POSTED BY: Zach Fitzgerald
Taking control of your wardrobe can be a bit of a process, but it's well worth the work in the end, when you open your closet to find an easy-to-navigate selection of beautiful items that all work well together.
What's in the Depths of Your Closet?
When it comes to looking into your closet to find an outfit to wear, what do you see? Is it a well organized closet? Well thought out? Do the items work well with each other?
Many men find it difficult to get a hold of what's really in their wardrobe. They go digging in and most times, find a shirt or two that has been in there for 5+ years. The question is, how easy would it be if you could simply go into your closet and pick a suit, shirt and tie without thinking about it?
The truth is, your wardrobe is an investment and it takes time to truly create a well balanced rotation of work attire and casual wear. We know that having control over your closet is a difficult task as sometimes, you barely want to look at it. However, we hope that this article will help you take your first steps into a well balanced, organized wardrobe in which every garment has a purpose.
Getting Organized
Going through the process of closet cleaning is worth it. The first step in taking control of your wardrobe is to assess what you need most. Will your closet be predominantly work attire? Casual?
If you are the type who wears suits to work 5 days a week, your wardrobe should be around 70% suiting and 30% casual. If, on the other hand, you dress more casually, maybe your casual wardrobe should have a higher percentage, but with a few dressy pieces in rotation. Balancing out your clothing is the key to creating a harmonious wardrobe
Building Your Wardrobe
Suits | View Ideas »
We always recommend starting off with your basic all season work suits.
Navy, charcoal, subtle mid blue pattern and subtle mid grey pattern. From there, start building your arsenal of suits with varying patterns in checks, stripes other colours.
Shirts | View Ideas »
Start with classic white and powder blue. A handful of shirts in these basic colours will match any coloured suit or jacket.
To add more colour, splash a lavender and rose shirt in as alternatives to powder blue.
Casual
A handful of sport shirts in a variety of patterns (checks, stripes, prints) are a great starting off point for a casual wardrobe.
And of course, invest in a few pairs of denim. From dark dressy jeans to lighter washes, just remember to keep the silhouette clean and slim.
Seasonal
Once you have a solid rotation of all season suits, focus on seasonal items. These are garments that are limited in wearability to either Spring/Summer or Fall/Winter. Sport jackets and suits in seasonal fabrics are a great way to expand your wardrobe and add depth to your closet. These Linen, light cotton and wool/silk blends above are great examples for the spring/summer garments.
Footwear
Moving to footwear, we always recommend 2-3 pairs of brown dress shoes in different styles and shades, may it be a monk strap, brogue and lace up in tones like chocolate, oxblood and caramel.
A black lace up like these are just as important as they are a basic in any man's wardrobe.
These can be dressed for a formal event if need be or can simply be worn to an important meeting with a bold suit as a power look.
Minimalist sneakers are incredibly versatile to pair with jeans, joggers, even some suits for a fashion forward look.
Once you've established a handful of the items mentioned, you can easily pair any items together seamlessly while still keeping a well put together look.
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