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For the man with an unlimited budget, style is easy. The rest of us have to work a little harder to look good with the cash we have.<\/p>\n
A key wardrobe concept for any man is interchangeability.<\/i><\/strong><\/p>\n It sounds complicated and tedious, but it’s a very simple idea.<\/p>\n An interchangeable wardrobe is one with fewer specific pieces, but many possible clothing combinations. <\/strong><\/p>\n That is to say, each piece you purchase works with the maximum number of other pieces, allowing you to mix and match in a variety of ways.<\/p>\n Building an interchangeable wardrobe isn’t a one-time project. You don’t just go out and buy one at the store. So treat this as a long-term goal, and in fact almost a mindset, rather than a quick fix for your look!<\/p>\n Take an honest inventory of your existing style.<\/strong><\/p>\n Look through your drawers and your closet and see what you have to work with, including the old pieces that you haven’t worn in a while. Some of those might be surprisingly easy to repurpose while others are destined for the thrift store or the trash heap.<\/p>\n Do a realistic assessment and adjust your existing wardrobe as needed:<\/p>\n Be thinking about the common themes that tie your wardrobe together as you do this. Are there a lot of work clothes? Business dress items? Sports jackets?<\/p>\n The items and styles that you have a lot of will determine, to some extent, what you should be shopping for in the future. If the only shirts you own are T-shirts and flannel work shirts, for example, there’s no sense in running out and buying sharkskin wool slacks — they don’t go with any of your shirts.<\/p>\n In a case like that, a man would need to buy shirts to bridge the gap between his current wardrobe and his desired wardobe. Someone who’s starting with nothing but jeans and T-shirts, for example, can branch out into casual dress shirts that go with jeans — but that will also look fine with nicer trousers, should he choose to add them at some point.<\/p>\n An interchangeable wardrobe is a lot easier to build when you’ve got a half-dozen to a dozen basic staple pieces that go with everything.<\/p>\n These aren’t necessarily exciting on their own, but they make you look good, and they serve as a neutral framework for more unique accent pieces.<\/p>\n Everyone’s core items are going to be a little different. That’ll be a part of defining your own personal style<\/a>. But here are a few can’t-go-wrong staples that just about every man should consider owning for purposes of interchangeability:<\/p>\n Are you getting the idea of interchangeability? Simple, sturdy, and functional are your key words here — styles and qualities that’ll last you for years.<\/p>\n Not everything has to be as plain as Amish country, mind you, even in the core wardrobe. Your “plain white dress shirt”<\/a> can realistically be something with a light stripe or check pattern instead, if you prefer. It won’t serve for ultra-formal business dress, but it’ll do for everything else, and look a little more interesting in casual outfits.<\/p>\n Price can also be kept under control by thrifting<\/a> or asking family for gifts\/gently used items. I know men who have assembled all the above for less than $100. Read more about how to build a wardrobe inexpensively<\/a>.<\/p>\n The goal is to build your core around things that will play nice with others, not to eliminate all uniqueness from your wardrobe staples.<\/p>\n The end result?<\/strong><\/p>\n 2 X 3 X 5 X 2 = 60 unique outfits from a simple wardrobe. <\/strong><\/p>\n Add in neckties, pocket squares, the suit, and sweater…we could turn this into 300+ outfits.<\/p>\n There’s a difference between adding to<\/i> your wardrobe and expanding<\/i> it.<\/p>\n Expanding means you’re actually pushing the boundaries a little — moving into new styles and areas where you weren’t already strong. That’s how you take the existing core and “interchange” it (the goal here is interchangeability, remember?) into new looks without leaving it completely behind.<\/p>\n If your entire wardrobe is based on jeans and casual shirts, for example, you should be looking at things like sports jackets and blazers<\/a> that can be worn with blue jeans. Once you have those, you’ll rapidly discover that they can be worn with nicer slacks as well — making those your next likely expansion. And so on.<\/p>\n It works both ways on the scale of formality, too — a guy with a high-paying job and a sharp wardrobe of suits, wool slacks, and crisp blazers can benefit by adding some casual trousers and some softer sports jackets to give him access to a more relaxed style.<\/p>\n Think of it as a game of leapfrog. Each new item should provide a springboard to new options, but it should work with the clothes you already have, too.<\/p>\n Let’s think about a completely neutral, ordinary outfit for a casual man: dark, fitted jeans and a white (or lightly patterned) dress shirt tucked in<\/a>.<\/p>\n Generic, right?<\/p>\n But no man’s going to leave the house wearing just those two items. He’s also got his shoes and belt to pick, possibly a jacket, as well as any jewelry he wears<\/a> (and hopefully undergarments of some kind).<\/p>\n Turns out those choices make a lot of difference. The same jeans and shirt are going to look very different paired with a broad brown belt and brown tooled-leather western boots than they would with black brogues, a slim black dress belt with a silver buckle, and a silver watch.<\/p>\n One outfit is rugged and “country,” the other is sleek and urban. That’s the power of accent pieces.<\/p>\n Use your choice of accents to turn your core wardrobe into a true personal style. Traditional accent pieces that you can play around with include:<\/p>\n These will be your primary tools for turning basic core items into a fully-functional wardrobe that expresses your personal style.<\/p>\n That said, there’s also room in everyone’s wardrobe for larger pieces that are too eye-grabbing or unique to really be “core” pieces. A pair of brightly-colored corduroys<\/a>, for example, aren’t nearly as versatile as a pair of khakis, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ever wear them. Just treat them as an accent, and pair them with some neutral core pieces so the whole outfit doesn’t get too overwhelming.<\/p>\n Most of your outfits will consist of a couple core pieces and a couple accent pieces. The more accents you add, the more unique the outfit gets. Learning not to overdo it is a valuable skill — if you’ve bought good core pieces, you don’t need to go overboard layering on top of them!<\/p>\n Fit – Fabric – Style – The Style Pyramid<\/p><\/div>\n One of the most important wardrobe-building skills is knowing when to say “no.”<\/p>\n A single good piece of clothing that works with almost everything in your closet is worth more than two or three single-use items that you can only work into one or two outfits.<\/p>\nWork With What You Have – Check Your Current Closet<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Pick Your “Core” Items<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Expand the Core<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Create Uniqueness with Accent Pieces<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Invest in Quality<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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