Updating your Wardrobe – A Guy’s Guide by Jack

Editor’s note to our lovely ladies: We all have guy friends who struggle a bit in the wardrobe department. Go on- read on, take Jack’s advice and help them out. 

This is a guide for those men out there who have no idea how to dress and more importantly for those that think they know but really look like they walked into an op shop blindfolded and chose an outfit using nothing but their sense of smell. If you can smell out a quality op shop Safari suit then you can stop reading now, for you my friend look awesome… so long as you are a big game hunter with a mustache you can swirl. If you follow the guide provided in this post then you will have a clear idea of what exactly is needed to look styled on any occasion.

So let us get to it. The list of clothes I’m about to give you are everyday ‘staples’, meaning these are all quality items that will stay fashionable forever and will get you the best cost per wear value. You need to avoid paying $80 for a shirt that has a giant pink unicorn on the front that you only wear once. I’d rather pay the same amount of cash and wear an item 100 times.

Feet

– 1x Black leather

– 1x Brown leather

• I prefer slip on everyday leather shoes

– 1x shiny higher quality black leather shoes

– 2x casual shoes

• Can be same design, just different colours

– Brown and Black business socks. Match for shoes

– Short black invisible socks for casual shoes

Legs

• Dark denim jeans
• Chinos in different colours
• Casual pants (not denim)
• Shorts in chino variety

Torso

• Bright white long sleeve shirts(slim fitting, non cuffed)
• Polo shirts. I like Tommy Hilfiger personally for the fit and the quality.
• Crew neck tees
• V neck tees.
• Plain white crew neck tees. Can be the inexpensive variety and used both as an undershirt or a casual tee

Cold weather

• Plain black jacket(three button variety). Avoid ones with too much bling i.e. Epilettes, zippers
• Knit pullovers. Both the crew and v neck types, personal preference. Look great over a white long sleeved shirt
• Casual jumpers.
• Casual Jacket. This could be a moleskin or a suit separate

Head

• Beanie. Black
• Hats if you like wearing them. So long as they suit your face shape and dress sense

Accessories

• Black leather belt. Worn when wearing black leather shoes or causal garb
• Brown leather belt. Worn when wearing brown leather shoes
• A quality set of silver cufflinks
• Leather wallet. Small and slim design with no signs of wear. Don’t keep a hundred useless cards or old bank receipts in them either! Nobody likes a Costanza wallet…
• Money clip for nights out on the town. Holds paper money, your I.D and a bank or credit card. It also makes sure you don’t look bulky with stuffed pockets
• Leather shoulder bag. Yes, a man bag. Sometimes when out and about in the city you just cant fit all your stuff in your pockets… wallet, keys, phone, laptop, water bottle, books etc.
• Scarves
• Brass collar stays
• 2x watches. One for everyday and a fancier one for going out
• Umbrella. People don’t think you’re tough walking in the rain, they think you’re an idiot.
• Leather gloves
• Sunglasses. Whatever variety you like. Thin metal framed aviators are great though
• Handkerchiefs. Especially for the colder months or maybe to offer one to a damsel in distress. Some scenarios may require more than a hankie so always be ready to be a hero.

Important points:

• All of these clothes should be block colours only. So no stripes, ribbons or sequins. It may seem boring wearing clothes that haven’t magical patterns and fantastical textures but who cares, you’ll wear each item more than once.
• If you have tees or long sleeve shirts that are getting older then you can use them as casual beach clothes.
• Always iron your clothes before you head out outside. People will notice if you look like a dried apricot.
• Once you know your sizes and favorite brands you can dispense with the change rooms as the cut and fit of the big branded clothing doesn’t change.

There may be other items you can think of that you consider staple wardrobe items too. This does not include eye patches, onesies(wtf), Rastafarian beanies and definitely not crocs! My brother got a pair for Christmas last year and said “these are great, I’ll wear them when I go fishing”… 8 months later and fishing has become everywhere!!!

Stay stylish fellas.

Jack