The Complete Man Wardrobe - Every Piece You Need to Look Great
Why The Clothes You Wear Matter
Too many guys have the misconception that the clothing they wear only matters to “shallow” women, and that the women they want to date aren’t “superficial.”
This is flat out wrong for a variety of reasons. Humans make social judgements about others subconsciously. While it’s tempting to say that your clothes and appearance shouldn’t matter because it’s a superficial judgement, the reality is that we ALL judge each other based on appearance.
Obviously men judge women based on appearance; that’s just how male attraction works. But sometimes we forget that this is also how we size up other men, like when we figure out if someone is an athlete, corporate geek, or hipster, for example. You can bet that women judge each other the same way, because why else would designer handbags exist?
It’s important to remember this happens subconsciously. Women aren't into your clothes per se; they're into what they convey about your personality. The way you dress conveys your lifestyle, profession, and character traits. Everything you put on is a billboard advertising to women who you are as a person, which is why it’s crucial to send the right signals through the way you dress.
Your clothes also scream to women whether or not you have social intelligence. Not being aware of social norms is a dealbreaker for hot women. If you’re wearing boot cut jeans with flashy stitching on pockets, it’s obvious to women that you don’t “get it.” They might not even consciously realize they’re thinking this! At this point it doesn’t even matter how good your conversation skills are because they’ll already be turned off.
You don’t need to break the bank to dress in a way that’s attractive to women. Your clothes are an effective way to signal two things about yourself: status and taste. So yes, having expensive clothes can be one way to signify high status. But there’s nothing worse than seeing a guy wearing expensive clothes that don’t fit. It goes to show how demonstrating your taste through your clothes is much more important than status. A fancy brand won’t do anything for you if the cut or fit is wrong.
Your personality traits have to be demonstrated, not spoken. Wearing stylish clothes that fit well is one of the best ways to do this before you ever open your mouth. Want to learn how to stop sending the wrong signals to women through your clothing? Get started today!
Here’s what you’ll need to cover every base of your wardrobe:
-3-5 v-neck or crew neck t-shirts
-1 pair of cool sneakers
-1 pair of casual shoes (example: desert boots)
-1-2 tapered, slim-fit dress shirts
-1 pair of dark wash, slim-fit jeans
-1 pair of colored pants
-1-2 pairs of shorts for warm weather occasions
-1 cool belt
-One all-weather jacket that fits in most situations
-1-2 henley shirts (optional)
-Colorful socks (optional)
-1 winter coat (seasonal/optional)
-Set of gloves and a scarf (seasonal/optional)
-Suit (optional)
Looking good as a guy is actually surprisingly easy! You really only need a series of about 15 items in your wardrobe to mix and match to look sharp, savvy, and modern. It’s up to you if you want to take it any further and have some fun with fashion, but if you’re broke and just need the basics to look good, you’ve come to the right place. It will cost you about $400-$600 to buy your entire beginner’s wardrobe if you start from scratch. If you already have some of the items mentioned below, you’re starting off well already!
In the pictures that follow, I will show how you can mix and match the items in the wardrobe listed above to create multiple looks that fit most circumstances. And lastly, I want to go on record saying that this wardrobe covers the bare MINIMUM of what you’ll need to get by. You can do a lot more with fashion and have much more fun with it, so don’t think it has to stop here.
Let’s start with the shirt: a trusty, well-fitted V-neck shirt found for about $20 at Nordstrom. It’s not too big, not too tight and the V is not too deep. You definitely want to stay away from the deep V’s, since they are considered way too douchey. A too-loose V-neck will look sloppy, and one that’s too tight will look slightly too metrosexual.
Next, the shorts. These shorts are by a brand called Paperback, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. They come in multiple colors that I like, with lots of offbeat colors that you don’t see every day that pair well with neutrals. They’re made from cotton, are very comfortable from what I’ve been told, and are pretty durable as well. They tend to last about two years. I’d recommend getting at least two pairs, in one neutral shade such as light grey (pictured above), khaki or dark grey and one colored pair such as red (pictured below), light green, blue or orange. Here’s more pictures demonstrating the color variations of the shorts and V-necks we’ve been discussing:
Next up: the sneakers. It’s easy to go wrong with sneakers, and you can mess up and buy some seriously dorky New Balances pretty easily without the right direction. My top recommendation for cool, comfortable, non-dorky sneakers would be Converse.
You’re gonna want to go for a pair of converse low top sneakers. They go with everything. They come in lots of colors and textures these days– leather, perforated leather, braided leather, laced, unlaced…etc. I like most of them, but stick with a pair that’s either grey, black or off-white so that they go with pretty much everything in your wardrobe. An option other than Converse would be a pair of Nikes, such as these:
Robbie has a pair like this, and they’re a nice variation from the Converse. Also, some guys complain that Converse aren’t supportive enough, an issue Nikes don’t have. And lastly, stick with colors that will pretty much go with anything. Once you’re more advanced with color matching you can branch out and opt for more fun color options.
Dark Wash Jeans: You want to stay away from any light to medium wash jeans, and any wide legged jeans as well. A slim-fit, dark jean is the only one that’s acceptable these days. Everything else comes across sloppy, blue collar and just nowhere near as good looking. They go with everything, can be worn day or night, and last about two years as well. Now, this is the one item in your wardrobe that you’re going to want to invest in, as they cost about $169. However, a great pair of jeans is one, essential and two, will be worn literally every day. Do the math– worn every day for two years? That’s about 25 cents a wear (given the pair cost $200, and you wear them 730 times before getting a new pair). Just buck up and buy a good pair; it’s totally worth it.
I like to tell my clients to buy one pair of pants other than their jeans, just to give some fun variety. Go for the same slim fit, but in a fun color such as indigo blue, mustard yellow (Asian guys especially look good in this color), grey or dark dark purple. Check out these from Zara, for $39:
Next up , a slim-fit, classic button-up collared shirt. You’ll need this to go out at night to places that are more strict about their dress code, or events that require something more formal. If you hunt, you can find a well-fitted collared shirt at a store like H&M or Zara. It might take you a while, because it’s hit or miss with collared shirts at cheaper stores. However, if you’re willing to pay about $80, you can find a good one very quickly at Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Nordstrom. Now, the FIT of this shirt is very important. It’s easy to get an ill-fitting, boxy, ugly collared shirt. Most of my male clients tend to choose the wrong type of collared shirt when left to their own devices. Here’s an example of what you want to go for:
Notice how the shirt tapers inwards at the waist. If you choose a shirt that doesn’t do this, it will appear boxy and baggy. Always wear the shirt untucked and with the sleeves rolled up, as show in the pictures above. Tucked in = old man. Lastly, go for a small checkered print, or a solid color. Don’t choose a print like the shirt above, only choose a fit like shown above.
Next up, the henley shirt: This is an awesome shirt that all non-overweight guys will look great in. You can find these type of shirts at Nordstrom for $30, or at H&M as well. Always wear henleys unbuttoned one to two buttons, and with the sleeves rolled up as shown. Only wear henley shirts with pants/jeans. Great look!
The belt: A Ted Baker belt is my personal favorite choice.
While this belt will cost you about $150, it’s easy to find similar styles at stores like H&M, Zara, even Target. Choose a color like grey, black, or brown with blue or red detailing. It adds a fun flair, along with your colorful socks like these:\
While not totally necessary, colorful fun socks can be a conversation starter. Also, once you find yourself getting more into fashion – it can be fun to add different aspects and flairs to your outfits. I recommend Happy Socks, found at Nordstrom.
The boxers. Nothing is more sexy to a woman than a pair of boxer briefs. Not boxers, not tighty whities, boxer BRIEFS. Notice Robbie’s pair in the close up of his belt. It’s good to go with a brand such as Calvin Klein, Adidas or Ralph Lauren branded on the waistband, so that when you raise your arms, your shirt lifts ever so slightly, revealing the sexy waistband. I don’t know why this is a turn on, but it IS. Here’s the kind I’m describing:
Our next look encompasses everything I’ve described to you so far (slim-fit collared shirt, colorful 5-pocket pants, Nike sneakers), but with an all-purpose awesome jacket to boot. This jacket was a great find – it goes with EVERYTHING, and never seems to be too hot or too cold. This jacket is by Ted Baker, and was purchased on sale for $165. I highly recommend buying a similar style jacket, because it can be dressed up or down, and seems to fit in every situation. Here’s are some examples.
Both of these jackets would be great choices as your every day, every event coat. You might want to just google “Ted Baker Jacket”, and try to find these exact ones still for sale somewhere online. That’s how highly recommended they are.
Desert Boots. The last piece of your Complete Man Wardrobe is desert boots.
Desert boots are great because they’re a step down from your typical dress shoe that every guy MISTAKENLY wears out to bars and clubs these days. You know, the shiny, square toe cheap-looking dress shoe that’s meant to be worn with a suit? Well, if I’m not jogging your memory, here’s an example:
Disgusting. Terrible! These wouldn’t even look good with a suit, let alone a collared shirt with jeans. They scream cheap, clunky and not attractive. I get physically repulsed when I see guys wearing these out. If you have a pair of these, throw them out. I don’t care if they’re Gucci or Aldo – they’re terrible, out of date and never looked good in the first place. Replace these with a pair of desert boots. You can wear your new desert boots with jeans and a collared shirt for an updated dressed up look that’s rugged, sophisticated and stylish. Seriously, no guy should ever wear square toed dress shoes, even to a funeral! If you absolutely have to have a pair of dress shoes, stay away from a cheap looking, square-toe pair and go with an almond toe, sophisticated pair such as these:
Choose brown or light brown, preferably not black. These are much more fashion-forward than any square toe pair you have, even if you find a pair that costs $80, and it’s replacing your $400 pair of Guccis. You can find a pair of dress shoes like I’m describing at Aldo, or any department store such as Macy’s for a reasonable price.
A long wool coat. For guys who live in a cold region, a solid winter coat is going to be mandatory. Choose one that’s similar to the one pictured above. Parkas are not always appropriate for more formal occasions, and the winter/holiday season are full of those. Not to mention, they can be sloppy looking. Look appropriate with a streamlined, slim-cut wet wool coat. Keep in mind that wool doesn’t always do its best work when it gets wet. For this specific reason, man has invented a treated-wool that can stand up to nature’s elements. This version is more expensive, so if you’re pinching pennies this winter, stick to traditional non-treated wool and have your dry-cleaner or tailor treat the coat with water-repelling spray. Lastly, don’t be afraid to turn the collar up on this jacket on extra-cold days. It gives a fun look and is warmer. Pay attention to the collar because often there will be cool add-on detailing on the underside, specifically for the purpose of turning it up and showing it off.
A solid set of lambskin gloves and a soft scarf. For cold-region men, investing in this set is essential. In my opinion, you don’t want to skimp on this. You’ll be wearing it with almost every outfit, and the attention is in the details. Go for a nice set of lambskin gloves that are warm and expensive looking. Lambskin is significantly softer than regular leather, and when you’re going to be touching a girl’s hand, you want to stray from rough and rugged and lean towards smooth and silky. You also want to stay away from anything tacky such as an elastic band, leather skirting, or holes at the knuckles. Think sleek, sophisticated, and refined, with expensive-looking details like suede touches and metal buttoning. As for the scarf, these are a few things to consider:
No dramatic prints. Subtle prints only.
No LV or G print branding (Louis Vuitton/Gucci). It’s SO gaudy.
Soft. Preferably, go with cashmere.
Dark or neutral colors only, or dark and bright colors together.
Remember, you need to be able to wear this with every outfit, so nothing too extreme.
Believe me, if you buy a great looking but even slightly scratchy scarf, you won’t end up wearing it. You’ll love it at first, but the itchiness is something nobody can endure. Burberry makes really legit scarves that are actually wearable. Go for a cashmere scarf; you won’t regret it.
The last thing to make your Man Wardrobe complete is a well fitting suit. Here’s an example of a Hugo Boss suit - at the $1200 price tag. A bit steep, but worth it... He looks sharp, sexy, and just the right amount of casual. This was for a 5pm wedding. The suit is a charcoal grey, paired with a blue and white checkered shirt and brown leather belt/shoes. The fit of the suit is what you’re going to want to pay attention to - NO overly baggy suits that look like they came from the Men’s Warehouse. If your suit costs less than $600, it’s likely a piece of junk. While you can get away with not owning a great suit for a little while, no man can get through his entire life without one. You don’t want to miss out on all those awesome formal events with smoke shows in cocktail dresses - so start saving your pennies.
You can use the picture above to give you some direction on how your suit should fit. The image on the RIGHT would be what you’re going for. It makes sense now that you have a comparison, doesn’t it? I see way too many suits that look just like the one pictured on the left walking around, and it’s gross.
When buying your suit, if you’re completely clueless, ask someone for help whether it’s a sales person or a friend. You won’t be able to buy your mainstay suit in a hurry, either. It will have to be custom tailored to fit, and you’ll have to go through at least one fitting with the suit being returned to you after a few days. If you’re in a last minute bind and you need a suit for an event that same day, here is a secret suit hack pro tip: Go to the Men’s Store at Macy’s and pick up the Kenneth Cole Reaction suit for $139. It won’t last very long because the fabric is cheap, but it will look sharp for a couple uses and the pants come pre-tailored unlike any quality suit you would buy elsewhere. Note the return policy and just return that sucker the next day, but you didn’t hear that last part from me ;)
One of the biggest benefits of joining the community is that you'll be able to post selfies of your outfits and get immediate feedback on your fashion. You can do this while shopping in the dressing room before you make a purchase, or from your bedroom before going out to meet women or on a date.
Cheers,
Genevieve