The modern gentleman must have a wide variety apparel to fit the various situations in his life. Your mileage may vary depending on your personal style, the weather where you live, and how often you dress up. Following this basic list will set you up to look stylish in most situations.
Ultimately, it’s your choice what to prioritize. If you can’t afford to get everything on this list to complete your wardrobe, then build it slowly. Prioritize what you’ll wear most.
The items listed have been in style for sometime, and likely won’t go out of style anytime soon. It’s important to use these trend proof pieces as the foundation of your wardrobe, so you can build on these basics without having to replace all your clothes every couple of seasons when they go out of style.
A look like Paul Newman below wouldn’t look out of place today (maybe a couple of slight adjustments, but you get the point). Start with timeless styles, then get more experimental once you have mastered the basics.
Down low
- 1 of each of the 5 types of shoes – Black oxfords, brown oxfords, casual boots, loafers, white sneakers… you should own one pair of each of these 5 styles.
- Recommended brands for dress shoes: Beckett Simonon, Spier and Mackay, Meermin, Allen Edmonds
- Recommended brands for casual boots: Clark’s Desert Boots, Astorflex, Rhodes, Allen Edmonds, J. Crew, Red Wing, Golden Fox, Blundstone
- Recommended brands for loafers: Jack Erwin, Beckett Simonon, Rancourt, Quoddy
- Recommended brands for white sneakers: Adidas Stan Smith, Nike Killshot, Vans, Beckett Simonon
- Chinos – at least a couple pairs from the 5 best chino colors – It could make sense to throw in a couple pairs of linen pants if you live in hot weather.
- Recommended brands: the article linked above has a very thorough breakdown, the best brands we mention are Everlane, Bonobos, J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic
- At least 1 very good pair of dark denim – Get the highest quality you can afford. Black jeans are a good addition if you like all-black looks.
- Recommended brands: Levi’s, Everlane, Gustin, Raleigh Denim
- Dress trousers – This will greatly depend on your work attire. If you WFH or don’t need to dress business casual, you can get away with just plain grey and navy dress trousers.
- Recommended brands: Land’s End, Spier and Mackay, J. Crew, Bonobos, Brooks Brothers
- Shorts – Again, depends on the weather and how much you vacation. These should hit above the knee, at the very lowest. Stick with basic solid colors (khaki, navy, grey are safe options) and NO CARGO SHORTS (and please don’t wear plaid cargo shorts).
- Recommended brands: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Uniqlo, Target, Rhone
- Joggers – This article about work from home clothes goes into more detail about the best jogger options, and why you should keep at least a couple in your rotation (likely more if you WFH most of the time).
- Recommended brands: Uniqlo, Amazon Essentials, Adidas, Everlane, Bonobos, Lululemon
Up top
- High quality plain t-shirts – a couple in the basic colors (grey, navy, black) and a few in colors that match your skin/hair tone. Maybe try some basic patterns if you’re so inclined. Stay away from graphic tees for the most part.
- Recommended brands: H&M, J. Crew, Banana Republic, Everlane, Gustin
- Polo shirts – great for dressing up certain looks and dressing down others. Such a versatile part of any wardrobe if you like the style. You should own at least 1 white, 1 navy, and a couple in colors that match your skin/hair tone. You can mix it up with some basic patterns here too.
- Recommended brands: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Spier and Mackay, Bonobos, Kent Wang (my favorite), Lacoste
- Casual button down shirts – Depends on the formality of your work environment and personal style. You can go with OCBDs, poplin, flannel, or any other fabric style. You should have at least a couple in basic colors (white, light blue, conservative stripes or tattersall), and 1-2 bolder colors/patterns, depending on personal style (black, navy, yellow, bright madras, flannel patterns, etc…).
- Recommended brands: J. Crew, Banana Republic, Spier and Mackay, Nordstrom, Gustin
- Dress Shirts – If you work in a business casual office, you’ll need at least 7-10 decent dress shirts. Otherwise, you probably only need 2-3 reliable ones for when you need to dress up (unless you’re dressing up a lot).
- Recommended brands: Uniqlo, Charles Tyrwhitt, Spier and Mackay, Ledbury, Brooks Brothers, Kamakura, Proper Cloth
- Sweatshirts – These can be useful for casual looks, hanging out at home, or going to the gym. I recommend plain crewneck sweatshirts for a cleaner look, but some of you love your hoodies and some can look good. Just be careful, these can lean very trendy or look sloppy quite easily.
- Recommended brands: Hanes, Champion, Uniqlo, J. Crew
- Sweaters – Weight and number will depend on the weather in your locale. You should at least have grey and navy merino sweaters on hand.
- Recommended brands: Uniqlo, L.L. Bean, Everlane, Banana Republic, Woolovers, Bonobos, J. Press,
Jackets and tailored attire
- Casual transitional jackets – Chore coat, bomber jacket, Barbour jacket, quilted jacket, shirt jacket… something for the in-between seasons. Puffer coats are fine too, but they lean very casual.
- Recommended brands: Uniqlo, Carhartt, L.L. Bean, Gustin, J. Crew, REI Co-op, Patagonia, Barbour, Schott, Alpha Industries, Buck Mason
- Heavy outerwear – Depends on the weather where you live. You may need a few options. A neutral colored pea coat is a solid choice, especially if your wardrobe leans casual. If you dress up a lot, a charcoal or navy overcoat is ideal. Something technical, like a parka, could be required for colder climates.
- Recommended brands: Military surplus, thrift, Abercrombie, L.L. Bean, Spier and Mackay, Suitsupply, Schott, Billy Reid, Canada Goose
- Sport coat – refer to the best 4 sport coat colors, you should at least have a navy one. Add more according to how often you dress up. Sport coats can be very versatile and really add a ton of variation to your wardrobe.
- Recommended brands: thrift store, Spier and Mackay, J. Crew, Suitsupply, Club Monaco, Brooks Brothers
- Suits – charcoal and navy will get you through whatever you need. Buy the best you can afford. Take them to a tailor, and they’ll look 5 times better.
- Recommended brands (off the rack): Spier and Mackay, Suitsupply, Brooks Brothers, Kent Wang
- Recommended brands (made to measure): Indochino, Black Lapel, Proper Cloth, your local bespoke suit maker
Misc
- Underwear/socks – Get the best you can afford, and make sure you have enough for 10 days at a time. You should do laundry once a week, of course. But just in case you get behind a day or two, you should have some basics in reserve. And replace these items as they wear out – you deserve better than undergarments or socks with holes.
- Accessories – A good watch is nice to have. You should have a solid pair of sunglasses and a decent slim leather wallet. At least 2-3 ties for when you need to dress up (plain grenadine navy and green or burgundy are solid choices). A white pocket square goes a long way too. Otherwise this is a matter of personal preference. Cufflinks? Rings? Necklaces? Lapel pins? Tie clip? None of these are necessary, but if they fit your style, go for it. Just don’t wear more than 2-3 at a time. Too many accessories will make your look too busy and clownish, and it will distract from what clothes are supposed to do – make you look good.
- Activewear – Depending on your activity level, you should have enough gear to get you through a week to a week and a half of activity (again, the laundry frequency is key). And make sure you have attire for all weather conditions where you live. Nothing will kill your desire for a run/workout/game like not having rain gear when it’s wet or warm enough garments when it’s cold.
If you go with these trend proof basics to complete your wardrobe, you’ll be ready for any situation. You’ll also have a versatile and complete wardrobe to mix up your look as often as you like, giving you a ton of variety in your style.
