Starting Out

There's obviously balancing act when it comes to having a versatile, yet stylish and minimal wardrobe. With having a large amount of clothing in your closet, obviously you have an enormous number of options to choose from. However, when it comes to menswear, an overabundance of clothes is rather impractical and redundant, not to mention expensive. Outside of the expenses or purchasing and maintaining them, I would argue that it's a waste of time, money, and space for men have a closet packed full of items, most of which they don't wear or wear very little.

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On the flip side, it is also practical to have enough to allow you to wear clean clothes between laundry sessions and not be recognized as someone who always dresses in the same thing. Believe it or not, it is possible for people to question your hygiene, if you wear the same thing every day.

This is where having a collection of key, fundamental items in one's wardrobe comes into play. The nature of the items allow them to be combined with numerous clothing articles, including one another, allowing for an array of outfits. And, because of how wide their application is, this also reduces the need for additional items to make a coordinated outfit, allowing you to keep your collection leaner.

To me, to fit into the description requires that an item meets four criteria:

1. The item fits well. Really well. There's nothing wrong about having other items in your closet that fit okay, though not perfect, but these have to fit spot on or close to it. Even a loud and hideous item can make the wearer look good, if it fits well, but these are to serve as the foundation.
2. The item is simple. There is not much about the item that stands out beyond being just what it is. It doesn't capture anyone who isn't paying attention. It is meant to emphasize the figure wearing it and compliment the other articles that figure has on.
3. The item is classic. By classic, I mean what most people mean by timeless. Not only should it look good next week, it should look good next year and in the years to come, and does not fall into the rapidly-changing tide of trends.
4. The color is neutral and solid. There's nothing wrong with bolder palates, but by keeping it neutral, it can be combined with almost any alternative color or pattern.

There is nothing wrong with the statement piece, if that's your thing, but these are to have minimal restrictions on how they can be worn.

Also, as the staples of one's wardrobe, these can be unique to each individual, and so what mine are may not suit someone else. As an example, one of my staples is raw denim jeans. I love breaking them in and having them develop 'fades' unique to me over the period of months and years. Plenty of guys aren't willing to go through that process. It's entirely the preference of the person.

I will cover some of my own personal staples in the future. For now, however, I just wanted to cover my personal most effective means of maintaining a minimalist wardrobe.

Are there any items you consider your staples? Comment below!