Mens Wardrobe Basics

Wardrobe: A collection of wearing apparel. Merriam Webster’s On-line Dictionary. Men’s wardrobes should have four categories of clothing in it: underwear, pants, shirts and jackets. For young men just beginning to strike out on their own, here are some of the basics you need to acquire. Underwear includes boxers or briefs, undershirts and socks. Regardless of what kind of underwear is under consideration, you need to be sure you have enough in your drawers to last two weeks, in case you have to miss doing laundry one weekend for travel. Some of the best underwear for men in terms of boxers and briefs.

The main purpose of undershirts is to absorb sweat to prevent it from showing on your outer layer of clothes. Some men wear undershirts regularly, while others do not so you may or may not need some. You will also need socks. White socks are worn with athletic shoes in casual situations and for exercise workouts, so you will need a handy stack of them available. Work socks are generally black, blue or brown, so go ahead and get at least 10 pairs total in those three colors. If you want to participate in the current trend for brightly colored socks, by all means do so, but be sure you have the basic colors to revert to once the fashion trend fades. Also, there are some days you feel like wearing lurid purple and yellow socks, and days when you do not. Plan for both types of days. With underwear taken care of, you also need to take stock of your pants selection.

Every man needs at least one to three pairs of jeans, if not more, given their versatile nature. You also should work on getting a selection of other casual pants appropriate for a work setting, such as high-end chinos and khakis. While eventually you would like a wide array to choose from, satisfy yourself right now with picking up enough to get you through the work week, if you work in an environment where they are appropriate. Bargains can be found if you’re patient and look diligently. If you work in a formal office environment, you are going to have to buy at least two or three suits as well as at least one sport coat.

By changing your shirt and tie combinations, your two or three suits will stretch through the work week. The sport coat provides additional versatility – one sports coat paired with three different pairs of pants equals three different suit-like outfits at a fraction of the cost. You also are going to need shirts. T-shirts should normally be outside yard work or playing at the lake or beach. Less formal work environments will find it perfectly acceptable for you to wear a polo shirt with casual pants. More formal work environments are going to want you to have buttoned shirts will full sleeves and button cuffs. The most basic shirt for your work wardrobe is a white cotton oxford shirt. It goes well with everything and works in all but the most casual settings. Other colors of buttoned shirts or polos will be useful at your work, also. When first starting work at a new company, stay conservative until after you have been there about a month and have a better feel for what is acceptable there. Just a few basics can give you an excellent start on your wardrobe.

Remember to buy as much quality as you can afford for the clothing you are going to wear regularly so that it will last as long as you need it to. In no time you will have a basic wardrobe that you can build on for years to come.