Written by Kate Beswick in Clothing
Viewed by 170 readers since 06-19-2009
Fashion and wardrobe may be thought of as mostly a woman’s area. But men need to look sharp and well-dressed too. Of course, anyone’s wardrobe first depends on their lifestyle. For professionals that need to wear a suit to the office every day, obviously this wardrobe will be fully stocked with many different suit pieces. But for an athlete, there’s bound to be training clothes such as track pants and warm-up suits. You will have to design your wardrobe around your lifestyle and determine what you need and like to wear the most. But everyone should start off with some basics so here are the ten essential wardrobe items every man needs!
Navy or Grey Suit. The first item that any man needs is a good suit. Navy and grey suits are recommended over black because they can be dressed up by wearing the full suit, or dressed down by throwing the blazer over some jeans. Suits are necessary even if you don’t wear one often. They’re also pieces that you should be willing to spend a few dollars on because they’ll last for years and are a great investment.
Dress Shoes and Belt. A good pair of dress shoes is just as essential as the suit they can be worn with. Dress shoes can also be worn with jeans and khakis for semi-casual functions. A belt can also be worn with just about anything, giving your closet more versatility. Choosing black over brown is also sure to give you more options.
White Dress Shirt. While these shirts are mostly associated with suits, they can also be worn on their own for less formal occasions and are something every man should have.
Blazer or Tweed Jacket. These items will give you another option when you don’t want to wear something as formal as your suit jacket. Tweed is very heavy so will be useful mostly in cold weather, but a light blue blazer can be worn with jeans and is good all year round.
Solid Tie. Some men find it a great thrill adding to their tie collections with ties featuring crazy and loud patterns. However, keep at least one solid tie in your wardrobe. It will go with anything.
Khakis and Jeans. These two go hand-in-hand. You might want to stock up on a few pairs for those more casual days.
Overcoat. Just because you should have an overcoat doesn’t mean that you need a long trench coat. Overcoats can be ¾ lengths or car coat length. The important thing is that they look classy and that they can also be paired with anything.
Briefcase. Just as with the overcoat, you don’t need to follow tradition here. Even a soft messenger-style bag can work great as a briefcase. The important thing is that you have something to nicely and neatly carry all your work and papers around with you.
Casual Shirt. Of course, you’ll probably want more than one of these. A few t-shirts, some polo shirts, and some golf shirts will really complete your wardrobe and keep you casually stylish!
Essentials. Of course you don’t want to stock your closet and forget things such as boxers, briefs, tank tops, and socks. These are all vital so stock up!
