Essentials Every Man Should Own

Some men may find the prospect of fashion quite daunting. Common questions asked (often inside one's head) when in the small confinements of a fitting room cubicle are probably: "Can I pull this off?", "Should I follow trends or just wear what I want to wear?", and "Do I just look like a prat?". I'll go out on a limb here and say that guys have a harder time following trends than us girls. (Though the fact a man can quite often walk into a shop, pick up what he wants, pay and leave within ten minutes is beyond me.) However with lads' mags such as GQ and FHM now with their own style sections, the predicament of trends should become less trivial.

 

From the point of view of a fashion student, and more obviously a woman, I like a man that follows trends and takes pride in his appearance, but let's be honest, not everyone can pull off a pair of braces, neon skinny jeans and glasses (the glasses-without-actual-lenses glasses. I don't know where they came from either.) It's important to feel confident in what you're wearing, so here are my five essentials that everyone can pull off, and more importantly can be worn in many ways and on different occasions. I begin with...

 

 

..The Blazer. Every man needs one, fact. Make sure it fits you well, especially on the shoulders. You can get away with owning just one blazer if it's in a versatile colour (black and navy are great) and if it crosses the casual and smart boxes. The great thing about blazers is you can wear t-shirts or shirts under them, and wear them with jeans or smart trousers. I like this blazer by Solid, which I found on ASOS. If you haven't been on ASOS, or taken to online shopping in general, ASOS is one to make the effort for.

 

Plimsolls. But nice ones. I always used to associate plimsolls with a horrible black pair that I had to wear for gym class in primary school - something to put you off for life. In recent years I have discovered that plimsolls now have evolved into groovy patterned shoes in various colours, and so my hatred has faded. Not only that but they look pretty cosy, and are easy to wear with anything. Topman have a great range of plain ones to patterned ones, depending on how adventurous you're feeling.

A classic check shirt is another essential on my list. It is so versatile and can look sharp under a tailored jacket or easy going with jeans. This is from Ben Sherman, the go-to brand if you want a range to choose from.

 A suit. Yes an obvious choice but an important one. A well-made, well fitted suit will be your best friend, as it will be there for all those special occasions where looking good is the number one priority. Weddings - check. Dinner parties - check. Day at the races - check. Business meeting - check. There are so many reasons to get a good suit, and Next have some great styles at really reasonable prices. I love the one above because it's in a charcoal grey (an update from black), it has the one button jacket which I favour over two, and the contrast satin lapels just give it the extra wow factor. But whatever suit you choose, just remember - Fits good, Looks good.

 

 

Lastly, a good pair of Calvin's will never do you wrong. I can't guarantee you will look this good wearing them, but they definitely do wonders due to the brand name. If there are any words that a girl likes to see poking out from a pair of trousers, it's Calvin Klein. Enough said.

 

So there are my essentials for the male wardrobe; no excuses now gents!