As a struggling entrepreneur in the men’s style space, I had to learn how to build a wardrobe on a budget so I could project the right image for my brand. This was a challenge at times, but it was also a priority for me to get right. With the proper approach, you can stretch your budget in the right places to create a wardrobe that covers your lifestyle.
In this post we’ll review the following areas for how to build a wardrobe on a budget:
- Clearly defining your most common style situations
- How to determine versatility in certain items
- Where to spend and where to skimp
- Items you can buy secondhand
- Basic clothing care
Your style scenarios
Identifying what kind of clothes you will wear most often, and what will just sit in your closet month after month collecting dust, is an important first step in learning how to build a wardrobe on a budget. This involves looking not at your closet to see what you need, but looking at your lifestyle to see what you don’t need. This assessment will guide any future buying decisions.
The key areas to review:
- Work situation (work from home, casual office, business casual, or professional)
- Hobbies/active life (working out, sports, active pursuits)
- Social life (types of places you go, how often you go there, etc…)
- Upcoming special occasions (weddings, travel, etc…)
- Climate
Work
Most of us should start with work clothes, as that’s where spend most of our waking hours. And you have to be able to dress for your job. See what work clothes can double as casual or social clothes. This could be difficult for business casual or professional attire, but some items can crossover – maybe some dressy chinos, nice polo shirts, more casually leaning dress shoes or boots… any items that lean more towards the middle of the dressiness spectrum (more on that later).
For instance, for business casual attire in cold weather, you probably need an overcoat. Pick something that can work as easily with professional attire as it would with casual wear. Could be a pea coat or a patterned overcoat. Same goes with shoes and other pieces of your wardrobe.
For good casual work clothes, the advice in the rest of this article will help. Check out work from home clothing options in this article.
For business casual or professional clothes, stick with neutrals so you can get away with having less of each. Get 1-2 pairs each of grey and navy dress pants, and 1-2 white, light blue, and blue patterned (tattersall works well) shirts. Mix and match these for different combinations (all shirts will match all pants). If you can get away with nicer polo shirts, grab 1-2 in white and navy. Get a nice pair of dress loafers or chukka boots that you could also wear with chinos on the weekends, and a pair of dress oxfords you can wear with a suit.
Everything else
After you cover your work attire, assess the other areas of your life. How often do you go out, and to what types of places? Is certain attire expected in these situations? Are you going on a lot of dates, or do you spend the weekend nights at home with your significant other? Do you have any weddings or other special events on the horizon? Any travel planned that will require special clothing? Do you need special clothes for your climate?
If you feel comfortable with your current wardrobe based on these questions, then you should take a “one in, one out” approach. It’s fine to buy new things, but if you feel relatively good about what you have, make sure you justify each new piece you bring in to replace something in your current wardrobe, instead of using a mentality of buying something just to have it (you can do this when you’re not on a budget).
If your wardrobe is missing something or you’re not happy with a few items you currently rely on (probably most of us), make a priority list. Then follow the rest of the advice in this article.
For example, if you find yourself going on a lot of dates but feel like your shoes are either too casual (sneakers) or too dressy (business casual or dress shoes), a pair of smart casual boots (pictured below) should be high on your list. Or did you just move somewhere cold, and you need a warm coat for work and casual wear? One casually-leaning overcoat (like in the previous section) will cover you.
Do the same with every other situation. Find the biggest weak spots and start there.
Exception
The one exception – you should always have a dark, well-fitting suit and nice dress shoes on hand. You never know when you need them for a funeral, a job interview, or some other dressed up situation. But when you need it, you have to have it, and it’s not easy to get one on short notice that looks good. Check out Spier and Mackay for the best value – they have a ton of options in the $300-$400 range (will look far better than anything else you can find in this price range).
Otherwise, stay away from items that will not get much use. If you live somewhere warm, skip the big overcoat (layer up in those rare instances it does get cold). For those who work from home and don’t socialize much, have a couple go-to outfits for a nice dinner or night out, but no need to stock up on a bunch of fancy going out clothes. If you work in a casual office, no need to buy dress slacks or more than one nice dress shirt.
How to determine versatility
Once you’ve come to grips with your lifestyle, it’s time to work on that priority list. The key to building a wardrobe on a budget is stocking up with versatile items that cover as much of your daily outfit scenarios as possible.
Versatile items are a no-brainer for building a wardrobe on a budget. But how do you identify these items that will work for multiple style scenarios?
The biggest key is gravitating towards the middle of style spectrum. Not too casual and not overly dressy. These items will pull the most duty in your casual, smart casual, and work wardrobes (if you work from home or in a casual work environment). If you work in a business casual or professional environment, try to find crossover where you can, but it may prove difficult.
Examples
An example is shoes. Now as much as I love Clark’s Desert Boots, and they are great for a variety of casual situations, their crepe sole is too casual to be worn with dress chinos or slacks. A harder soled chukka boot, like the Beckett Simonon Laval boots, will be more middle of the style spectrum, as it works with both jeans and dressier attire (and even business casual wear). This style will be more versatile, as one shoe can do the job of two or three. See the picture below.
Now if you go too dressy with some wingtip boots, those would look out of place with jeans and thus won’t be as versatile as the hard-soled chukka boots.
We can look at sneakers for another shoe example. Plain white sneakers are dressier than a pair of New Balance running shoes, and will be more “middle of the road.” You can wear plain white sneakers with shorts and jeans, as well as with more casual chinos and t-shirt outfits. You can’t really pull this off as well with running shoes.
Jeans give us another good example. Dark jeans tend to be more versatile than lighter wash jeans, with the ability to match button-downs and smart casual shoes (and even sport coats), but still casual enough to be worn with t-shirts and sneakers. Lighter wash jeans just can’t be dressed up that much.
This principle applies to all other parts of your wardrobe, with the exception of your dress attire, as we mentioned earlier.
Rule of 2
Otherwise, when you are considering a new item, try to envision it in a few different style scenarios while If it looks and feels right in at least two different style scenarios listed below. Anything dressier than the scenarios below should be reserved for your suit, dress shirt, tie, and dress shoes (which won’t have much crossover).
- Workout / Activewear
- Very casual (running errands)
- Casual (hanging with friends, grabbing coffee)
- Smart casual (a dinner or drinks out with friends, a date)
- Dressy casual (a nice dinner, first date, a show, a wedding rehearsal)
For instance, nicer looking activewear can double as very casual athleisure attire for running errands. Plain white sneakers can cover very casual to some smart casual looks. A pea coat can cover casual to dressy casual situations. Same with a oxford-collar button down shirts. And so on…
Where to spend and where to skimp
Sometimes spending a bit more upfront helps you stretch your budget in the long run. Dress shoes are a good example, as a well-made pair can last at least five years with regular wear. A budget pair will maybe last a year or two, so you’d have to replace it 3-4 times before you’d have to replace a higher-quality pair. If you add this up over time, the well made pair (which usually costs double the cheap ones) will give you more value over five years. Check out this article for the best shoe options.
The lists below give our recommendations on where to spend and where you can skimp. These recommendations will help you when thinking of how to build a wardrobe on a budget.
Ideally, you’d like to pay for good quality for every item, but some items offer good value at the lower end of the spectrum. Plain white sneakers are a great example. Stan Smiths or Vans come in under $60-$70, they look good, and last a fairly long time. You don’t need to pay $150 for this item.
Spend
- Dress shoes – Even though these are not versatile, you will save money and look better in the long run by investing in good quality dress shoes.
- Smart casual shoes – Spend on one very good pair of versatile smart casual boots, and wear the heck of them. Beckett Simonon Laval Boots (a little pricey) and Thursday Boot Co Scout Boots (more reasonable) are good options.
- Jeans – This item is in both categories, as a good pair of dark denim will get great mileage in your wardrobe for a long time.
- One button-down and one polo – Even on a budget, you should own at least one high-quality button-down and polo for important occasions, if you can swing it. If not, you can skimp here if needed.
- Sport coat – You may not need one. If you do, it’s best to spend a little more here if you wear it a lot.
- Knitwear / sweaters – Get a decent (not too expensive but not cheap) navy sweater and grey sweater and you’re set. Cheap ones pill and tear too easily, usually lasting one season. Banana Republic and Spier and Mackay have good options.
- Outerwear – Get one good warm jacket you can wear with nice clothes and casual clothes. We recommend a good pea coat or car coat (pictured in a previous section). Wear it with everything when its cold (can work with very casual to dressy casual situations).
- Workout shoes – don’t sacrifice your feet, it can cause many problems down the road. You don’t have to get the most expensive pairs, but don’t cheap out.
Skimp
- Sneakers – You can find solid white sneakers for under $70. Adidas Stan Smiths or Vans will suffice.
- Jeans – Also in the skimp category because you can score a decent pair of dark jeans for under $60. If your budget is really tight, skimp here.
- Chinos – Get 1-2 pairs in neutral colors from Gap (grey/navy/khaki). These will be more than serviceable.
- Dress slacks – Ideally you want to spend a bit here, but it can get pricey. If you don’t work in a business casual or professional environment, you can skip these completely.
- T-shirts / polo shirts – Easy to find good deals and quality for these items.
- Casual button-down shirts – J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, and Spier and Mackay all have good options, especially when on sale.
- Sweatshirt – Get a basic grey crewneck sweatshirt – this will cover you for way more cool weather situations than you can imagine. These can be had for fairly low prices.
- Active wear – leave the Lululemon and Rhone until you can afford it. Otherwise there are many serviceable low cost options.
- Sport coat – If you don’t wear one that often, you may be able to get away without having one. It’s always a good idea to have one for smart casual options, in which case you can find some decent options for under $100. Go with a casually-leaning option, as those look better at a lower price point.
- Light jackets – So many good options in so many different styles, you can always find a deal. Lighter fabric on these jackets means you can skimp.
- Accessories / watches – Don’t even worry about these if you’re on a budget. Definitely a good tie and maybe a white pocket square if you need to dress up.
Minimalize
Make sure you don’t “overbuy” either. This can negatively affect how you build a wardrobe on a budget.
For instance, you can get away with 2 pairs of chinos if you stick to neutral colors, as they will match other items more easily. You probably only need t-shirts in 2-3 different colors, and casual dress shirts in white and light blue and maybe one other bolder color. One light outerwear option, like a chore coat, in a neutral color will cover you.
Items you can buy secondhand
Thrifting is very popular these days, and for good reason. It’s more sustainable, and you can save money on the more expensive items in your wardrobe. You should definitely consider secondhand items when thinking of how to build a wardrobe on a budget.
But you need to be careful. This article from Put This On goes into great detail on how you should go about this process. They also curate a weekly listing of the best deals on eBay.
In general, avoid items that touch your body directly, as these tend to wear out the quickest. Shirts and pants, unless they are very gently used, tend to not work well secondhand. It goes without saying that socks and underwear should be out of the question.
The best items to buy secondhand are dress shoes (if gently used), sport coats, outerwear, and accessories (ties, watches, etc…). Make sure you get the fit as close as possible, especially with shoes. And take anything that can be altered to a good tailor – it’s highly unlikely that these thrifted items will fit you perfectly.
Basic Clothing Care
When figuring out how to build a wardrobe on a budget, basic clothing care plays a huge role. The bullet points below go over some ways to make sure you get the most life out of your wardrobe.
- You should mostly wash your clothes on cold, using the minimum amount of detergent suggested for your load size.
- Tumble dry low for cottons, and hang your delicates (activewear especially).
- You don’t need to wash your denim but every 3-6 months or so (unless they get visibly dirty). Some experts recommend to wash them “as little as possible.“
- For shirts and other pants, unless you sweat on the items, you can get away with 2-3 wears between washes.
- Spot clean outerwear and suits, only taking these to the dry cleaners if there are visible stains that cannot be removed.
- Hang your button-downs and nicer pants, fold your knits (especially sweaters).
- Oil and polish your dress shoes regularly.
Following these tips will extend the life of your clothing considerably.
Other advice
Let’s go through some other practical considerations when looking at how to build your wardrobe on a budget.
Don’t buy something just because it’s on sale. Make sure it fits the rule of 2 and it’s something you’ll actually wear. Even if you save 80% on something you never wear, it’s still a waste of money.
Look to evolve, not overhaul, your wardrobe. Add one piece at a time, and consider everything with intention. Don’t start buying mindlessly because you think you might need an item at some point. If you can’t use it today, don’t worry about it.
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, make sure everything you buy fits into your personal style. Clothing should give you confidence and allow you to express the best version of yourself to the world.
Conclusion
I’ve made most of the mistakes mentioned here, which will hopefully help you in your journey with how to build a wardrobe on a budget.
Remember to assess your lifestyle, prioritize versatile options, know where to spend and skimp, and take good care of your clothing.
Building a wardrobe does not have to be expensive or take away from your lifestyle. You don’t need money to dress well, but you do need careful consideration and understanding of how to stretch your budget.