Men's Style: Building a Grown Man's Wardrobe

2. Fit and Measurements: - Hey, - guys. - Meghan here. - Uh, - this is class number one today. - We're talking about a bit fit is obviously super important. - I mean, - obviously you can't look in your clothes if they don't fit you. - Right? - Um, - I think that a lot of guys have a tendency to wear clothes that are too big for them. - Some guys, - mainly on the Jersey shore wearing things are a little too tight for them. - But I think today we really want to focus on making sure that you have your measurements, - right. - We have Dan here. - He's engineering skill share, - and we're gonna be talking about how to get the right measurements. - And he is going to be our lovely fit model. - Doesn't look great. - So as you get more into clothes and in the style, - you'll see that there's honestly some measurements that you can know about. - Okay, - Well, - my bicep Is this my wrist? - Is this my thighs? - This But we're just gonna start with the basics. - Um I want to get dans neck measurement, - chest measurement sleeve ways we're going to get right here, - and then we're going to get around his hips as well. - Um, - I will leave the inseam to Dan. - Um, - but those are the measurements that you're gonna wanna take down Have, - you know, - with you at all times that if you decide to do some shopping, - you'll be ready. - We'll start with the neck and work our way down. - So for the neck. - Oh, - my gosh, - Stan, - your hair is glorious. - I love it like it's gonna add a couple inches, - I think to your measurements. - So just like that, - you're gonna want, - you know, - you can kind of have a finger in between the skin and the measuring tape Pretty easy, - right of the collarbone. - So for the chest, - Dan can kind of take a deep breath and then let it out. - And that's the measurement. - Just go right under the arms and straight across the chest. - That's just we're gonna want to also measure your sleeve length, - so get right up to your neck and you're just gonna want to go right up to the base of the - neck, - kind of hold it right where the neck hits the shoulder and then go all the way down. - Just about your like your thumb joint. - Hitting at your watch is probably pretty good stopping point. - So you find that because you're not a robot you don't really need toe have your arms - straight for your measurements. - Then you're gonna want to get your natural waist. - Um, - that's where if you just bend, - that's where it is. - It's a couple inches above your belly button, - if that's helpful. - And again, - same thing, - deep breath and then let it go. - So that's more natural. - And then we're gonna get hiss measurement right around the belt. - We'll just kind of hold it pretty snug so that we don't have anything added from the belt. - So right there, - then we're also gonna want to get across the but And that just goes right across again - across the falls apart. - Take that measurement again. - We're just holding it really snug. - Nothing too scary. - And then the last one is in. - Seem, - I'm gonna assume you guys know how to take your inseam measurements. - I'm not gonna do that on camera, - cause my mom would be embarrassed. - Um, - and I think I would be, - too. - But that's just gonna be here to hear, - you know, - to the ground so pretty easy. - So now that you have all of your measurements. - The next thing to do is actually go into your closet and see if the things that you own - actually fit you the way they're supposed Teoh. - Anything that's already in your closet if you love it. - But it just doesn't fit quite right, - Whether it's too big or too long or you know this or that, - take it to a tailor. - Taylor's going to amazing things. - I mean, - I I always feel like I've just gone shopping again once I take something the Taylor and get - it back because it just fits that much better. - You feel like you have something new, - and the great thing is also is that you can buy something that's not necessarily that - expensive, - and it ends up looking that much more expensive when you spend you know the extra $10 to - have something hemmed or, - you know, - taken in whatever it is, - it's always worth the extra money. - I was a you know, - toe, - actually factor in tailoring to your clothing budget, - So if you want, - you're saying I'm willing to spend $6 on a shirt you know by a $40 shirt and then spend the - extra 20 on on tailoring. - It's just it's so important to have clothes that look like, - you know, - they were made for you basically, - and a tailor can really do that. - And just in terms of, - you know, - when you do start to buy clothing that is your true size or if you get it back from the - tailor, - it's perfectly natural if things feels super tight and you're like, - Oh, - my God, - this doesn't fit me right And you're kind of doing like this will help rethinking own. - I've seen a lot of guys that, - you know, - they get their first made to measure suit or they get, - you know, - a dress shirt that doesn't billow and actually fits them. - And they're like, - Oh, - my gosh, - my gosh, - I'm gonna break out of this. - Oh, - my gosh, - this is too small. - It's not too small. - It fits you right? - You do not need to play basketball in a suit, - so you don't need to be able to, - like, - stretch and like, - get all these different. - You know, - positions like you don't need to do that. - Like if it fits you when you're standing up like this, - then it fits you. - But the other thing is just to go shopping. - You know, - you might find after you measure yourself that you have all of these clothes and none of - them fit. - Right? - And maybe you're sick of, - you know, - that a pair of jeans. - Anyways, - just don't Adam get rid of them, - given to someone that maybe they do fit and just go shopping. - I think this is a really great time. - If you're going to be working on your wardrobe to really take the time and the money to - invest in clothes that really fit you, - right. - Ah. - And in the next class, - we're actually gonna be discussing what those essentials are, - What the things are that should be in your closet. - So it's actually gonna be a really great time toe hit them all. - So we'll have some fun with that in the next class. 3. Wardrobe Essentials: Now that we have found your true size, we've gotten all of Europe measurements. You've wade yourself to make sure that you know what you are. And we're all comfortable with that. Uh, you know, now it's actually time to amass the grown man's wardrobe. There's probably some things that you've tossed because they didn't fit and you never want to wear them again. I never want to see you wearing them again. Some things, you know, You took them to the tailor, and now they fit better. But they're still gonna be some gaps in your wardrobe. And that's where this list comes in. So we've pulled a bunch of items thes Arthuis essentials. These are the foundation of your wardrobe. You need all these things in your closet. So if you don't haven't got and get him first thing is a suit. I think a gray or a Navy suit is an essential for any guys closet. I like Grey Navy over black just because they're both those colors Air more versatile than black. Black is just so serious that it's kind of hard toe. Do anything but be Mr Serious man who? Black suit, um Gray and Navy Natural Powell. You know either one or two events in the back. It's kind of up to you. No pleats. I prefer no cough of the bottom, but you got to do you. Ah, but you just have to have it. I can't tell you how many guys are like Meghan. I don't ever need a suit. Like, when am I gonna wear a suit? When aren't you going to need to wear a suit? Like, at some point, like you're going to get invited to a wedding? You're going to get invited to a funeral. Invited? You're gonna have to go to a funeral. You're gonna need a suit. Don't tell me you don't need to see you need a suit. So, fortunately, there's stores like bonobos out there that honestly have everything you need Pretty much when it comes to rebuilding or building a wardrobe. Uh, like these jeans, every guy needs a pair of dark currents, straight leg, or even, maybe a little bit. Tapered jeans. I don't want to see any whiskers. I don't want to see anything like weird, like embroidered or, like, dazzled on the but or the pockets anywhere. Just keep it super simple. The para genes that fits you best is probably gonna be a little tighter than what you're used. Teoh, Um, that's with something you're gonna have to get used to is a grown adult man, because you can't re jeans all day every day. You also some other pairs of pants, uh, a nice pair of khakis and spur chinos. Whatever you decide to call it, I use them interchangeably and get in trouble for that with menswear blog's on the daily. But I don't care. The ones that you find that are right for you, they're gonna fit Justus. Well, as's jeans, they're gonna be justice comfortable. So, you know, start thinking about swapping and she knows more often for jeans again. I love a guy in jeans, but like sometimes you have to do something a little bit different. She knows is great. You can wear them just like jeans. Dress him up, dressing down. You're good to go. So a nice pair of you know gray wool dress pants is another staple. You have to have him in your wardrobe. Sometimes you you know you don't need to quite being a soup, but you need to look dressed up. You can wear these with a dress shirt you can wear with the sweater. You're going to go these air really easy, just super, super essential in the wardrobe. Khaki shorts. I mean, guys, I don't have to talk about Jean shorts here, right? You guys know that's just like a no go. We're never wearing jean shorts again, any of us. We've all agreed on that great khaki shorts. Look only food look. You'll always be appropriate in the summertime with para khaki shorts. Throw momma boat shoes there, Mama sneakers. You're good to go if you want to be a bit more casual blue shorts but still not resort to jean shorts. I think it's really fun really important for a guy to have a pair of pattern shorts. Something like this is like super stylish and just makes your outfit like you can wear this with a V neck White Haines T shirt and you have an outfit are better dressed than any other guy on the beach, the boardwalk or wherever you are. Seersucker is always a great option. I think every guy looks good in seersucker, but you know, just something that's a little bit more fun, a little bit more playful. And, you know, I think you'll know him when you see him. Like if you go into a store and you see shorts that you're kind of like are those a little ridiculous than those are probably the ones you want to get? Guys, here is your oxford cloth button down by it. Love it where it this'll is completely the workhorse of your closet. Literally like every guy needs one of these. I think you should have one in blue and one and white. If you want to get crazier than that, you can start to get him in different colors you're going to see later on. We put together outfits. You can wear this to work. You can also wear this on the weekends. You can wear this any time, and it's again one of those items that just sort of makes you look inherently stylish. I think along with the black polo that we'll talk about a little bit later. It's just something that you just look cool wearing it, and it's really easy throat on. You get to go out the door looking good. So next up is dress shirts. Um, I think that, you know, some guys have a ton of dress shirts in their closet already because you work somewhere that you know, is more corporate and more dressed up all the time. And other guys, you probably don't wear dress shirts that often, even if you don't. I still think it's important to have dress shirts in your closet. I think there's three that you just you need to have you need Wait, he blew. Then you need something patterned This this one's really fun stripes. Nothing crazy thes air. All important at any moment. If you are required to dress up to put on a suit, you can put any of these on and you'll you know, you look great. You look appropriate for the for the situation. Go for his nice, the qualities you can afford with dress shirts. You wanna have them for a while and you want to feel comfortable in them. I think a spread collar is nice on most guys, but, you know, do what you feel is best for you. Um, I'm not huge on French cuffs, but again, if you're wearing a dress shirt I'm happy. Eso again you do. You just make sure it's slim fitting, nothing billowing out. You know if if a shirt with a company you know they have a slim fit, go for that option, and if it's still too big, you always take it to the tailor and have it brought in on the sides. It's really easy, really cheap and really worth it. So separates when it comes, a suiting are just as important as having a suit itself. I think having a sport coat or blazer in your closet at the ready is always great. Um, you know, this one's really traditional buttons. It's nice Navy, and that's great. You can also go something that's a little simpler if you start to get dressed up more often , which I hope that you do. You know, you get to kind of start to play from there. Maybe you'll get, you know, a check or ah Holmes to throw it or this or that, and I think that that, you know, that becomes more fun. But you definitely have to have thes based pieces in your wardrobe just to kind of have a jumping off point. So I'm probably gonna get some flak for this, but I think that even more important than a white cotton V neck is actually a gray or an off white cotton V neck T shirt. That's only because they disappear under clothes a bit better. So if you're wearing a dress shirt and you want to wear ah T shirt under it, this is actually gonna go better under that than White. White will just show up for whatever reason. Um, with Vina T shirts, it's sort of whatever brand you find works for you. I think you can spend $5 on a V neck T shirt or you could spend $50. And the most important thing is just that you feel really comfortable in it. Um, because, honestly, these puppies, they're gonna wear out and you're gonna have to buy. I'm pretty often, because again, this is something where you just you wear it so often that you want to have something that you're comfortable in and that you know, you feel good in, so don't go for two deep of a V. Keep it up, Keep it up here. We don't have to see too much your chest hair. But other than that, I guess I'd whatever whatever suits you polo shirts. I love a guy in a polo shirt. I don't know what it is like. I didn't go to boarding school or anything growing up like I don't have something weird like preppy like obsessed with JFK. Like Wish I was, you know, from the Hamptons. But I just love a guy in a polo shirt. You just always look nice in a polo shirt. You don't have to pop the collar, you know, it doesn't have to be like covered in horses or anything like that. Just get one in black, get one and white. Get one in purple, you know, But it's just a really simple way toe look really put together while still being really comfortable. You know, a V neck sweater and neutral color is It's just, you know, it's always gonna look good. It came to go so many ways you can wear this with jeans. You can wear this over a dress shirt with a tie. Um, you can wear this with shorts in the summer. You know, you put this on sort of once it starts to get a little cooler out. It just always looks good. It's always, you know, gonna be something you can kind of just, like pack to go. Your girlfriend can borrow it. Girls love boring voice fighters. You should let them do it as much as they want to. Uh, and yeah, I just have it in neutral color. You know, Gray and maybe an old meal like this. Something where it will go with everything else in your closet. Clean white sneakers. Every guy needs them. You couldn't do something really simple. You can do. You know, Chuck Taylors, you could do something. You know, Nike Air Force one. It's not so much about the brand, because that's more. You know, it speaks to your style, but just make sure they're clean, like, do not have, like, scuffed up sneakers. If you're gonna be going to the gym in your sneakers than those air your gym sneakers And if you're gonna be walking around town, then you want to make sure that those those shoes look good. Just a, you know, good is if you were wearing a dress, you so keeping clean the same way you would address you anyone who's a regular reader of style or a friend knows that I'm basically obsessed with chukka boots. I think that every guy should own at least one pair there. Perfect for giving a little bit more dress up to an outfit. I mean, you could wear sneakers with jeans, but if you work, you know, check boots or desert routes, you're gonna look again and that much more put together. And yet you're gonna be Justus comfortable, if not more comfortable than you would be in a sneaker. Another shoe, that's great is, Ah, black dress shoe. Every guy needs one. In his wardrobe. I recommend just a black simple Capito just because it's the most versatile. When it comes to dress shoes, I think you get toe have a little bit more fun with brown shoes. You can wear this pair of brown shoes with your gray suit with your Navy suit. Actually, really great. I think that, um, wearing brown shoes with a suit is one of those things that sort of like when you get a haircut and like people don't quite know what it is that looks nicer about you, but they're just like you look really great today. That's what brown shoes, tons to a suit like. It's just that much, you know, more stylish. And it's just sort of gives you the edge in terms of you're not just another guy in a suit in black shoes. Um, and it just yeah, it shows that you're confident that you know enough about style that you know that you can wear brown shoes of the gray suit or a navy suit. All right, guys, this is an easy one. You probably have some of your closet already, but you need ah, black leather belt and you need a brown leather belt, I guess when you wear them, you were the black vote with black shoes and where the brown, but with brown shoes, ties air One of those things where you actually get to show off your personal style a bit more. You know, women get necklaces and headbands and we owe things, you know, kind of fun. Accessories toe be like, this is why I'm in. This is how I'm different from every other girl you see walking down the street. That's how I see ties. And that's why I wish more guys war ties because it is just that opportunity to kind of like stand out a bit more. So I think you need to have a solid tie. You need to have a tie with the pattern. It's nice to have a knit tie ties a really trendy right now. Um, but they're just always gonna be trying to, you know, you look at a picture of your dad from the sixties and seventies is probably wearing it. I They're never gonna not be cool, but they're sort of having a resurgence right now, So it's fun, toe. You know, it's a fun thing to wear ties and pocket scores do not need to match, but they should complement each other. So just look for, like, one color. That's the same if you have this purple tie with this, But, you know, maybe you get a pocket square that has a little bit of that burnt orange in it, and it just makes your outfit pop that much more from there, you get to really just kind of have fun with colors I would start to think about. Okay. Well, what? You know what I wear that I tend to get the most compliments on. Maybe it's a purple sweater or it's, you know, a green tie like Think about what colors people actually say, Hey, you look really great today and that's probably a color that's really great on us. So think about you know, those items that you get compliments on the most and whatever is, you know, the primary color in that that piece just investing more of it. And it also just makes getting dressed a lot easier. If you have, you know, a green sweater and you have a tie that has green flowers on it like it's. It's pretty common sense that you get to put those together and it's going toe Wear well together doesn't mean you should really in green head to toe, but having sort of those threads of color throughout everything that you own or most of what you own. It just makes your life easier getting dressed in the morning 4. Outfits: three outfits, obviously there many more occasions and many more outfits. But I think these air kind of three standard like outfits every guy needs at the ready doesn't even have to think about it. First is a big meeting at work. Big presentation. I think if you were in a corporate job, I mean, we're gonna way we can kind of take care of suits later, and the resource is, But, you know, I want to talk about something that's a little bit more interesting And maybe in a more casual work environment, but you're still gonna be a bit more dressed up. Next one is date night. Obviously you want to look good for a girl, you should want to look good for a girl. At least s. So we're going to get you in an outfit that looks good. Don't have to think about like I said. And then the third is just I always like to call it a weekend brunch outfit, even though I know guys don't do brunch. So whatever going toe, a baseball game, we're going to Home Depot outfit, But something for the weekend that still looks good casual, but put together so we're going to start with big meeting at work. So this outfit is perfect for a big, you know, big presentation at work. A job where usually people are pretty casual, like maybe you're in jeans every day. Maybe you're in that standard uniform of dress pants and a light blue dress shirt, but I think there's definitely more like that. There's more room to play in jobs that are a little more casual because even if you dress up just a little bit, you looking that much nicer than everyone else. So I always encourage guys to, you know, dressed for the part that you want. If your boss dresses up a bit more, dress more like your what I like about this, you know, we just haven't really simple, like a Navy sport coat. We have some khakis here, some tassel loafers. What I like about it is that it's really versatile, and there's actually like six outfits in this, you know, he could wear just the Oxford cotton button down with these khakis, tuck it in, not tuck it in the tie at just a little pop of color that really brings everything together . The sweater It's just it's that many more sort of points of interest. I always like to see guys with no socks, and it was that. I know it's not quite as comfortable, but I just think it's such a great looking it. It says a lot about I think, your confidence. I think a guy that is like, I don't need to wear socks Even if it's you know, March and it's cold out, I just think it looks really great. I think it looks Ah, really stylish in it shows a lot of confidence. I guess that in a guy here is outfit number two. Uh, this is what I would wear what I would want a guy to wear rather on, like a second date. So once you're determined that the second date is worth it going to a nice dinner, maybe we're going to a show. We're dressing up a little bit. So this outfit again, Super simple. We have just a really great fitting great sport coat, white dress shirt, dark jeans. Actually, when Dan came out, he's like you guys, these genes are way too tight. Oh, my God. This isn't gonna work. No, These jeans spent amazing. Like this is what you want to be wearing, right? This is what a girl wants to see you in any bigger. And these jeans are gonna not look right with this work. So this is the right fit for jeans. Just a black dress. You in the bottom. Little cost to the genes. Dan looks great. He's gonna get to that third date in this outfit. So this is the third outfit, the weekend brunch outfit or the Home Depot outfit or the watching the game with your your friends outfit? Um, I think what I like most about this is that it really does show that you can be comfortable in a casual outfit that isn't just jeans and a T shirt here. We've got a black polo shirt. I think every guy should have a black polo shirt in his closet. I think it makes you just immediately look like you own a yacht. I just I love it. I think every guy looks good in it. I love a guy in a in a nice, slim dork, gene, but sometimes you have to branch out. You have to, you know, do something a little bit different. And these Air Justus comfortable. I mean, Dan is gonna feel just as good in these as he is in his jeans, but he's gonna look a little bit more stylish. She's gonna look a little bit more put together like you put a little bit more thought into his outfit, the belt. I mean, I love a good belt again. It's just sort of another chance to show a little bit of personal style and, you know, kind of add a extra touch of who you are into your outfit. Um, then these shoes. I love these shoes. This outfit would look great with a boat shoe or like a white sneaker, clean white sneaker and nothing like dirty and gross or beat up. But I love these reveres because again, it's just something a little bit different. He's still really comfortable in the shoe, but you know a girl's going to notice him. She's gonna notice that he has a short at least half tucked in. She's gonna notice that he's rolled is his pant legs to show off his shoe a little bit. She's gonna notice that everything fits him really well. Which were we have down pat from the last lesson on. That's why I really like this outfit. It's It's yes, it's come from for the weekend, but it's also really put together really stylish, really easy to do. I mean, you guys probably already have mostly elements in your closet at home, so, you know, swap the black for a color if you like color swap. You know these pants for literally any color of either colored jeans or colored khakis, and you're like, set to go, um, Revere. She was optional, but I recommend them. So now that we put together a few outfits, anything just a few helpful tips to keep in mind our I mean, they're all really common sense. It never hurts to be more dressed up than everyone else in the room. It's always better to be overdressed undressed. You're gonna feel like a jerk if you walk in and jeans and everyone's wearing, you know, dress pants or chinos, whatever it is. So it's always better to if you're not sure of what people are gonna be wearing just to dress up a little bit more, throw on a sport coat, throw on a tie. You know, Tuck your shirt in. It's always going to work out for you better than if you if you decide to dress down. Despite what mystery from the game says, girls do not like a guy that peacocks I don't want to see you in like, a hat with crazy feathers or, you know, like the bedazzled. But like No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You don't need to get attention in that way. Just get attention from wearing something that fits really well. Get attention from, you know, a pocket square that hasn't put him on a color to it or its high or, you know, a cool Beltre. Awesome shoes like get attention in a good way. When you're shopping, it is 100% okay to ask for help. Honestly, I I asked for help all the time. I asked for directions. As Bert, It's always better to ask someone else that you think will know more than you do. And this is nowhere more true than at a clothing store. And I mean, go to a place like, you know, the bonobos guide shops. They're great because you get this personalized attention you get you know someone that's there just to help you. Um, but even if you're just at a you know, if you walk into a store at the mall, ask a pretty girl at the store that you see, I mean vacuum, I got a date out of it. I think that asking for help is vastly underappreciated with guys. And I think that you shouldn't be afraid to ask for help. And, like I said, would, you know, picking out someone with good style, like if you're gonna ask a male sales associate, make sure that you like what he's wearing. I would never get my hair cut by someone who I thought a terrible haircut like It's the same thing. Like, why would you go and talk to a sales soda associate who you think looks terrible. So just, you know, pick out the person you think looks the best. Ask them for help. Pay attention. I mean, I think that you probably already have some items in your closet that look great on you. And, you know, maybe it's, um, blue sweater that every time you wear it like the barista, your coffee places like you look so nice today like pay attention to that stuff. Like when people, especially women, say You look nice in something where more of that thing like again, it seems like common sense, but you might prefer, you know, dirty jeans and a sweatshirt. But like if you get compliments every time you put a button down shirt on were button down shirts more like Be receptive to your audience. It can't stress it enough that you will start to feel more comfortable in those dressed up close, even if you know at the time you don't even if you're like. But these are just my church clothes like you'll get more comfortable in it. So if you get confidence on something, investing more of what that thing is.