| Building a Functional Wardrobe: Dress Shirts & Accessories So if you've already sorted out the question of suits, sport coats, and pants, next up in organizing a complete professional wardrobe is the matter of dress shirts and accessories. What will you need? How many will you need to keep you covered? The answers are all here. Dress shirts
You want to have a large enough dress shirt wardrobe so you don't have to wear a shirt more often than once every three weeks. Not only will this increase the wearable life of your dress shirts, it will also allow for some of your shirt wardrobe to be at the cleaners or in the laundry hamper. Most professional men will find that the following mix will provide the necessary variety: - White solid shirts: at least four total in assorted collar styles (point, spread, tab, button-down)
- Blue solid shirts: at least two, with one blue Oxford and one French blue
- Ecru solid shirts: two total, with point or spread collars
- Fashion shirts: a selection made up of assorted stripes on white, blue, or ecru backgrounds, assorted patterns (like checks) and fashion colors (burgundy, tan, gray, lavender, pink, sage, etc.)
Neckwear
Ties add interest and variety to your workday look, and a good collection of ties can make it seem like you have a much bigger wardrobe than you really do since ties are often the outfit element that people remember most. Aim to have somewhere between 10 and 20 ties in your closet if you wear them frequently. Currently, updated versions of the traditional foulard (or small print) ties are the leading sellers. Striped ties have also seen a big resurgence in recent years, although these newer stripes are "younger-looking" than the striped ties men wore in the past. Sweaters, knits & casual shirts
Depending on your workplace dress code, a selection of sweaters and knit sportswear may be a worthwhile addition. In choosing sportswear to coordinate with suits and sport coats, solids or subtle patterns often work better than bolder pattern choices. Among the styles that every wardrobe should possess are mock necks, crew necks, knits, and polos. These should be a mix of long- and short-sleeved, and also a mix of lighter weight fabrications (including the multi-seasonal silk/cotton blends). The most popular colors are black, burgundy, ivory, olive, taupe, and gray. And don't forget about picking up at least a couple of sweaters for the fall. Flat-knit merino wools are a perfect choice for work sweaters. Again, these items should be selected so that they are well coordinated and offer flexibility to the individual wardrobe. Shoes
Shoes work hard, and because feet perspire and the leather absorbs moisture, they need time to breathe in-between wearings. If you don't give shoes time to dry out (a day minimum) before re-wearing, you'll find them cracking and wearing out well before their time. Four pairs of shoes should be adequate to complete the two-week wardrobe. A combination of dress and business casual shoes will pretty well cover all outfits and work occasions. - Black lace-ups: a pair of wing-tip, cap-toes or split-toe black lace-up dress shoes for the dark suits
- Burgundy or brown lace-ups: wing-tip, cap-toes or split-toe burgundy or cognac lace-up for suit and sport coat outfits
- Black, brown, or burgundy casual slip-ons: a pair of brown casual shoes for sport coat and business casual outfits
- Black or brown soft sole lace-ups: a pair of casual black lace shoes for a less formal approach to all outfits
Accessories
A few well-chosen accessory items will round out the full wardrobe. - Belts: one belt that is color and style coordinated to each pair of shoes in the closet
- Socks: anklet and over-the-calf socks should blend the pant leg to the shoe. In other words, the socks should be the same color as the slacks with which they are worn. As a rule, socks should also be as dark as or darker than the trousers in order to avoid drawing attention to them. How many pairs you'll need depends on how often you do laundry.
Seeking professional advice
These suggested components for a two-week wardrobe should help anyone who's thinking about building or updating his wardrobe. And if you'd like a helping hand, any of our extensively trained in-store Wardrobe Consultants will be happy to help you. You can simply stop by your nearest Men's Wearhouse or call ahead to set up an appointment. At Men's Wearhouse, we're here to make sure you always look your very best. |
