The Mens Shoppe

08/29/2026

08/29/2026

ow to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Sweaters

The two most important attributes of a sweater are fit and the type of fibers used in its construction. Color and style are important, but more so than other garments a sweater must be functional. As for the sweater types a man should own, this depends on both the climate he lives in and his budget. Men living in cool regions are well served to own four plus classic sweater styles that they can wear into the office; men from warmer regions can get away with one or two they pull out when they travel. Finally, when selecting sweaters for your wardrobe pay very close attention to fit – altering a sweater is an art and most alteration shops won’t touch this type of high risk work.
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08/28/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Shorts

Shorts are casual wear; there is no getting around this. Think twice about wearing them to any company event unless it involves sport, water, or a luau in Hawaii. Now I know many of you are thinking the author must be some type of stuffy old guy, but such is not the case; my point is that around the world shorts are not as accepted as they are here, and that they are rarely if ever acceptable when looking to make strong first impressions. With that being said, when a man wears shorts he should wear pairs that provide ample room in the hips and rise no more than 6 inches above the knee and never extend past it. Cotton and linen are great choices because of their fiber properties. Classic colors such as tan and khaki are two great colors to start with; be careful with white as it draws attention and stains easily. As for swim trunks, they are for swimming.
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08/27/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Polo Shirts

The polo shirt’s origin is in sport – developed by the great French tennis player René Lacoste out of the frustration he felt for traditional clothing on the court; it was later adopted by other gentlemen sports such as polo and golf. Today there are dozens of types and brands. When choosing one remember this hierarchy: Solid muted colors made from smooth and soft cotton or wool are the dressiest – patterned polos made from rougher cotton weaves are the most casual. While companies like Lacoste make polos appropriate for casual office wear, you’ll want to be careful wearing the polo you picked up for $5 at Old Navy to a business event. I recommend keeping your professional polos separate from your “play” polos, and stick with solid classic colors until you have a half dozen.

From Left to Right, we can see how Polo Shirts Rank in terms of Casual (Safe for Work on Friday) to Ultra-Casual (Beach Wear).
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08/26/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Button-up Short Sleeve Sport Shirts

Distinct from the infamous short sleeve dress shirt, the button up s/s sport shirt often has a closer fit in the torso. Some styles feature epaulets, double button patch pockets, and finished straight bottom so it can be worn untucked. It’s a fine shirt to wear on weekends or evening out in Vegas, but understand its limitations (and the limitation of all shirts worn without a jacket) are that can draw attention to a large midsection. In general this shirt will move with trends, and it can be viewed as a fashion piece more than a classic item in the wardrobe. I like to have a least two in my wardrobe, one light and one dark.
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08/25/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Slacks

Slacks/trousers come in a wide range of styles and fabrics and are differentiated from suit trousers as they have no matching jacket cut from the same cloth. The dressiest slacks, aka those suitable for wear with an odd jacket, are cut from a dark wool and styled in the same way suit trousers are. Once we start moving toward lighter colored fabrics cut from cotton we become less formal, with chinos being the most popular example.

I advise most men to own at least one pair of dark wool trousers and one or more pairs of chinos in various colors. Chinos are dressier than jeans and an excellent option for warm weather. As for the wool trousers, most men are best served if when they buy a grey suit to purchase an extra pair of trousers as well. Because no matter how often I tell them not to, most men will wear their suit trousers as odd trousers at some point. Knowing this, it’s better to have two pairs, that way, when you tear or stain them, you will not have lost your whole suit.
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08/22/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Denim Jeans

Jeans are arguably America’s greatest gift to menswear. They have come a long way from their humble beginnings as work trousers to their current iconic status as the trouser of choice for lumberjacks and movie stars. Equally at home with a T-shirt and sneakers or monk strap slip-ons and a blazer, jeans are a rare combination of image, functionality, and comfort. It’s these three traits as to why every man should have at least a few pairs of denim jeans in his wardrobe.

By their very nature all jeans are casual; however, there are levels of separation and the darker the jean the more “formal” it becomes. Thus it’s better to mix a sport jacket with dark jeans than light jeans, although the latter can be pulled off especially in the summer. Anything with obvious signs of wear or holes should be reserved for more casual wear unless you have sold over 10,000 albums. What you own depends on your lifestyle and needs, but have at least two pairs that are dark and look sharp when worn with a dress shirt.

In the photo, on the left we have denim you can wear with a sport jacket – on the right are jeans more suited to an untucked T-shirt.
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08/21/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

A Man’s Belts

Your belt’s color and style should closely match the shoes you would wear with them – it’s very possible that a man with 4 pairs of shoes will need 4 belts. In fact, I recommend when you buy your shoes to buy a belt that matches while you have them in the store with you – you can always return the belt if you feel the current belts in your wardrobe are sufficient.

As for matching, typically the thinner the band and the simpler the buckle the more formal the belt is. And always match metal with metal – monk strap dress shoes with a silver buckle should be worn with a thin belt with simple silver buckle.

Dress belts also generally have a finished/threaded edge, whereas, more casual belts are not finished with thread on the edge.
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08/20/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Casual Shoes & Boots

The difference between a dress and casual shoe is the nature of the clothing that it is intended to be worn with. The types and styles of casual footwear are wide enough to fill a large book – in the dressier range are moccasins and both tassel & penny loafers.

More casual options are sneakers and loafers; it’s important to note local climate and culture has a strong effect on what casual footwear is worn.

In warmer weather, consider stepping a bit out of your comfort zone. Don’t limit yourself to sandals – look at boat shoes which can be worn without socks and are more presentable.

As with dress shoes, the number of casual shoes a man needs depends on his lifestyle. When looking for casual shoes for your core wardrobe, give more weight to muted colors that will never go out of style. Brown, beige, black, and occasionally navy and other assorted low tone colors are solid choices. The more it draws attention to itself with color, the harder it will be to match and wear more than a few times a month.

Seek out quality and you can expect a long life from your footwear if you take care of it. When worn in conjunction with similarly styled clothing, it will look great today and over time develop a worn look that will make it look even better.

Finally, replace worn out footwear that is torn or permanently stained. Although casual footwear doesn’t have to have a shine like dress footwear, it should still be neat, clean, and presentable. Rotate your shoes, and store your unused pairs in a dry place where they can air out – this prevents mold growth and smells from developing.
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08/19/2026

How to Build Your Wardrobe: Part II – Men’s Clothing Specifics

Building Your Tie Collection

When you wear a necktie, you want it to compliment your outfit, not dominate the conversation. As for the number of ties in a man’s wardrobe, I recommend three neckties for every suit. Classic tie colors include blue, green, reds, and gold while classic patterns are striped, dot, plaid, club, foulard, and paisley – start with simple solids and stripes; when you move past a half dozen ties in your wardrobe you can start purchasing brighter and more complex patterned neckwear. Shortly, we will be sharing a great guide on how to match a tie with a shirt and suit. Stay tuned.
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