On Building a Wardrobe

[eire1130]

Hello All:

I could use some advice, or perhaps a strategy on acquiring a wardrobe. I am basically building from nothing as the items I have I do not consider to be of par for my position. A couple notes: I'm thirty years old, I tend to gain about 10-15 pounds in the summer in the legs arms and chest area, I have a limited budget as funds need to be allocated to other portions of my life. I work mid-town Manhattan for a small boutique financial services firm - dress code is very business casual. I am trying to build a wardrobe that is both versatile and will position me well for my next position and beyond. I have a 33 waist, 34 inseam, I wear a 16 34/35 fitted shirt (which I always get tailored after the fact). I am 6 foot tall, I weigh 150 about pounds and I have chiseled features and sloping shoulders.

I have read these forums for advice on buying shirts and I have decided the most economical is to buy quality shirts and have them tailored down. I was thinking of trying to find slim fit, but even these most likely will need to be tailored to fit me properly. The problem is not all labels make shirts in my size long enough, and I end up looking like a farmer due to the shirts becoming perpetually untucked.

A few questions and what I am looking for:

I want a wardrobe that is versatile, professional, and looks sharp. I want to be able to select form my existing wardrobe to cover most situations, other then casual and street. I am fine in the casual department.

*What constitutes a wardrobe, excluding personal taste?
*What sort of color variety would you look at for shirts or suits?
*How would you strategize to maximize the most out of what you have with the goal of building a semi-complete but functionally useful wardrobe in a years time?

I currently own about 7 or 8 fitted shirts. All except three need to be replaced immediately and the other need to be replaced eventually (They are button collar and I do not like this style). The other is a shirt from Faconnable. The rest are either tragedies, poly cotton blends, too short in length or some combination of the above - and in a few cases all three at once. I plan on going to Saks today to take advantage of a sale where I plan on picking up a new pair or pants and a couple shirts and up to three more ties.

Things I have:

I have a single blue suit that I recently had tailored, due to the fact the person who sold it to me was incompetent. I have a blue blazer. I have about 10 ties, but their versatility is limited. If I did not mention it, then I probably either A.) don't own it or B.) I don't consider it worthy of mention.

One of the many advantages of being in Manhattan is I can generally just wait for things I need to go on sale. I would like to keep my shirt buying budget between 80-100, for reference on other items. This will get adjusted, since I am trying to keep to a one year timeline.

 

[finch]

You have some good fundamentals and thats a good starting point.

Originally Posted by eire1130

*What constitutes a wardrobe, excluding personal taste?

I'm a believer that style is what you make it and how you carry yourself. A good wardrobe enable you to easily mix and match and define/add new looks with your staples. You appear to have some good fundamentals and thats a good starting point, don't forget your staples before you go after seasonal/trend pieces eg. great shoes, blazers, sport coats etc.

*What sort of color variety would you look at for shirts or suits?

When I purchase a suit, I aways ask myself can I wear the jacket with a nice pair of jeans or chinos, will the pants be suitable with a nice sweater, vest, open collar button down? This will bring added dimension to your wardrobe and versatility. Shirts, I like a good quality shirt, I'm a cuff link guy but thats neither here nor there. You'll pay a bit more but the difference between a quality shirt and a blend are night and day, I think? Lately I'm into the heavy dual weave cottons which like you I have to tailor down at times.

*How would you strategize to maximize the most out of what you have with the goal of building a semi-complete but functionally useful wardrobe in a years time?

As mentioned you appear to have so good fundamentals and staples to start with, If your going from scratch then start with fundamentals. From there start adding your seasonal and trendy pieces and watch as your closet takes form.

 

[eire1130]

Thank you Finch.

You can add to that above list a dark grey suit from Hugo Boss. I realize that some of Boss's stuff has been getting dubious reviews on these boards, but I caught this Saks fairly late in the game and the selections were not so good. None the less, the suit looks sharp. I won't know for certain until March 9th, after I get it back. I found exactly one shirt in my size, a Polo classic fit, lilac solid twill. I paid 300 for the suit and 45 for that shirt, which I felt fairly self satisfied with.

Another question

*What is the name or address of a good tailor. I have a friendly neighborhood alterations place do my tailoring for now, but what I really want is a skilled tailor who can give me both solid advice and top quality tailoring. For convenience sake, Midtown or downtown or even Brooklyn, but any place would be fine.

 

[Threadbearer]

A great place to start is the library. Find and flip through a copy of Chic Simple's Men's Wardrobe. Pay particular attention to the chapter titled "The Bulletproof Closet."

Also, for the sake of efficiency keep these concepts in mind whenever you go shopping:

1. It's better to own a small number of high quality pieces than to have a large number of low quality ones.
2. Never buy slacks without also buying at least one pair of socks that look great with them.
3. Never buy shoes without also buying at least one belt that looks great with them.
4. Never buy a shirt without also buying at least one tie that looks great with it.
5. If you're trying to find items that match or complement pieces you already own, get perfect matches by taking the pieces you own to the store when you go shopping.

Have fun!

 

[Ed13]

I would begin with solid colours to get a base of clothing articles. I have about 60 ties and the ones I wear most often are solid black, navy, charcoal and burgandy with different weaves. With dress shirts I have at least 50 and my most worn are solid blues, whites and bone colours. Colour and pattern matching is great but I would work my way into this. Weaves and fabrics can be just as stylish as multiple patterns and often easier to put together.

 

[mensimageconsultant]

Another element of building a wardrobe that probably isn't expounded upon in the book - yes, there is a copy of Chic Simple Dress Smart Men around - is seasonality of items. For example, cashmere, linen, and cotton are not three-season suits (or jackets) in NYC. Therefore, they are not priorities. A good outdoor jacket, however, is important, as you will want one that can last through promotions, for example.

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by Threadbearer

A great place to start is the library. Find and flip through a copy of Chic Simple's Men's Wardrobe. Pay particular attention to the chapter titled "The Bulletproof Closet."

Also, for the sake of efficiency keep these concepts in mind whenever you go shopping:

1. It's better to own a small number of high quality pieces than to have a large number of low quality ones.
2. Never buy slacks without also buying at least one pair of socks that look great with them.
3. Never buy shoes without also buying at least one belt that looks great with them.
4. Never buy a shirt without also buying at least one tie that looks great with it.
5. If you're trying to find items that match or complement pieces you already own, get perfect matches by taking the pieces you own to the store when you go shopping.

Have fun!

Agree emphatically with rule #1--do not agree at all with rules 2-4, think rule #5 is probably unnecessary if you have a good picture in your mind's eye of what you're trying to match.

Another piece of advice I'd give would be to go slow. Get something good, see how you like it and ponder on what next would best complement your wardrobe. Don't be like me. When I got bitten by the clothing bug about 8 years ago, I bought five suits in a space of two years. I now regret the purchase of four of them. They're not horrible, just sort of mediocre. I would have been better served, I know now, by taking it slower and buying fewer and better.

 

[Thurston]

On the question of what constitutes a wardrobe, this inventory of Anthony Drexel Biddle's wardrobe is interesting.

Even in its entirety, Biddle's wardrobe seems, by contrast, almost monastic. It includes seven so-called business suits"”two double- and one single-breasted navy-blue serge; one double- and one single-breasted dark-blue pin-stripe flannel; one single-breasted charcoal-grey flannel. (They were made by either H. Harris of New York, who charges $225 and up for a two-piece suit, or E. Tautz of London who charges, as to do most topnotch British tailors, almost a quarter less. All have skeleton alpaca linings and the sleeves have three buttons and open buttonholes. The single-breasteds have three-button, notched-lapel jackets.) For formal daytime wear, Biddle has a charcoal-grey cheviot cutaway, a single-breasted white waistcoat, and black trousers with broad white stripes. (With these, he wears a black silk ascot and a wide wing collar.) For semiformal daytime occasions, he has a charcoal-grey single-breasted cheviot sack coat and trousers, in either black or Cambridge grey, with broad white stripes. Besides a ready-made Aquascutum raincoat, Biddle owns three outer coats"”a double-breasted blue chinchilla ($175 from Tautz), a single-breasted light drab covert cloth ($225, H. Harris), and a double-breasted polo coat with white bone buttons ($325, Harris). He has, in addition to a tweed cap, four hats, all of them purchased at Lock's in London too many years ago for him to recall exactly what they cost. One is a high-silk, one an opera hat, and the other two homburgs"”one black and one green. For formal evening wear, Biddle has tails ($175, Tautz), a double-breasted dinner coat with satin shawl lapels ($150, Tautz), and, for warm weather, two single-breasted, shawl-collared white gabardine dinner coats ($98 each, Tautz). His evening shirts, with which he wears a conventionally-shaped bow tie, have pleats, roll collars, and are made for him by Dudley G. Eldridge of New York at $28 each.

Biddle's sports clothes include three tweed jackets ($160 each, Harris), three pairs of charcoal-grey flannel slacks, and a half-dozen button-down shirts made by Eldridge out of silk that he, Biddle, bought in Spain. His shoes, of which he has three pairs of black for daytime wear and one patent leather and one calfskin for evening wear, were made by Paulsen & Stone of London, who also made for him, for sports wear, a pair of black moccasins, a pair of black loafers, and two pairs of white canvas shoes with brown leather toes and rubber soles (which he wears with either prewar white flannels or an ancient double-breasted light-grey sharkskin suit). Biddle's neck-band shirts, which are either starched dickey bosoms (elongated so that the bosoms extend below the middle button of his jacket) or semi-starched pleated bosoms, have white cuffs and bodies of either grey or light blue. They cost $26 each and are made by Eldridge, who also makes his stiff white collars ($3 each) and his ties ($7.50 each), which run to solid black silks and discreet shepherd checks and are shaped so as to make a knot small enough to fit neatly into a hard collar. His underwear is ready-made and comes from Jacob Reed's.

Pasted from here.
http://www.thematerialist.net/artofwearingclothes.html

 

[Jared]

If you work in a very business casual office, then you only need one suit, two white shirts, and maybe three ties. Focus on dress shirts, trousers, and shoes first, then jackets.

How much are you looking to spend on shirts? Maybe you should be getting MTM?

 

[Tck13]

1. A heavier weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in charcoal or navy 2. A tropical weight wool 2 or 3 button suit in brown or med. grey 3. A tweed sport coat (Personally, not tweed for me, but...) 4. At least 6 dress shirts (sized neck and sleeve) 5. 6 sport shirts, long or short sleeve, some polos mixed in 6. 6 ties 7. 2 pocket squares 8. 3 sweaters (pref. cashmere) 9. An overcoat 10. Brown loafers 11. Black loafers 12. Brown lace ups 13. Black lace ups 14. 2 pairs of jeans- lighter for day, darker for night / dressier 15. 1 pair cargo, painter, carpenter pants 16. 1 brown belt 17. 1 black belt 18. 1 QUALITY umbrella 19. 1 leather briefcase 20. 1 metal band watch 21. 1 leather band watch 22. 1 non-athletic sneaker Link to original thread (and references).

 

[eire1130]

Originally Posted by Jared

If you work in a very business casual office, then you only need one suit, two white shirts, and maybe three ties. Focus on dress shirts, trousers, and shoes first, then jackets. How much are you looking to spend on shirts? Maybe you should be getting MTM?
The office is very casual, but I am merely casual. I wear shirt + tie and about once a week I wear a suit. Usually on casual fridays. On shirts - it doesn't matter. I would like to keep it below 150/shirt and wait for them to go on sale. It turns out Polo classic fit actually fit me extremely well with no alterations to them. I can just wait around and buy what I need less frequently if quality dictates. I have considered MTM shirts, but for now I am going to buy shirts from other labels to see who/what fits me. It might be a better strategy. I can always pay the 15 dollars to get it fitted right in the end. If I went MTM, I would end up with what I want but it would take me a long time to get there. Lots of great advice in this thread though. Thank you. I really do need some replacement shoes and pants next. Probably shoes are more important at this point. Any suggestions on a few Manhattan places?

 

[Thurston]

I find it hard to imagine that a Ralph lauren Classic Fit in 16/35 would fit a guy with a 33" waist "extremely well". You should be looking for shirts trimmer through the body.