Wardrobe Basics 101: What Every Man Should Have in Their Closet

When building your wardrobe, it's important to have those staple items that work season after season, year after year, and for all the situations you may end up in.

Having great staples in your closet makes it easy for you to add in fun seasonal garments while still looking stylish and feeling on top of the world. So you now may be asking yourself - what are those items I should have in my wardrobe? Well, Ticknors is here to answer that question for you! 

Wardrobe Basics 101: What Every Man Should Have in Their Closet

#1: A great suit (or two!)

Whether a man dresses regularly for business or not, everyone needs at least one suit hanging in their closet.

We all have so many places to wear a suit that it's hard to list them all. We find that when a man has a suit he loves in his closet, he finds excuses to wear it to more events than you'd think.

#2: A fitted sport coat in an easy-to-wear color. 

Sometimes you aren't going to want to wear a full suit and need something a bit more casual than your suit coat.

Sport coats have evolved to be accepted as office wear as well as being an acceptable substitute for an outerwear jacket. Every man needs a sport coat that covers Monday-Friday more casual situations, but also gives them great options with jeans and casual wear on the weekends.

#3: A great pair of versatile denim. 

Jeans are the new dress pants. At Ticknors, we've seen our sales of jeans rival, and even surpass, dress slacks with today’s casual business culture.

Jeans also come with so much more variety now than they did in the past. A dress jean (commonly worn for work related purposes and/or with a sport coat) fits cleaner and usually has stretch to give men a dressier and cleaner fitting denim look. A great pair of denim will get you through so many different scenarios - from workwear, to drinks, to running errands on the weekend. There isn't much a great jean CAN'T do.

#4: A light weight fashion jacket.

A great fashion jacket (like a trench coat, over coat, or a Harrington jacket) is the perfect addition to your wardrobe because it's so versatile. It can transition you from warmer to colder weather and back again with ease.

Choose a tan, camel, navy, or grey coat so it matches anything you have in your closet! 

#5: A classic hooded knit.

This is more of a fun addition but we think it's worth mentioning. A classic hooded knit sweatshirt in a subtle color or pattern is a good way to instantly take your look from Friday at the office to drinks with the guys. Throw on a hooded knit under your sport coat and look polished and cool. 

#6: A stylish blue button down sport shirt. 

There are so many ways to wear a great blue button down sport shirt. Layered under a sport coat and you have a great networking event look.

Pair this with a great pair of pants and you have an effortlessly stylish brunch look. You can wear a blue button down sport shirt it under a sweater, alone, or with a great pair of khakis. A blue button down sport coat goes with so many colors it's easy to see why this is a wardrobe staple.

#7: A quintessential white button down dress shirt.

A white dress shirt goes with literally everything. White is an easy color to wear under a black, navy, grey, brown, or any other color suit you could possibly own. 

Since they are so versatile consider owning 2. The classic white dress shirt never goes out of style and can be worth with any look you desire. When you are in a pinch and need to look polished and professional, throw on your white button down dress shirt. 

#8: Brown shoes or boots.

Brown shoes or boots are a shoe that is both versatile and stylish. As you can see, when we talk about building a wardrobe we keep talking about how each of these pieces are versatile and we mean it! That's why they made this list. 

Brown dress shoes or boots can be worn during all seasons and can be dressed up or down. Brown dress shoes look awesome with dark denim, a sport coat, and sport shirt but can also be worn with a full suit.

Pick the style based on how often you dress up or not. A brown pair of lace ups work well for someone who wears suits often, while a brown boot is best worn with jeans and more casual looks.

#9: Basic pair of fashion sneakers.

This is a fun addition to your wardrobe but can help you mix up your looks when traveling. A great pair of leather fashion sneakers in a neutral color can take your trade show look to after work drinks in a flash. 

Fashion sneakers can easily compliment a sport coat when running weekend errands or even enjoying brunch with your family. They are a nice way to add a casual element to your look!

#10: Three trendy ties.

Ticknors suggests three ties for a good reason - you cover all your bases this way! If you ONLY own three ties (and honestly, we think any man should own many more) make sure you have the following: a classic tie in a great pattern/color, a solid tie in a neutral color, and a fun tie that expresses your personality and makes you happy. 

The classic tie is to make you feel powerful - put on your suit with a white button down shirt and your classic tie and you can take on anything and any one. 

The solid tie is versatile and can be easily added to any look to elevate it from a regular casual look.

The fun tie is just that - fun! It could have a whimsical pattern (which is sure to strike up conversations), a bright color, or a bold pattern. Find one that represents you and wear it any time you want to have the most fun with your look.

 

While this is no means a full list of items you need to have in your wardrobe, this gives you a good start so you can evaluate your current digs and see what you still need to create a great wardrobe.

If you need help with finding the right and right fitting garments, stop in to our stores and speak with our style experts. Ticknors is ready to help you find perfect items to build a stylish and modern wardrobe.