light-colored pants, which are ideal for more casual affairs. Whether it’s a summer barbecue, an off-the-cuff outdoor wedding, or a luncheon meeting with a couple of friendly colleagues, khakis allow you to seem polished without being as “dressed up” as you would possibly feel in suit paints – but still less casual than a pair of jeans.
Khakis bring an excellent bridge piece and accompany almost anything, but confirm you buy them without pleats within the front. While pleated pants cycle in and out of favor, a flat front pant can serve you far better and keep you looking slim and trim.
What to Spend
A classic pair of Dockers costs about $30 at Macy’s and JCPenney. However, Eddie Bauer and Gap khakis both retail for around $50 and have excellent buyer ratings on their respective websites, so keep that in mind if you’re struggling to seek out a pair, you’re keen on. Since chinos are often susceptible to wrinkling, search for a wrinkle-free couple and save yourself the ironing difficulty.
Polo
Button-up shirts are often too formal, but your favorite t-shirt may additionally be way too casual. The solution? A polo. It’s considerably a mixture of the two styles and excellent for golfing or everyday events that decision for an additional dose of sophistication.
Select polos with subtle patterns to stretch your wardrobe since your button-ups are likely solid or striped. A good check or bold stripe allows you to point out your personal style without getting too far outside the box.
Polo shirts look great with shorts within the summer but show equally well with dark jeans and an off-the-cuff sweater within the winter. Layer them under a long-sleeve casual button-up or a cardigan, or add a cargo jacket for a sporty look. Your polos may convince be among the more versatile items you own.
What to Spend
My husband wears polo shirts to figure a day at his casual office and has had great success with American Rag and Klein, both of which sell within the $20 to $40 range. However, he avoids Old Navy polos – while they’re usually lower-cost, their construction doesn’t delay laundry, often leading to misshapen shirts.
Grown-Up Watch
We all loved our calculator watches within the ’80s, but if you’re still rocking a timepiece with a multiplication table, it’d be time to upgrade. No matter your job, every man should own a minimum of one grown-up watch: One that features a clean face, leather or metal band, and appears excellent with more formal clothing.
Whether you choose gold, silver, or leather, a well-made watch shows off your personal style, so choose wisely. Of course, you’ll keep your fun plastic watches, but reserve them for casual events and weekends instead of work.
What to Spend
There’s an enormous range of timepieces since you’ll pay $30 at a colossal box store or $40,000 at a jeweler. Spend what you’ll afford, remembering that you don’t need to bust your bank account to seek out a clean and professional-looking watch.
Wishing you’ll have a high-end watch with a lower budget? Inspect eBay or maybe local classifieds since you would possibly be ready to purchase one-second hand for pennies on the dollar.
A Pair of Oxfords
A pair of professional oxfords can never steer you wrong, particularly for formal wear. Choose something in black or brown leather – they will look even as great with suits as they will with khakis and a blazer.
Loafers are a wise addition to your closet, but they’re also considered less formal than oxfords. If you’re employed in an office with a professional business code, it’s best to choose oxfords. If you’ve got a touch more leeway, then polished, neutral loafers are usually fine.
What to Spend
Florsheim is one of the names in men’s shoes, and you’ll expect to spend $100 to $150 for a pair that appears and fits great. If that’s over your price range, inspect shoe stores like DSW or Famous Footwear, which frequently sell dress shoes within the $50 to $75 range. Remember that leather shoes often need extra care, so you’ll get to hand over a touch of extra money for black to keep them looking fresh all the time.
The Proper White T-Shirt
A well-made white t-shirt is often an excellent companion piece for several of your outfits. Wear it with a leather jacket, dark jeans, and boots for a relaxed moto vibe, or pair it with cargo shorts and boat shoes for a weekend at the lake.
Whether you buy your white t-shirts during a pack of three otherwise you spend extra money on a reputation brand, remember that they only work when they’re perfectly laundered and stay white. If you tend to be hard on your clothes, you would possibly be happier purchasing a lower-cost package of white t-shirts so you’ll toss those that get stained or yellowed over time. A white designer shirt might offer a far better fit,
but you’re getting to pay a premium for it – and therefore, the name.
Choose the neckline of the t-shirt that supported your face shape. If your face is round and you would like to elongate it, a V-neck t-shirt works best. If you’ve got an extended front, be happy to travel with a crew neckline style.
What to Spend
If you’re buying casual shirts during a package, they’re usually $12 to $20 per pack. You would possibly even be ready to find some at trendier stores like H&M.
If you’re willing to pay more for the fitting tee, try an emporium that gives many designers, styles, and fits, like Nordstrom or Saks. Of course, you’re also getting to pay $50 to $75 for name-brand white t-shirts.
