Survival Of the Modern Man - What to Have in Your Closet

There's something that most of us need to do but never seem to want to get around to - cleaning out our clothes closet! I've had the privilege of doing this lovely task the last 2 years. The first time was before I moved in with Lisa and had been in the same abode for 6 years. The last time was right before we moved....you know....the week before our relationship imploded?

I'm venting....I'll save that for my other blog.

There are 2 basic types of men when it comes to clothes - The guy who owns 5 pairs of jeans, 5 t-shirts and one set of dress clothes....and there are the guys who own practically every type of clothing known to man.

I happen to fall into the second category....not because I want to look like I just walked out of GQ, but because there were so many different aspects of life that required different clothes....I needed shirts and ties for work, leather pants for when I was in a band, and who could go backpacking in leather pants or slacks? So I needed clothes for that....not to mention every day clothes.

In order to begin owning your own style, you need to ask yourself one simple question - Say it with me now...."When was the last time I went through the clothes in my closet?" If it's been longer than 2 years, then get out the roll of Super Heavy Duty Leaf Bags, get every article of clothing out of your closet, pile it up on the bed, and start going through it. It's also better if you do this in your underwear with either a significant other or a friend who knows about style present. Why should you only have your underwear on? Chances are, you're going to want to try to fit into those size 32 acid wash jeans, which is hard to do when you're a size 36 or a 38....trust me, this is a blessing. You wouldn't want to wear those anyway.....or those nice Chess King Michael Jackson duds from back when Thriller was on regular rotation. This is why you need to have someone with you to help you bag up the hideously small and appalling stuff to donate to the thrift store. Be brutal. Check out everything....even those shoes that you never wear but keep just in case you need them. It can be an entertaining event if you haven't done this for a long time.

What should you replace them with? Where do you get this stuff?

 Developing your own personal style depends a bit on the things you like to do, the kind of music that you like, and your hobbies. (I happen to like to camp, backpack and go fishing, so I wear a lot of cargo pants, cargo shorts, long sleeved t-shirts, hybrid sandals and hiking boots. Old Navy cargo's happen to fit me really well. I like them and they're affordable.) Situations often dictate what we wear and when we wear it, and even though you can incorporate some of your personal style into the situation at hand, you don't want to go off the deep end....do you? I'm sure I'm not alone in saying that I don't want to look like every other Joe walking down the street either.....I'm a unique individual and I want that to show a bit.

I would never wear an Affliction t-shirt to a Sade gig, nor would I wear a button down shirt from Old Navy to a Killswitch Engage show. Working in an office, I wouldn't advise wearing a Killswitch Engage long sleeve to work either. But what I do is wear a nice button-up and khaki's with a brightly colored t-shirt under it. It's  just my preference.

As a man approaching 40 years old, If you're close to my age, I also wouldn't advise shopping at Hot Topic. That's a store for your kids to shop at....

So, incorporate things and hobbies that you like into your own personal style.

Lets go over a few basic things that you'll need to have in your recently thinned out closet....

Jeans - a few nice pairs of modern, updated jeans - they are made in a variety of fits and styles.....I'm not talking about FUBU bling jeans with patches on them - Check out The Gap or Old Navy for some good examples. Make sure you try them on before you buy them. Different brands fit different ways. Take someone with you who can give you an opinion or ask one of the store clerks. You want them to fit well without cutting off the circulation in your waist or dragging down your ass with your underwear showing. No one wants to see that.....plus, if you're in or near your 40's, you'll look like a dork. Jeans go with just about everything and can be worn in an array of situations. TJ Maxx and Ross are hit or miss with good quality jeans. Most of the time, the jeans that they have in stock are either WAY too big or too small. But sometimes you can get lucky.

Khakis - A few pairs of nice flat front khakis go a long way. No cargo pockets. There are a variety of colors to choose from. These go with just about everything as well and should be comfortable. I've had good luck finding them at stores such as TJ Maxx and Ross but you can also get nice pants at Old Navy on sale if you keep an eye out for them.

Shorts - Different shorts for different sports....just kidding. I happen to love cargo shorts. They're very comfortable and are quite versatile, going hand in hand with a lot of the activities that I partake in. Living in Florida has me in cargo shorts most of the time. I really prefer the Wrangler cargo shorts because they're well made, affordable, are fairly light, and go with the off the wall print t-shirts I like to wear.

Button down shirts - Good fitting long sleeve and short sleeve button down shirts are nice to have on hand. If they have vertical pinstripes and a unique color, they're even better. You can mix and match your colorful t-shirts to wear under them. These are good to go out to dinner in, a hockey game or a movie and even the office. Stay away from the shiny materials. I don't think you're going to the club at 40 years old and if you are, you'd better be working there. Khakis or jeans are your best bet with button down shirts.

T-shirts - Plain and print - Stock up on plain and print t-shirts when you see them on sale. Pick up a multitude of colors to mix and match with other things in your wardrobe. Like I said before, I love Affliction Tees. They're expensive, but are very unique. This is where you can showcase what you're into or what you're about.

Dress clothes -Even if you aren't an executive or work in an office, every man should have a suit or 2. Going to weddings or graduations or even those dreaded holiday parties requires a guy to look nice. Check stores like Burlington Coat Factory or the Men's Warehouse has a few sales a year where you get 2 suits for $175.00 or something like that. They're a nice establishment to work with but beware of buying anything else there. Sure, you can get the suits for less, but the shirts and ties can cost you a fortune. I would recommend buying a suit every 5 years if you don't have regular use for one. Shirts and ties are best had at TJ Maxx or Ross. They usually have quality brands and a good selection of colors and sizes. Dress pants can be found in the same places as well. It's a good idea to have several shirts and ties if you don't wear them on a regular basis. You don't want to be wearing the same shirt and tie to 3 events in a row. A nice sports coat isn't bad to have around either.

Shoes - I think I can safely say that I own more shoes than any straight man should....it's because I'm very active. Let me tell you what basics that you'll need though.

A pair of black dress shoes - for those shirt and tie occasions or work - wear with black pants.
A pair of brown dress shoes - See above but wear with brown or khaki pants.
Sneakers - For every day and working out.
Black sandals - for beach or pool or anywhere else
Brown sandals - See above
Converse Allstars - These never go out of style

These are some basics that you'll need in your closet as a modern man. You don't need to go out and buy everything all at once. Start by buying one outfit a payday. Before you know it, it'll be time to clean the closet out again......