There are a lot of content creators out there telling you to “wear this” or “don’t wear that.” That can be really helpful as you start to curate a wardrobe. But let’s say you’ve got a closet full of clothes that you’re happy with. Now, it’s time to actually put them together. And while capsule wardrobes full of outfit ideas are nice, that’s something I’ll get into another time. Today, let’s talk about how to build an outfit – and do it in real time.
Step 1: Weather Check
For me, building an outfit always starts with checking the weather. First and foremost, pay attention to the season – something you hopefully just innately know and don’t have to check! The season will give you an idea of what types of pieces you should be looking for. If it’s spring or summer, you don’t even have to glance at those heavy wool sweaters or pants. If it’s the dead of winter, you can leave the linen trousers and camp collar shirts in the closet!
From there, it’s important to check the actual temperature. This is where I want you to do the opposite of what I just said and sort of forget about the season. Spring could easily mean a low of 35 or a high of 85! It’s important to check the top and bottom ends of the temperature spectrum, especially if getting dressed for a full day of activities.
Step 2: Pants
Once we’ve got the season and temperature squared away, I like to start with picking my pants. I think pants often set the tone of an outfit. While a lot of pieces can be dressed up or down, a pair of light washed jeans with holes has an innately casual quality about it. On the contrary, a pair of pleated trousers with side adjusters is generally a more formal style. Especially if you’re just starting your style journey, it’s smart to follow the rules first, then you can break them.
For today’s hypothetical outfit, I’m picturing a casual date night with my wife! It’s a 75 degree day with a low of 60. We’re going to dinner at 6:30 PM, and so the temperature will be right at 70. I’m going to grab something “smart” but not too formal, like the Abercrombie Straight Linen Blend Fixed waist pants in white!
Step 3: Shirt
From there, I’ll usually go onto my shirt. Sometimes, if I had a specific shoe in mind, I might let the shoe set the tone for the shirt. This time, I’m not as married to it – so let’s go with the shirt first. I have a few warmer weather go-to’s. If you’ve followed me for a while, you know I love sweater polos and camp collar shirts. If we were going on a date in the middle of the day when it was 75 degrees, I might opt for a white wife pleaser and a camp collar shirt. But, since it’s the evening, I don’t have to worry as much about the heat of the day. So I’m going to opt for a sweater polo instead.
I wear a lot of navy blue and it is definitely my favorite color. But, my wife recently told me she thinks I look best in green, so I’ve been on a huge kick. So tonight, let’s snag this Silk Cotton Ribbed Polo from Todd Snyder. Who cares if it’s $248. This is my fantasy date night – I can afford whatever I want. lol. If you wanted a more affordable option, this Short Sleeve Ribbed Knit Polo from Mango is much less – albeit the quality is not nearly in the same league.
Step 4: Shoes
With our pants and shirt selected, you’ve got a second chance to set the formality of your outfit. You could grab your favorite pair of loafers – preferably in a brown or tan suede color in my opinion. This would push the outfit on the smarter end of the smart casual spectrum – and would be a fantastic look! But, the town we live in is VERY casual – hence why most of my outfits air on the casual side. Since I already have two smarter pieces selected, I’m going to “dumb it down” a bit and opt for a pair of sneakers.
I recently saw this pair of olive green suede sneakers from Banana Republic and really like the look! I think this is a great opportunity to employ one of my favorite style hacks – “The Sandwich Rule!” We are going to “sandwich” the white pants with the matching olive green of the shirt and shoes. It ties in perfectly and creates a cohesive top to bottom look!
Now that we’ve got our shoes covered, the meat and potatoes of our outfit are more or less complete. I’ll be honest, I should probably bring a jacket tonight as well. But, I don’t always prefer sweater polos layered under things. So, while I know I’ll be chilly by the very end of our date, I’m gonna skip it. You do you though!
Step 5: Accessories
Accessories get a bad wrap for guys. For some reason they’ve been pegged as girly. And while I’m not a BIG accessories guy, a few small touches can add some interest to your outfit. For me, that usually looks like some combination of a hat, watch, and sunglasses. I always wear a watch. And while I won’t bash on the Apple Watch repeatedly, a dinner date is a great context to opt for a traditional analog watch. I have a number of watches I recommend, but none more often than the Citizen Tsuyosa (DAVID10 for 10% off!). It’s an automatic movement, under $500 and comes in a number of colors. It often gets confused for a Rolex Datejust when I have it on my wrist, so that’s a little win too. Because we have a lot of green already, I would opt for the neutral white dial to tie in with the pants.
For the context of tonight’s outfit, a hat feels out of place, so we will skip that! You could also always add a couple of rings or necklaces, if that’s your style. For me, I just stick with my wedding ring. So, the final piece of the puzzle will be a pair of sunglasses. Because the tones of our outfit are generally warmer, I’ll opt for a pair of warmer toned sunglasses as well. These tortoise Ray-Ban RB2180 have been my favorite for a few years. They’re perfect on my face, and super comfortable. But, I probably need to mix it up a bit – so if you have a favorite, let me know!
And that’s the whole fit! Thanks for coming along while I put it together. I hope it was helpful and gives you a bit of a framework for putting your outfits together in the future!
Be The First To Comment