A man should always have sartorial options. His wardrobe should extend from smart to casual, from day to night and every piece should combine seamlessly with most of the others. Shouldn’t be too hard, right? We give you the lowdown on the men’s classics you should own, the ones that’ll never go out of style – nothing confusing, just all the basics, beautifully executed.
Forget about all the stuff you think you want, create a backbone to your wardrobe of the following ten pieces and you’ll be wanting for nothing:
1. The Long Sleeved Knitted Polo Shirt: For a relaxed look that’s one part James Bond, the other part Goodfellas combine an open-neck, long sleeved polo shirt with a blazer. The great thing about polo shirts is that they are both smart and casual.
2. The Mac: We all know that the Great British weather is unpredictable, at best. Light enough to wear over a suit, robust enough to protect you from heavy showers – a cotton mac is the perfect piece of outerwear to ride out the storm. Sleek, simple and functional – make it your go to style whatever the weather.
Twyford End on End Raincoat Grey – £149.
3. The Topcoat: One of the big guns in the coat department, topcoats were popular with suedeheads and mods during the 1960s and ’70s. The mods wore them to enhance their sharp, clean-cut image as an alternative to the popular fishtail parka or trench coat. According to Esquire magazine: “There are very few men that don’t look good in one as the style will lengthen the body, broaden the shoulders and cover all manner of sartorial indiscretions.” Definitely an investment piece.
Cropley Trojan London Topcoat Navy – £249.
4. The Fitted Shirt: Probably the most essential wardrobe item, improve the look of everything else in your wardrobe with the addition of a simply styled fitted shirt. Get the fit right (shirts needn’t look like tents you know) and you’ll look immaculate.
Navy Post Poplin Shirt with Neat Collar – £59.
5. The Printed Shirt: What better way to express your individuality than by sporting a printed shirt. From polka to dots to florals; geometrics to stripes, pattern will lift any sartorial statement, come rain or shine.
Henshall Grey Polka Dot Shirt – £59.
6. The Bomber Jacket: Worn by fighter pilots, suede heads and B-boys, aviation-inspired flight jackets are a stylish and versatile jacket, that will have you looking the bomb.
Abel Bomber Jacket Blue – £119.
7. The Blazer: A well cut blazer makes you look well turned out whatever you wear with it. The patch pockets give it a casual edge, ensuring everyone doesn’t think you’ve lost your trousers.
Grey Salt Wool Rich Blazer – £179.
8. The Flat Fronted Trouser: It’s easy to carried away focusing your sartorial attention on your top half, but no look is complete if your bottom half is neglected. For when you want to dress up, but don’t want to wear a suit, go for flat fronted trousers, as pleated makes you look unnecessarily heavier in the dadbod lower belly area because of all the excess fabric.
Kurt N.1 Cut Flat Fronted Flannel Trousers in grey. Also available in black – £89.
9. The Denim Jeans: Wardrobe versatility doesn’t get much better than this. A well cut pair of indigo denim jeans will see you through most situations. They look smart in the office dressed up with a decent blazer but work well for weekend wear, too. If you’re going to do double denim (or denim on denim, as some people call it) make sure that the denims contrast from each other so you don’t look like you are wearing a denim suit.
Indigo Five Pocket Raw Denim Jeans – £65
10. The Brogue: Every man needs a pair. Brogues are a perfect example of classic design becoming contemporary and relevant today. Ready for any occasion thrown at them, brogues work equally well with a suit or dressed down with a pair of flat fronted trousers and a T-shirt.
The Guide 