Men often seem to get lumped into a kind of wardrobe blur; mismatched articles thrown onto their bodies, sour auras shrugging, “I really don’t care” cool vibe. Not wanting to put in the extra effort to get all dolled-up and sleek fits, especially in a culture that tends to put more emphasis on women’s looks than men’s.
But there are options that allow one to effortlessly appear bold and sexy, no fussing or complex, three-piece suit mousetraps necessary. By just keeping these five things somewhere in your closet, ready-to-go, a man can achieve a sort of blunt elegance without even really having to think twice about it.
- Straight, Black Jeans
The beauty of these type of pants is that they’re durable but they still appear smart. Black things in general are extremely versatile pieces of clothing, as they accentuate everything they’re paired with and don’t draw a whole lot of attention to themselves. They also don’t stain very easily, which is always a valuable feature with clothing.
Jeans are always kind of a standard part of men’s clothing, however blue jeans draw up too many associations with gruff work. The blackness just gives it enough stylish edge to feel more cool and charming.
- Ray-B’s
Or that’s what I call Ray-Ban Wayfarers because they give everyone you meet lockjaw, because you look so damn interesting, debonair, subtle, smoldering… for the most part anyways.
They don’t have to be a particular color, but black is usually the best way to go. Too Crayola-wild and the sunglasses feel like some awkward Frat Party vestige of a best forgotten evening. Black retains the sang-froid these types of sunglasses are known for, and they let you seem like a rock star even if you are far, far from one.
- Long, Patterned Socks
These don’t have to be the fancy socks you might see tethered to some CEO’s clacking gait, but wearing socks that catch the eye more than gym socks never hurts. Generally, they give a nice coloring and sophistication to a simple look. Sky’s the limit with these things as there are pretty much an endless amount of patterns to choose from. Even the sillier colors or images printed on them can seem kinda cool, and if they don’t, well, just try not to lift the pant leg too much.
- Lace-up Boots
The two I would emphasize are the popular Timberland hiking boots or classic, black leather. Boots make simple outfits feel stronger, somehow more determined; like, even if the rest of the look is kinda bland or stiff, boots somehow enrich those rags with a sense of purpose. Men who wear boots look like they have somewhere they are going to be, and they’re going to get there with an easy force.
- Plain, White T-Shirt
It’s simple. It’s classic. You can get them in packs of five or more. And what else? It never really gets old. Plus, there’s really nothing more casual than wearing a t-shirt.
But a lot of those shirts with catchy, cute phrases or icons (whether it be a “let’s get baked shirt” with the gingerbread man insanely smiling or Mickey Mouse snorting habanero sauce) just seem a little juvenile and tacky. A plain, white shirt has the advantage of never saying the wrong thing. Just make sure to keep it bleached, crisp and shiny.