Building a wardrobe

“You dress pretty wild don’t you?” Nixon asked. “Mr. President, “Elvis answered, “you got your show to run and I got mine”.

Men’s clothes today are confusing; they reflect the busy lives that we all lead. The old uniforms are now gone and have been replaced with lifestyle garments that can be worn in different situations; work life, everyday life, outdoor life or night life.

In order to move with confidence in the world, a man must have a wardrobe that suits him and his style of living. It is a task that requires an understanding of both fashion and oneself. Building a wardrobe is a life time pursuit, a journey rather than a destination.

Your clothes are your personal maintenance tools. At work, they are your means of individual expression and your business operations facilitators. At home, they are your way to unwind. Out on the town, they are your expression of style. Appropriateness and uncomplicated dressing are your keys to a manageable wardrobe.

The well –Dressed Man

• Is dressed accordingly to his physical build and colouring
• Dresses to his personality and age
• His clothes are current
• And appropriate for his position, the industry he works and the occasion/situation
• Do not let the base of the iron touch the fabric as this will gloss the material.
• After steaming, make sure that the garments have dried out before wearing otherwise they will crease again very easily.

Keeping it current

• Buy 2-3 new ties every 6 months, taking account of changes in styles and colours
• But 2-3 new shirts every 6 months look at what is being displayed in the stores and add colours that are in your palette.
• Buy a new suit/jacket and trousers combination every 4-6months and retire anything in your wardrobe that is over 4 years old.
• Buy every 1-2years a new overcoat
• Check your haircut. This is particularly important if you are getting thinner on top or have receding hair line
• Change your glasses if they are more than 3 years old, styles change rapidly these days

Guidelines for the business man

Without patterns and textures fashion would be a bore, but too many patterns can ruin the effect of an ensemble.

Limit yourself to two patterns in any outfit (three is possible if you are a “pro”)- e.g., a nailhead grey suit, striped tie, and solid coloured shirt. The suite and tie supply the pattern; the shirt is neutral.

Also, try to avoid wearing two patterns that are very similar. When mixing patterns, there should be a change in scale. If you are wearing a pinstriped suit and a striped tie, the stripes on the tie should be wide, so they don’t conflict with the suit.

• Styles to select
Classic Styles, simple lines, practical and comfortable

• Styles to avoid
Fad that are here one day and gone the next, high fashion extreme


• Colours to select
Neutrals for your main pieces, brighter colours as accents or shirts, dark colours for authoritative look, colour contrast (dark & light) between your suit, shirt and tie will give an authoritative look

• Colours to avoid
Very bold contrasts e.g. black & white in bold patterns, bright colours in business shirts


• Fabrics to select
Natural fabrics or blends, quality fabrics that wear well

• Fabrics to avoid
Shiny fabrics, fabrics that have an expensive upkeep


• Patturns to select
Combining two patterns at a time is easiest; the stripe of your tie should be bolder or narrower than the stripes in your shirt, not the same width

• Patturns to avoid
Pre-matched shirts and ties, three patterns (shirt, suit, tie) unless you are skilled in doing so. Best if the shirt pattern is very discreet, handkerchiefs matching ties.

Guidelines for dressing down

• Smart casual trousers worn with or without a jacket, depending on business culture
• Sweaters worn over shirts will suffice in some circumstances with trousers
• Relax a suit by replacing formal shirt with casual one or smart t-shirt
• Smart causal shoes but strictly no trainers or flip-flop type sandals

Planning your wardrobe

It is simple, well co-ordinated, easy to shop for, and fool proof. When you combine your colours with an organised, modular approach, you’ve got assembling a wardrobe down to a science.

• Your survival suit should be a solid colour neutral in a wool or wool blended fabric.
• The more classic the cut, the more versatile the suit.
• A darker neutral colour will give you the most flexibility for day or evening.
• For summertime, you might choose a lighter colour and weight fabric.

A business man should have at least 6 suits, which depend upon his industry, position and country.

Sports Jacket/ Blazer

• Choose your most flattering neutral in a solid colour.
• Use wool blends, corduroy, or ultra suede for wintertime, and hopsacks, cotton blends, light-weight wool or linen-look fabrics for summertime.
• When buying a tweed or plaid instead of a solid then keep in mind that a patterned sports jacket will be less versatile with our shirts and ties.

Trousers

• Buy a solid colour, darkish neutral in a wool or wool blend for wintertime and a light to medium shad in a lightweight wool blend or cotton/polyester blend for summertime. They must go with your sports jacket and should be either lighter or darker than the jacket in order to make good contrasts. Choose a plain style without pleats or gimmicks.

Shirts

• Shirts are the new ties
• Men need at least 12 good quality shirts.
• Short sleeve shirts must be worn without jacket
• Never combine 3patterns- shirt, tie and suit
• Combine compatible fabrics- shirt, suit, tie

Ties

• About a dozen that are up to date and “wearable”. The key is to be subtle, never garish. Only silk or good quality.
• When tying a tie make sure to balance the size of the knot with the dimension of the collar

Shoes

You should have 3 pairs of lace-up shoes as a minimum to rotate during the working week.

• Slip-on shoes are acceptable in more casual working environments
• Lace up shoes last the longest
• Shoe trees are necessary to maintain shape
• Rest shoes between wearing for at least two days
• Polish shoes when they are warm after wearing You get a much better shine
• The secret to purchasing shoes is to keep things simple

Find out with Joy of Colour how to build your wardrobe and how to dress appropriately for different businesses and occasions.

For advice please get in touch with us on michaela@joyofcolour.com or on (+44) 0780 3 139 755 to book a Men Image Consultation to find out what body shape, proportion and scale.


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