10 Must-Have Items For Men’s Wardrobe
You want to be ready for everything that comes your way: each event, every occasion, no matter what’s on the agenda. My friends, these are ten items you should always have in your wardrobe in one way or another. We’ve listed the very best essentials you need in your wardrobe to tackle vacations, casual events and everything that falls in between.
1. Fitted Suit
The ultimate weapon in a man’s arsenal of sexiness is a fitted suit. No more swimming around in pleated pants, no oversized coats that make your shoulders look invisible. You need to get a quality, fitted suit that’s going to show off your physique while still remaining professional. One of the best quotes regarding suits ever is “Suits are to women what lingerie is to men,” and that’s one fact that you can’t deny. Women like a guy in a suit that properly fits at the shoulders, cuff, legs and just all-around looks great.
When you go with a simple off-the-rack suit that’s not designed for your measurements, you can still look excellent, but that’s only if you fall into a certain bracket that a lot of department stores have for more slender or muscular guys. If you’re a short gent (as am I), you’re going to need to get a fitted suit so you don’t look like you’re dragging the back of your pants on your heels.
2. Hoodies
Dudes, you need hoodies, pure and simple. Not only are they a man’s best friend when Autumn hits the streets, but they also look excellent with the right pair of blue jeans and a killer pair of boots. Hoodies are a staple in a teenager’s wardrobe, but men are what make them look good. Add a stellar watch, get a bit of that three-day growth going or a nice beard, maybe some Ray-Ban sunglasses with the hood pulled down, and you’re ready to rock and roll.
You’ll be better off going with a pullover hoodie for a more clean look. Zip-ups tend to look a bit too baggy if they’re opened and can add unnecessary drag to your midsection. It doesn’t do you any favors, especially if you’ve been putting in time at the gym and trying to build on that physique. Keep pullovers and keep them tight, and you’ll look casual while keeping it stylish.
3. Blue Jeans
It’s a staple, but one that can’t be overstated. Blue jeans look good on just about every guy that’s ever walked the face of the earth. You can go with the classic combination and pair these with a white t-shirt and some stellar Chelsea boots, or you can rock than with a leather jacket and a V-neck. Blue jeans are ultra versatile across a plethora of different styles and dress codes, depending on what wash you get.
For instance, dark wash jeans are a great way to dress up a nice button-down shirt, where a lighter wash and rolling the cuffs up on that same shirt are a great semi-casual look that will work wonders. It’s all about how you match it with the rest of your wardrobe, but it’s absolutely fantastic if you know what you’re doing.
4. Jackets
You could go denim, you could go windbreaker, but either way, you need a jacket. This also applies to sports coat jackets, so eyes front and center gentlemen. Having a jacket isn’t just a good idea, it’s putting some major focus on one of the most attractive parts of your body: your torso. Yeah, that sounds pretty vague, but it boils down to your chest, your shoulders, and above all else, your posture.
Having a killer jacket shows off those shoulders, it gives you a reason to puff out that chest and gives you the confidence to stand up straight and own the night. Besides, you’re going to look dapper as hell while you’re wearing it.
Whether you want to dress up a look with a blazer or add an additional rugged element to your hiking ensemble, adding a jacket is the way to go. In our opinion, every guy should have one denim jacket, one windbreaker jacket, one blazer-style coat, and at least one running jacket in his wardrobe. You need to be ready for anything, so get on the good foot, fella.
5. Robes
Hey, what’s wrong with being comfortable? Sometimes there’s no better feeling on earth than killing the phone for the night, dialing for takeout and slipping into a high-quality and luxurious robe designed for men. We often see guys get apprehensive because it feels “feminine,” but let us ask you this: how many times have you seen James Bond wearing a robe in a film? A lot. Case and point, there’s nothing feminine or non-masculine about it, it’s just comfortable and you should slip into one.
Winding down requires you to shift gears, slip out of the suit of the uniform for work, and just own your own little slice of the world for a change. Grab a robe, grab some slides, maybe even grab a film from our list of movies every guy has to see, and just make like Uncle Kracker and drift away. If there isn’t a robe or some pajamas at the very slightest in your wardrobe, you’re not taking the time needed to smell the roses, my friend.
6. Sunglasses
While there are a time and a place for sunglasses, they add major points to your style while also helping add a bout of mystery to your overall presence. Women (and other men for that matter) love mystery, it’s intriguing, draws you to them, makes you focus on that one person who isn’t letting their defenses down. Apart from that, it’s badass and goes wonderfully with a vacation look (which we’ll talk about in a minute) or just topping off a nice denim jacket and chinos to look like the bad boy.
Sunglasses also let you keep it nice and casual when you hit the beach or finally break away from the office for some much-needed time off. You don’t have to opt for an expensive pair, but you can grab the best sunglasses for men that have ever been made, and feel like a million bucks in your confident swagger. It’s not about the price tag, just find something that suits your personal style, and augments your ability to make the fairer sex weak at the knees.
7. Quality Basic Items (T-Shirts, Socks, etc.)
Goes without saying, right? The difference is that most guys hang onto the same t-shirts for years, and they end up getting dingy as all holy hell. Pit stains, bacterial growth embedded in the fibers, and just a run-down ratty feeling. Dress socks or no show socks, boxer briefs, all of the above, your basic items, are susceptible to running ragged and just feeling awful on your body.
It’s best to go through your basics at least once a year and do a cleansing. Bacteria build up in your clothes as time goes on, and it can’t properly be lifted by standard detergent alone. Cotton absorbs, and most essentials are made of cotton. Get higher quality essentials to prolong their life, but to also keep you comfortable throughout each and every day.
8. Hawaiian Shirts
Hawaiian shirts are still in, and they’re not going anywhere. This isn’t the vacation episode of Full House: you can rock these and you should rock these. There’s a ton of ways you can pair one of these with some stellar chinos for a business casual look, or toss them together with a pair of flip-flops to keep it real and enjoy the beach.
This is how you transition from working stiff to weekend bliss in a matter of seconds. They’re simple, made of versatile materials, and allow you to transition from nine-to-five into “Guys, where’s the high-dive?” in no time at all. Head out, enjoy your weekend or much-earned vacation, and look like a Nordstrom model while doing it.
9. Professional Messenger Bag
There’s no better accessory for your look than a quality, professional messenger bag. We’re in a digital landscape, we always have a phone with us, our laptop or Microsoft Surface, phone, the list goes on and on. Messenger bags have finally hit a beautiful, pinnacle point where they really add to a man’s style without looking too much like he’s carrying a mother’s diaper bag over his shoulder.
You can look professional and classy, all while having just about anything underneath. We like to toss a Dopp kit in, some EDC essentials like a multi-tool, and just keep part of the dedicated space as a go bag. Having one of these adds an extra dimension to your appearance, and when paired with a nice watch or a pair of similarly-colored dress shoes, it can look like the complete package. Ahem, you’ll look like the complete package, from your head down to your toes.
10. Flannel Shirts
The hiking Viking, the brutish lumberjack: a flannel jacket is the final absolute must-have wardrobe item that every single man should own. It’s classic, it’s able to work with blue jeans and a pair of shades, and can even be dressed up a little bit with some chinos, Chelsea boots, and a quality and stylish backpack. It’s up to you how to play with the style, but it’s undoubtedly there. Even when you thought that hipsters ruined flannel shirts, they’re still around. Why? They’re timeless, and no 2007 emo music scene trend is going to strip that fact away from this style tool in your arsenal.
Our personal favorite way to match this is with a sexy Victorinox watch, roll the cuffs up, and leave two buttons popped along the top with a nice V-neck rocking underneath. The classy new-age man, or the rugged outdoorsman; it’s fully up to you, but either way, you slice it, you’re going to look like a total boss.
Nothing’s Stopping You From Rocking It
You know what you need, and how to get it: through our advanced buying guides and information readily available to you. Building your wardrobe takes time, but once you have everything set in stone, you’ll no longer find yourself worried about improperly dressing for the occasion. Live it up, look good doing it, and have a seamless style that’s all your own.
The greatest thing about this list is its versatility. You don’t have to stick with one type of Hawaiian shirt, you don’t need to go classic on the red-and-black flannel shirts, you can mix and match and get a great sense of your own style shining through. These are simply some of the best threads that guy can own to look dapper at all times, and roll out to match and meld with other styles no matter what.
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