Building up my wardrobe

[fasyionewbie]

Hey Styleforum members,

Newbie here and would genuinely appreciate some input and pointers, I am currently in the process of moving and thought it'd be a good opportunity to revamp my wardrobe and build towards having a sets of clothes that would not go out of style.

I'd say I'm averagely built 5.75 tall 168 pounds, I am thinking of some proper-fitting chinos/pants, some linen shirts a pair of white sneakers.

Is there any wardrobe essential list the forum can recommend to start off with?

 

[breakaway01]

hey welcome. Always helpful to have more context here. How old are you? Are we talking clothes for leisure, work, or both? What do people generally wear around you (leisure or work)? What is the climate like where you live? Do you need to dress for cold weather (and if so, what does 'cold' mean, are we talking -20C or +5C), hot weather (similar question), both?

 

[podz]

3 black supima t-shirts
3 white supima t-shirts
beige chinos
navy chinos
dark jeans
mid-dark jeans
white ocbd
blue ocbd
navy merino sweater
grey merino sweater
navy blazer 100% wool, textured weave (so that it works with jeans and chinos)
oxblood chukka boots
beige overcoat

I could go on and on but gotta stop somewhere and draw the line at essentials and this short list would give you a ton of classy outfit combinations.

 

[rjc149]

Chinos, OCBD's, and polo shirts are probably the most versatile wardrobe items.

In terms of shoes, a good pair of brown derby shoes or chukkas are going to be the most versatile.

You haven't specified your line of work, so I can't really advise on a professional wardrobe.

 

[Mr Tickle]

What I have learned from here since being in the same position as you a few years ago...

(Counters some of the info given so far and some of the frequently cited beginners menswear lore but this is my experience freely given to do with as you will, of course a lot of it comes down to opinion/taste).

Chambray, denim and linen shirts are more versatile than OCBD unless you're specifically going for an Ivy-inspired look (nothing wrong with that but it's obviously a strong look and it's not fitting for everyone in every situation).

Setting and situation is more important than it often gets credit for being. Wearing the often-recommended combo of an OCBD, chinos and sports jacket in London, for example, particularly if you are under 40, and you're likely to get told you look like a Mormon or asked if you're going to church. Likewise I imagine a pinstripe suit is likely to attract funny looks if you're socializing in Texas (though I've never been there so am not certain of this).

Work out whether you like slim, regular or loose fits and buy things in matching fits. All of the "staples" generally recommends (OCBD, chinos, polos etc) come in all of these fits anf you need to make sure things you buy work together. It's easy to see different things that look good on models in adverts and to buy them without really considering how they will go with everything else you've bought.

Likewise all the basics come in varying degrees of formality - eg chinos can be workwear or smart enough almost to the point of becoming formal wear.

Shoes like chukkas and derbies come in different shapes too - sleek and elegant, or more chunky and rugged. Make sure you buy the ones that fit stylistically with your shirts/chinos etc. Otherwise everything is just going to look a little off and badly matched, even if you are technically doing everything right according to internet menswear wisdom.

The navy wool blazer isn't as essential as it's often made out to be. Most people don't wear blazers very often these days. Some do of course and it might be the case that you work or socialise in circles where it's fairly normal to wear a blazer. If that's so then I guess it's fine. But if not, I wouldn't bother personally. A navy chore jacket or even a good quality merino or cashmere cardigan can serve much the same purpose of keeping you warm and acting as a stylish top layer. Without the connotations of "dressing up" or formality of a blazer.

Lastly - the oft-cited adage that "style never goes out of fashion" is patently false. Even in the classic menswear threads, the typical SF look has evolved considerably even in the few years that I've been browsing this forum. Fashion trends that you read about in places like GQ or whatever like workwear/dadcore/90s revival all impact what people consider to be "classic menswear" and once you get into clothes it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy a wardrobe of clothes that "will not go out of style" and that you'll be happy to wear forever!

Just my thoughts. I'm certainly no style or menswear expert, but as I said, just a few things I think I've learned after a few years of thinking about this stuff and working out what my own style preferences are.

 

[podz]

Chambray, denim and linen shirts are more versatile than OCBD unless you're specifically going for an Ivy-inspired look (nothing wrong with that but it's obviously a strong look and it's not fitting for everyone in every situation).

Setting and situation is more important than it often gets credit for being. Wearing the often-recommended combo of an OCBD, chinos and sports jacket in London, for example, particularly if you are under 40, and you're likely to get told you look like a Mormon or asked if you're going to church. Likewise I imagine a pinstripe suit is likely to attract funny looks if you're socializing in Texas (though I've never been there so am not certain of this).

...

The navy wool blazer isn't as essential as it's often made out to be. Most people don't wear blazers very often these days. Some do of course and it might be the case that you work or socialise in circles where it's fairly normal to wear a blazer. If that's so then I guess it's fine. But if not, I wouldn't bother personally. A navy chore jacket or even a good quality merino or cashmere cardigan can serve much the same purpose of keeping you warm and acting as a stylish top layer. Without the connotations of "dressing up" or formality of a blazer.

Lastly - the oft-cited adage that "style never goes out of fashion" is patently false. Even in the classic menswear threads, the typical SF look has evolved considerably even in the few years that I've been browsing this forum. Fashion trends that you read about in places like GQ or whatever like workwear/dadcore/90s revival all impact what people consider to be "classic menswear" and once you get into clothes it's unlikely that you'll be able to buy a wardrobe of clothes that "will not go out of style" and that you'll be happy to wear forever!

Lots of good advice there, all of which I left unquoted as there is nothing further to comment. And then a few points of contention...

While I do somewhat agree that setting and situation is important, I also feel that one should definitely not go with the flow and try to fit in. If we're trying to fit in, let's be honest, we'd be walking around cities wearing dirty black sports shoes, ashy jeans and boring grey hoodies while toting a sports backpack. Or even worse: dressed from head to toe in 5 different shades of ashy black. The masses dress horribly and that's why we have special interest forums such as this one. If you dig pinstripe mob-boss suits then wear it in Texas and own it 100% - zero compromise. Same goes for the Ivy League outfit in London. London is completely full of cliques that each have their own dressing subculture and they all harass each other about it. Just freaking rock your style like you own the place and ignore the negative comments.

Classic wear can go out of style but the interval is more like 20-150 years as opposed to 10-20 months with trendy fashion. Sticking to basic pieces made out of 100% fine materials and devoid of labelling will serve for quite a long time. An example is a crew-neck or roll-neck 100% merino sweater in grey, black, brown or navy - it absolutely will never go out of style because it's not even "in style" - it just is. The opposite of this is the Autumn 2023 trend of sweaters with zippers - I find this horrendous and I personally would never buy one just to show random people that I am somehow "aware of the current trends" or "clued in with the times".

 

[fasyionewbie]

hey welcome. Always helpful to have more context here. How old are you? Are we talking clothes for leisure, work, or both? What do people generally wear around you (leisure or work)? What is the climate like where you live? Do you need to dress for cold weather (and if so, what does 'cold' mean, are we talking -20C or +5C), hot weather (similar question), both?

Ah should’ve clarified , I am in my mid 30s.

Looking for cloths for leisure as I mainly wear company issue polo and slim/skinny leans for work + Jacket to go with depending on weather(rain jacket for rainy weather, puffer jacket on colder days)

Temperature is hot summer Mediterranean climate so it never gets below 0c.

Work out whether you like slim, regular or loose fits and buy things in matching fits. All of the "staples" generally recommends (OCBD, chinos, polos etc) come in all of these fits anf you need to make sure things you buy work together. It's easy to see different things that look good on models in adverts and to buy them without really considering how they will go with everything else you've bought.

Solid advice here I think most of my polos are somewhat loose fit which is why it’s got that dated look given my age, I think I’d be re-buying those with a slimmer fit/cut to match.


I’ll start of with some proper fitting chinos and work from there onwards base on the suggestion here, I also think that Chinos are a very versatile piece of clothing.

Any slim fitting brand recommendation ? I am based in Australia if that helps.