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Introduction
Something I touched on a little bit in my last article was the tendency for menswear writers and bloggers to overuse adjectives such as ‘versatile’, ‘sprezzatura’ or ‘steez’. We end up applying them to so many different kinds of trends, styles and garments that the real meaning gets completely watered down. It also tends to leave readers or beginners to the game confused as to what is really going on. With this in mind, the biggest, most overused adjective of them all has to be ‘essential’.
I think it’s criminal (and slightly ridiculous) the amount of times this word gets thrown around by guys in the industry, without any thought for what they really mean by it. I mean, come on, I’m all for a double breasted blazer but is it really an essential part of your wardrobe? The same goes for tassel loafers, pocket squares and shirts with prints on them. They’re all great additions to a wardrobe but they aren’t the foundation of a great wardrobe.
What essential really means is just that – the kind of item, that if not present, makes your wardrobe fall apart. Furthermore, they should all (well, almost all) compliment each other when put together and be completely interchangeable. So much so that, in theory, you could get dressed in the dark. A list of true essentials is what I’ve attempted to put together below.
For a more in-depth look at each piece I’ve selected below, check out the rest of my men’s fashion basics articles, which cover everything I’m about to mention. Make sure you also read up on the excellent series Will Colman did on reinventing your style.
Finally, remember that when building the perfect foundation wardrobe, you should be paying close attention to quality and fit – it will make all the difference to your look and these pieces will be getting a lot of rotation in your day to day style.
The Top 10 Essential Items
1. A White Oxford Cloth Shirt
The most versatile shirt you’ll ever buy.
Easy to dress up with some formal trousers and a blazer but works equally as well dishevelled and rumpled with a pair of jeans. For maximum versatility, try and get one that is long enough to stay in your trousers but still short enough to look good when untucked.
- Allsaints Addison Shirt
- American Apparel Pinpoint Oxford Long Sleeve Button-down Shirt
- Selected Oxford Shirt
2. Slim Dark Jeans
The reason they should be slim (but not skinny) is so they can be worn with a blazer but still look great with a pair of loafers or lace ups. They can be dressed up or down and will go with anything you get your hands on.
But you must remember to do your homework! Try on as many pairs as you can and then get the best pair tailored to perfection.
If you can afford it, opt for a selvedge pair – the quality of the denim is generally much better and will help them last years.
- Levis Vintage 1947 501 Rigid Denim Jeans
- Nudie Jeans Slim Jim Dry Broken Twill Slim Jeans
- J.crew 484 Rinsed Slim-fit Jeans
3. A Dark Solid Tie
Should be simple and neutral enough to go with all the suits, jumpers and shirts you can throw at it. Navy, grey or black are ideal. Again, keep it slim but not skinny, and try not to go more than 3″ at its widest point.
If you can, opt for one with a bit of texture (like wool or a silk knit) in order to add a bit of detail to an otherwise very simple and versatile piece.
- Asos Knitted Tie
- Drakes Slim Grenadine Silk Tie
- Black Knitted Silk Tie Nick Bronson
4. A Navy Blazer
Normally I would suggest you purchase a navy suit as it will work just as well separated as a whole piece. However, I appreciate not everyone has the budget for a whole suit and I would rather you spent the money on a quality blazer than an average suit.
Try to make sure the fabric is dark enough that it can be worn in the evenings to clubs, bars or semi-formal events and throw it over anything to instantly smarten up your look.
- Allsaints Edison Jacket
- Asos Slim Fit Canvas Blazer In Navy
- Uniqlo Men Premium Linen Jacket A
5. A pair Of Grown Up Trainers
Something I cannot stress enough. Upgrade to something like Adidas Stan Smith’s, Chuck Taylors or Vans, buy them leather, keep them clean and you won’t go wrong.
- Vansauthentic Leather White Mono Excl
- Converse Jack Purcell Leather White
- Common Projects Original Achilles Leather Low Top Sneakers
6. Grey Crew Neck T-shirt
I really shouldn’t have to explain this one. Works great as a layering piece, because grey goes with every other colour under the sun. A crew neck also flatters nearly every face shape.
This item will never look better than when it’s paired with the dark jeans and grown up trainers on a lazy Sunday morning.
- Allsaints Berkeley Crew T-shirt
- J.crew Slim-fit Cotton T-shirt
- American Apparel Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T-shirt
7. A Black V-neck Jumper
Again, another classic.
One of the easiest and most elegant looks for a man to pull off is a pair of formal trousers, a white shirt and black v-neck jumper combination. It works well as a layering piece under a suit and even looks great with just a pair of jeans in those summer evenings.
- Asos V Neck Jumper
- Uniqlo Men Cotton V Neck Sweater
- Fine-knit V-neck Pullover Gent-1 By Boss Black
8. Slim Neutral Chinos
Same rules as the jeans here guys. Go for something in beige, camel or olive for maximum versatility but grey or brown will work just as well.
Try to make sure they are of the traditional formal variety rather than the denim wash versions that are out right now – it’s much easier to dress a smart pair of chinos down than it is to dress up a more casual trouser.
- Shore Leave Stone Chino
- Beams Plus Straight-leg Cotton-twill Chinos
- Reiss Senator Slim Casual Trousers Rust
9. A Pair Of Black Lace-up Shoes
Your go-to elegant dress up shoes right here. That is not to say they can’t be dressed down with a pair of jeans and a tee, but when you have a pair that are clean toed (so no seams or brogue detailing) they could be worn with a tuxedo and would still look appropriate.
- Topman Walteroot Black Leather Shoes
- Allsaints Debut Shoe
- H By Hudson Braun Black Shoes
10. A Medium Grey Suit
If there’s one thing you should spend some money on, it should be this one.
It’s the most versatile suit you can own and you can use the jacket as another blazer and the trousers as another pair of formal trousers with the chinos. It can take you from your first interview all the way to your final address to the board – including all those weddings, funerals and clubs in between.
- Topman Three Piece Best Grey Charlie Skinny Suit
- River Island Slim Fit Jacket
- Reiss Ark Modern Two Button Suit Grey
The Top 10 Lookbook
The top 10 in pictures – from left to right:
Final Word
As I said, with only these ten essentials in your wardrobe you should be able to get dressed in the dark and still look as stylish as ever. The beauty of menswear is that once you have these items, all you have to do is start expanding your colour palette in order to add even more interchangeable pieces. So why not pick up some shirts in blues, pinks and greys? Or another blazer but this time in black? A few more different neutral chinos and jumpers won’t hurt either.
Stick to this format and you will have a great foundation wardrobe that will soon be ready for you to start introducing on-trend pieces and accessories that will individualise your look.
But as always, it’s not all about what I think – we want to hear from you guys too. Do you agree with my top ten list? Have I missed a key ‘essential’ piece off? And if I have, are you prepared to say why it should be deemed as essential? Let me know guys!
Matt Allinson
Men's Fashion Basics - Part 70 - Re-introducing Shorts
Men’s Fashion Basics - Part 68 - Introducing Gingham Check
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Almost couldn’t agree more in terms of the absolute most essential items. There is a second tier of key items though, some of which are arguably just as essential making it tough to narrow it down as far as a nicely rounded 10. For me these would include white v and crew neck t-shirts (before grey, marginally), a navy or black pea coat, a pair of brown brogues, a leather jacket, a navy suit and a trench coat or mac.
I agree with you mate, it was hard to get it down to just ten but keep your eyes open for another piece that will include the next ten essentials. And yea, they do include a few of the ones you mentioned.
Largely I’m sorted with regards to this list. However I’d disagree with the slim jeans thing as I don’t think that applies to everyone. I get the feeling that larger people have been complaining to high street brands saying that “skinny jeans are too skinny” means that I, a short, very slim person, have to resort to ‘very skinny’ labels – and even then they only just can be considered as skinny. Simple ‘slim’ fits are often just too wide. So I think that item is very dependant upon the person that’s wearing them. Of course if you’re tall and big, skinny jeans will look a bit daft.
Also don’t quite get the Stan Smiths obsession but would agree with Converse or perhaps Vans in leather. Got my navy blazer, v-neck, grey t-shirts, white Oxford, etc etc. Good article! :-)
Great article, but as above I can’t see why stan smith’s keep getting mentioned..they’re hideous! I don’t really consider Vans as fashionable either considering how many people wear them these days. I guess a simple pair of white trainers (like the example in the middle of the 3 posted) are ok, but personally I’d much rather stick on a pair of desert boots instead!
I suppose the Stan Smith’s are just Matt’s preference, such is the nature of fashion. I personally don’t like them anymore either, although I am sure every single person can agree with the basis of the advice – keep them clean, slim, minimal and in leather.
On that note, look out on Monday where we will be running a small competition to win a pair of off white Common Projects trainers that are absolutely perfect/beautiful!
i could not agree with your choices more. However I do feel this is a slightly recycled article from a while back
Brogues are definitely not an “essential” item. However, like Rich, I think the desert boots would make it, say, if the list was extended to 12 or 15. Surely there’s no more versatile a pair of shoes for a smart-casual look?
I don’t think it’s important to get hung up on the Stan Smith’s – it was an example; the essence of the addition was a more mature pair of white trainers. Would Converses necessarily fall into this category? Given that I’d immediately think of pre-teens & college students when I think of the typical wearer, I seriously have my doubts.
It’s a good list. I’m not a tie-man though. So I’d probably take the opportunity to replace that inclusion with a winter jacket. Possibly a Pea Coat as Drew mentions above.
When I was at school *everyone* wore Stan Smiths or similar. They were certainly far far more common than Converse. Both are classic styles however I think that a white pair of Converse are suitable for *any* age.
Seems all I need are some chinos and a new pair of trainers! I’m too formal for my own good :)
Fantastic, Thank you.
Do you watch Mad Men? If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were basing some of those picks off of that! Fine choices though, especially the grey suit and the white Oxford.
On the trainer debate, there is a Spanish brand called ‘El Ganso’ (The Goose) who have just opened there first UK shop on Carnaby Street in London. They make amazing smart trainers in a huge variety of colours. What sets them apart is that they feature very grown-up materials and patterns that are typically found on other garments such as oxford cloth, houndstooth, velvet, tartan, suede. The brand has a very British heritage feel to it:
http://www.elganso.com/calzado/zapatillas.html
The el ganso trainers are very nice, does anyone know where they are available aside from the link?
Nice article. Indeed these are essentials.
Good article. Common Project trainers are a very smart grown up looking trainers….but they do cost a lot but are well worth it i think!
Great list, but disagree on the black lace-ups. Surely if a man is to have one pair of shoes, and attends anything more than weddings and funerals, a dark brown or even oxblood pair would be much more versatile…
Dude, you already wrote this article before. Although your color choices are slightly different this time.
http://www.fashionbeans.com/2010/mens-fashion-basics-part-14-6-items-you-should-own/
http://www.fashionbeans.com/2010/men%E2%80%99s-fashion-basics-%E2%80%93-part-15-%E2%80%93-the-other-6-items-you-should-own/
I suppose it doesn’t really matter whether the Tee is white or grey, or the the sweater grey or black. The idea behind it is that they can basically be worn with anything, right? You may not like bloggers overusing the word versatility, but that is what gets items on these lists of yours, right?
Certainly the ‘every-man’ at least…
A great read, i have most of these items you have mentioned but there are a few I will keep a look out for. Keep up the good work guys
Does anyone have experience with athletic fit jeans? I have a pair of slim cut jeans but they are almost like skinnys as my legs are quite big. I’ve seen athletic cut jeans advertised but yet to try them on. They look like they could be my solution as they seem to have more room up top to accommodate big legs.
Clicked on this expecting to be enlightened with fresh ideas to boost my woardrobe, but quite reasuringly i found my internal fashion guru has been working away hard without me realising.
I have all but the grey suit and navy jacket… but trust me i will soon be getting them now!
Thank you so much Matt!
After a 3week spend in hospital I’ve opened my eyes to fashion for the first time, and was a bit intimidated until reading your article.
I’ve spent a life time in baggy jeans, combat shorts, rugby jerseys and beer branded t-shirts (complete with surfer hair).
The hairs gone, replaced by a Mad Men style quiff. But I found it harder to change-up my clothes. Until now…. Now I can be ravenous with the clean out as I have the ‘know how’ with regards to the ‘capsule wardrob’…
Thank you Matt!
Any more tips?
Jeff H
I discovered this site recently and have found it very helpful. I am known as bit of a slob. My wardrobe currently consists of shirts and black trousers for work and tee shirts and jeans for every other occasion. Being older than most readers (45) and having no fashion sense, I found the article helpful as I try to smarten up. Got some of the ‘essentials’ today and already looking and feeling much smarter!
To all those with negative remarks, you may be right in what you’re saying because you’re fashion conscious but remember that to guys like myself, this sort of info is very helpful.
Great article! I was just wondering if you could maybe suggest or do an article on the essential items to get for a total budget of £100 or so and which items its worth spending a bit more on and also the shops to get them from?
What would be great to follow up this article with would be a basics guide on how to maintain your clothing once you have it! Some guides on ironing, washing, folding etc.
In regards to an essential suit – Navy and charcoal is all I am hearing….
Is medium grey charcoal, or is it different?
Really the essential suit is always going to be navy because it is deemed essential in the working world and can be extremely versatile in every other occasion you come across.
However, I would suggest that the navy suit and a mid grey suit are basically the same just different in colour – they go with all the same colours and are as versatile and appropriate as each other.
The first suit I ever purchased was a mid grey one, mainly because I didn’t work in any sort of office work enviroment at all and it served well. Charcoal I’m not such a big fan of.
I’d say you’ll do really well with navy or mid grey Adam.