Basic Men's Wardrobe What would you add?

[Holzie]

The recent post on what to wear got me thinking about young and old guys building a basic wardrobe. What would you add?

Men's Basic Wardrobe:
Navy Blazer- try to avoid the real shiny brass buttons
Grey Slacks
Khaki Chinos
Dk Blue Suit/ sometimes the suit jacket can substitute for Navy Blazer in a pinch
Good Quality Blue Jeans
Dk Brwn Shoes most versatile shoe in the world is good quality Cordovan color Penny Loafer
Dk Brwn Belt
Dk Red or Blue Neck tie
White Shirt button down for daytime
White Shirt Plain Collar for nighttime
Merino Wool V-neck grey, black or burgundy
Black Picque Polo Shirt
Nice Plain no bacon collar White T-shirts

 

[Ronan the BARBERian]

The recent post on what to wear got me thinking about young and old guys building a basic wardrobe. What would you add?

Men's Basic Wardrobe:
Navy Blazer- try to avoid the real shiny brass buttons
Grey Slacks
Khaki Chinos
Dk Blue Suit/ sometimes the suit jacket can substitute for Navy Blazer in a pinch
Good Quality Blue Jeans
Dk Brwn Shoes most versatile shoe in the world is good quality Cordovan color Penny Loafer
Dk Brwn Belt
White Shirt button down
White Shirt Plain Collar
Merino Wool V-neck grey, black or burgundy
Black Picque Polo Shirt
Nice Plain no bacon collar White T-shirts

I would add a pair of Black dress shoes

and would remove the Kaki chinos

 

[Catseye]

Doesn't this all depend on what you do for a living, what your lifestyle is and where you live?

Where I live, I wouldn't consider wearing anything but blue jeans, cowboy hat & boots given the above listed factors.

 

[john parker]

A blazer, by definition, has brass buttons. Live with it.
Do NOT substitute a dark blue suit coat for a blazer.

 

[sirslick]

I would replace the Dark Blue suit with a Dark Grey one, and again add some black dress shoes, I just think the dark blue suit and balck shoes is a very dated look.


And make sure you have a black belt for those shoes !


Just MHO

 

[Kouros]

Add a v-neck sweater vest and a cardigan sweater.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

I would add:

Charcoal suit, 2 button, solid or herringbone. No stripes/windowpane/check - never goes out of style.

Wingtips! Preferably longwings. Dark brown or chesnut, very versatile. I wear a pair with jeans and a sportcoat as well as on dressier occasions. You have to have at least 4 pairs of shoes and rotate them.

Topcoat for cold weather evening wear.

Trench coat for wet weather.

 

[mdevine]

I'd add a black mock turtle neck sweater or long sleeve shirt which can be worn with the suit or jeans.

 

[davecmu]

Saw this list at Put This Onthe other day:

* Solid gray or navy suit.
* Navy blue blazer.
* Good straight-cut blue jeans.
* Khaki pants.
* Mid-gray wool pants (preferably light weight).
* Trim khaki shorts.
* White and light blue oxford shirts (oxford is a heavier, textural cloth that is inherently more casual - in this case the collars would be button-down, as well.)
* White and light blue dress shirts (something in a finer fabric, without a button-down collar, suitable for wearing with a suit).
* Solid black grenadine necktie.
* Other neckties based on needs and taste - colored, textured solids, knits, simple diagonally striped ties.
* White linen pocket hankerchiefs.
* Plain white t-shirts.
* A couple of other plain t-shirts - navy or heather gray are good choices.
* A trim-fitting solid polo or two (white and blue are good colors).
* Gray crew-neck sweatshirt.
* Cashmere v-neck sweater (light gray or camel/oatmeal are good colors).
* Plain white sneakers.
* Black cap-toes.
* Brown dress shoes.
* Brown or burgundy casual shoes or boots (chukkas or plain-toe bluchers are a good choice).
* Belts to match shoes.
* After this, you may need one or two casual jackets. A peacoat or duffel coat is good for cold weather. A Harrington or mechanic’s jacket is good for less cold weather.
* Again depending on local weather, you may need an overcoat suitable to wear with a suit, gloves, a scarf or a trench coat or mac for rain.

 

[Salty O'Rourke]

Better add another closet while we're at it....

 

[SilverKarn]

I personally like VESTS in the spring or fall. Great for when you need movement, but warmth.

 

[binowatch]

Cordovan loafers are a casual shoe and therefore somewhat less versatile. A plain toe oxford is very versatile. Remember your belt should go with your shoes. I agree completely with davecmu's list-it is perfect. But, remember James Bond's adage "with a dark blue suit, a white shirt and a black knit tie a man can go anywhere"-in that sense a pair of black cap toes and a black belt would go with that.

 

[Rei]

It seems that you are talking about what is commonly termed in women's fashion, a "Capsule Wardrobe." Which is to say, that you have a fairly basic core set of core items that of high enough quality that they don't need to be replaced that often (if, at all) that forms the 'cake' of your style.

You add to the capsule the 'frosting,' which come comes and goes as fashions ebb and flow. A few years ago, you would have added a pink tie, cornflower blue would have been the tie you added in the mid-90s, and this spring, you should be adding a lavender tie to the mix... but I digress, as frosting comes and goes, but a fairly nice capsule should be around for a while.

The problem with capsule wardrobes, as catseye has pointed out, is that it changes depending on your lifestyle, age, profession, and region.

While the two lists posted are a fairly good starting point, they wouldn't work in my case. I'm a photographer, that lives in Los Angeles. Khaki pants, and blazers are never worn by me. Either I'm in a casual environment which requires jeans and threadless-type Ts, or I'm in a dressy event environment which requires something more dandy than khakis. So, neither of the posted capsules work for me.

When I was growing up, I lived less than a mile from the railhead for the cattle auction house. In that case, the scale of casual to formal went from a casual straw cowboy hat with leather boots to the more formal felt cowboy hat with snakeskin boots. I'm sure the nuances of western wear are lost on many people in the city, just as the nuances of suit wearing is lost on many people.

In any case, posting a generic capsule wardrobe and asking everyone to add stuff til it is complete isn't the best way to build one, because you will end up with lots of stuff that may or may not be useful to people depending on their circumstance. So, give up the details on your lifestyle, age, profession, and region so we can discuss how you should change the capsule that you posted.

 

[Doc4]

What, no ties?

Just one tie? I'd take a mid-blue with a muted pindot pattern.

I would replace the Dark Blue suit with a Dark Grey one, and again add some black dress shoes, I just think the dark blue suit and balck shoes is a very dated look.


And make sure you have a black belt for those shoes !


Just MHO

Just one (first) suit? A medium/dark grey suit, in a weight light enough to be bearable in the summer and decent enough (with silk long undies if needed) in the winter. Sombre enough to wear to funerals and capable of being livened up for weddings.

Your first pair of shoes need to be black. The next fifty pairs can be brown, but the first one needs to be black.

I'd add a black mock turtle neck sweater or long sleeve shirt which can be worn with the suit or jeans.

Makre sure it is a real turtleneck ... or you will be mocked.

 

[alaskamcghee]

Where are the hats? I would add at least two hats. One for work and one for casual wear. Say a nice grey for work and a light green for you casual wear. By hats I mean fedoras. We are adults here afterall.

 

[djboring]

I'd add a black mock turtle neck sweater or long sleeve shirt which can be worn with the suit or jeans.

In the interest of civility I will refrain from mocking your faux turtleneck sweater, but will instead suggest a real turtleneck sweater.

 

[sup909]

I would add an Argyle Sweeter or Cardigan to that mix. Color is up to you, but there are going to be those times (christmas party with friends?) when you want something a bit more casual.

 

[tvldatsi]

I'd say NBA jersey, size XL tall.
Yankees cap, size 14 with the sticker still on it
Phat Farm jean shorts that touch the shoe
Air force one nikes
assorted jewelry from mall kiosk

 

[Greyfox]

Black dress shoes, a custom made fedora and a few bowties.

 

[jhamer9]

In the interest of civility I will refrain from mocking your faux turtleneck sweater, but will instead suggest a real turtleneck sweater.

+1 unless you like the Tiger Woods look.

White OCBD (oxford cotton button down) and some dark washed or selvedge jeans (preferably ones with little or no stitching on the back pockets) throw in a chocolate brown corduroy sport jacket if the weather is still cool/cold and you're good for a night on the town or perhaps a relaxed business casual day.