Winter Closet Staples: Men's Edition
Photo by Raghav bhadoriya on Unsplash
I will not be turning Mandie’s Not So Secret Diary into another fashion and beauty blog, but those things are a passion of mine, and what I am most frequently asked about. I am going to drop a few suggestions for both the men and women who read my blog about what I think should go into your wardrobe for this winter. I’m going to start with Men as my husband has reached a place in his life where what he wears matters, and I am very excited about it! Next post will be for the ladies but today it’s all about you guys! I won’t be covering suites or dress shoes as those almost solely depend on your job, but rather casual, semi-casual and business casual. It's a short read so let’s get this party started.
Coats
This one has excellent reviews and a nice coupon. I think that men in general are better off sticking with darker colors, where as a camel colored wool coat is the woman’s staple. Why? Most men by nature have capsule wardrobes and it’s best if everything goes with everything else. My husband asking if this tie goes with this shirt or this suit makes me roll my eyes everytime. From now on he only can have suits and ties that mix and match. This is a relatively inexpensive coat and if you’re wearing a fancier coat and a suit and tie to work every day then you need to head to Nordstrom or Saks for a tailored coat.
This is a great investment. My husband readily changes combinations depending on changing winter weather. Again, I suggest a dark color that will go with anything and make you look like you've put thought into how you dress.
I’ve linked U.S. Polo Assn. Because I want to show you the colors I believe are the best for a sport coat, Grey and Light Grey Bone. This is the piece that should stand out from the rest of the capsule wardrobe. I’ll discuss later then I am not a fan of a pop of color on men, but that’s not what this is. A sport coat should on some level stand out against your pants.
Pants
When it comes to Khaki pants I prefer the classic fit. The colors Cloud and Timberwolf both have their uses. Cloud is more preppy and Timberwolf more casual. But Burma Grey can be very useful as an inbetween from a suit and business casual. I like the Navy as well, but it doesn’t quite fit into my husband's current needs and potentially not into his easy capsule wardrobe.
I think most men look best in a relaxed straight jean. The 505 regular fit look baggy and does no favor for any man and the 511 slim fit are for the young hipster, in my opinion. Even if you can pull them off I think they say something about a man that most men don’t want them to. Colors on men’s jeans is tricky. If you want to keep up with the current trend you should wear a lighter blue, but that will take you further from the capsule wardrobe that decreases a man’s need to have help “matching.” But if this is something you’re interested in this look, I'd recommend Funky City. I don’t think any man can go wrong with Range, Blue Collar, or Indie Blue. There are occasions when Pat needs a blacker color and I prefer the House Cat with a tinge of grey to a much darker Avenger or just plain Black.
Tops
Golf Polos aren’t necessarily a winter staple but you have to put something under those coats and Pat has a strong preference towards Under Armor and not Nike, Izod or Amazon Essentials. This is his daily work shirt. He owns half a dozen in greys, navys, and blacks. He also owns one maroon that I am not fond of because it is less versatile in his capsule wardrobe. Pops of color on men read differently then they do on women. If you don't get it right it just looks mismatched. He usually is ok with this since he wears it with dark jeans, sleek black low sneakers and his dark North Face coat. You could put togethera nice look with brown chelsea boots I'll recommend later and a more khaki colored docker, but see that's already more complicated then Pat can handle.
Sweaters
No link up top? Well, this is quite dependent on the man. You may prefer a crewneck like this Merino Wool sweater. V-Necks are an option, though I believe best suited to thinner, fit men. This CC Perfect Neck has fabulous reviews. The turtle neck sweater can look extremely sophisticated but my husband would immediately complain about being hot or feeling like he looks like a college professor from the 60s, he's wrong but I can only do so much. I like both this Knitted Plain Turtleneck but also the Twisted Cable Turtleneck. An excellent alternative to the v-neck or turtleneck is a shawl collar like this one from Coofandy.
Button Down Shirt
The quality and dressiness of this item depends on your activities. I like this Paul Fredrick for the more tailored look. I like the Double Pump in blue and white check for the more casual look. Again, because my husband is 6'4" his button downs have to be tailored, so he only has a few he really likes and he often rolls up the sleeves a bit.
Shoes
This is a sleek shoe that meets almost any occasion that isn’t completely casual. It’s an easy way to dress up comfortably. It will make you cooler than you may be. Color with these are tricky, my husband has a similar boot to this Clarks one in grey and it wasn't a matter of choice so much as what was available in his size. Remember that maroon polo I mentioned earlier as problematic, they don't work with these boots. Brown is so classic but less versatile than black.
Ecco 7 are comfortable and sleek. This is the look right now guys. They will feel good while being casual but also capable of looking good with a more dressed up look. My husband did not like the fit on him because he wears a size 15. He wears these black leather low Reebok sneakers and they mostly get the job done. Clarks Kitna sneakers are another option that have the same low profile but are less “cool” for lack of a better word and that may suit your style.
That's all I think you need to have a classic winter wardrobe. This is combination of both sophistication but it's not fussy. I also want to mention this long sleeve tee from Nordstrom that definitely can have a place in a winter wardrobe but it’s more complicated to style so I am linking it and you can decide if it fits your needs. I hope you can take some of this styling an put it to good use in your wardrobe. Thanks for spending some time with me today gents, or to the ladies reading who want to step up their man's game.