Great basics for a capsule wardrobe for men
I've had lots of clients who haven't updated their wardrobes since pre-Covid and now life is finally getting back to being fully normal, our shopping trips are including a lot of the basic pieces you need which form the foundations of your wardrobe.
If you too feel like everything in your wardrobe needs updating and replacing, then this blog post should help. I've got together some key pieces you need for a capsule wardrobe, which includes a number of items I've bought over and over again with clients.
These are modern but classic items, which are easy to slot into your wardrobe and versatile enough so you can make up plenty of outfits with them for various different occasions.
To start off your capsule wardrobe, you just can't go wrong with an Oxford button down shirt. It's just so versatile - from smart to casual and everything in between. Wear it tucked in to trousers for work, or wear it untucked over a t-shirt and with jeans at the weekend.
If you've been out shopping recently, you might have noticed the fashion for boxy, loose cut shirts......not this one though - it's a very slim fit so if you have a slim physique or are a triangular shape and look better in a slim cut, then this will be perfect on you. A client bought it the other day and though most things we were buying in XS (he's a 36" chest) we sized up to an S on this one - so bear this in mind if you're ordering online and maybe order a couple of options.
'Greenwich' soft wash white button down Oxford shirt - Reiss - £78
Another really useful shirt is a chambray (lightweight denim) one. I love to put these with chinos and a blazer for a smart casual look, or you could wear it with black jeans, or even under a cotton suit if you wanted to make the suit more casual.
I've also styled this type of shirt under check overshirts or chunky knit cardigans for clients in winter, and with the sleeves rolled over a t-shirt and shorts in summer. You get the smartness of a shirt without the formality so you'll wonder how you ever did without it for nights out at the weekend!
Blue cotton chambray shirt - Office Générale at Mr Porter - £195
Everyone needs a white t-shirt in their wardrobe and this one from Arket, is one of my go-to's when I'm out shopping with clients. It's a mid weight, which makes it nice and opaque and avoids the chest hair / nipple exposure you sometimes get with a more flimsy one! It also makes it perfect to layer on it's own under the blazer or bomber jacket below but not too bulky to put under the shirts and fine knit sweater (though there is a heavier weight one if that's what you prefer).
Mid-weight white t-shirt - Arket - £17
When you're building a capsule wardrobe you want to go for things that are as versatile as possible, so a completely plain (no logos) navy jumper in a fine knit merino wool is perfect. It's smart enough to wear for work, perhaps over a shirt or on it's own with a blazer, and you can wear it at weekends too with jeans and a t-shirt.
From past experience, and looking at this jumper on the model (he's 6'1" and wearing a size M) I think the Sunspel sweaters tend to come up quite long, so if you're tall, check these out.
Navy fine merino wool jumper - Sunspel - £170
All the clients I take to buy these trousers, go back and get more! They're just a great fit and really comfortable too - they've got a variety of colours and can be worn as shown in the picture for a smarter look (pop the blazer on from below to finish it off) or they'd look great with the white t-shirt, trainers and navy bomber too.
It's useful to introduce another colour like this into your wardrobe, so it breaks up the sea of navy, but is neutral enough to go with lots of other things. Which is exactly what you need from a capsule collection - you can add in the more exciting / experimental stuff once you have the basics.
Stretch tricochino slim fit trousers - Incotex at Slowear - £265
The majority of my clients aren't quite ready for the baggy, pale denim that all the kids are wearing and which has taken over the high street recently. Instead they're sticking to the more classic, slim cut dark denim, which has the benefit of being smart enough to wear for work too.
I've been buying Nudie jeans for years, and 'Lean Dean' is one of the most popular styles I've bought time and time again with clients on shopping trips. Another great thing about Nudie is their offer of free life time repairs.....so when you've worn your jeans to death, you can just take them in to one of their shops and they'll resurrect them for you!
'Lean Dean' slim fit stretch jeans in New Ink - Nudie jeans - £145
This blazer has been super popular with lots of clients of varying shapes and sizes, and that's one of the best things about it - it comes in Short, Regular and Long lengths. I rejoice when I find a selection of sizes like this, as very few places have the option of blazers that come in different lengths.
So other than being a great fit, what else do I (and my clients) like about it? Well.....it's lightweight and unstructured, so it's good for travelling; it's got soft shoulders with no padding and has patch pockets which means you can wear it for casual and smart events. It's also got a slight texture to the fabric which is really nice, and lastly it's a great price....so a winner all round!
Navy 'Havana' single breasted wool blazer - Suit Supply - £349
I find a stylish casual jacket is something that's often missing in lots of my clients wardrobes when I go over and do a wardrobe edit, and a bomber jacket will frequently make it on to our shopping list.
In fact I bookmarked this for someone recently....he didn't end up getting it but I'm sure one of my upcoming clients will be soon! I love that it's smart enough to go with trousers and the chukka boots below but you could also throw it on over jeans and a t-shirt and you instantly have a cool outfit. And it gets extra brownie points for being made of Loro Piana wool that's been treated to make it waterproof - so not only is it stylish, but it's practical too - what's not to love?
Dark navy 'Storm System' wool bomber jacket - Paul Smith - £725
Whenever people buy from Crockett & Jones, they rave about the quality and comfort. And I do love a pair of chukka boots as they go with everything.......you can wear them with jeans and a casual shirt or with smart trousers and a blazer, they're a real staple of a capsule wardrobe.
Clients sometimes shy away from suede as they say it's more difficult to look after and you can't wear it in the rain but this particular pair are water repellant, and they also have a rubber sole so you won't be slipping and sliding on a wet pavement!
'Chiltern' dark brown suede chukka boots - Crockett & Jones - £410
I know smart white trainers have been around for a good while now, but as the saying goes...."if it ain't broke, don't fix it". And there's good reason they've been so popular.....white goes with everything, the plain sleek style is smart so you can wear them with tailored trousers and chinos as well as jeans, and that makes them super versatile - which as you've probably realised by now that's the key to putting together your capsule wardrobe of basics.
By all means go for a sportier style as well (we got these the other day on a shopping trip) to wear with jeans and cargo pants but if you're just going to get one pair, go for plain white leather or something similar.
'Esplar' clean leather sneaker in triple white - Veja at End Clothing - £119
Have you not refreshed your wardrobe since before the pandemic, and feel like you need to start again and replace all your basics as well as getting some new ideas?
If you haven't got time to think about it yourself, then let me do the heavy lifting for you - I'll prep in the shops the day before, then when we meet we can go through and try on all my suggestions and I'll put together an outfit list for you afterwards so you know exactly how to wear all the items you bought.
You can switch off your brain for the day, and just come and try some things on, and I'll do the rest!
Book in for your Personal Shopping trip below.
And here's what one satisfied client said:
"Just a note to say thanks for your time earlier. I really enjoyed shopping with you, it was so easy and such a relaxed day even though we were full on. They are not always words that I associate with clothes shopping!
I’m thrilled with my purchases and I’m delighted and amazed that we managed to get everything on my wish list. Getting your views and advice on each item really reassures me that they are right for me.
If you found this post useful, then have a look at these too:
10 x Reasons why men book a personal stylist / shopper
What trousers can I wear instead of jeans?