Upgrading Your Everyday Essentials
The world’s best wardrobes aren’t made up of one-off, show-stopping pieces.
Building a practical and versatile wardrobe that transcends time and trends starts with setting a strong foundation — those everyday essential items that provide balance and structure to every amazing outfit.
These essential items are the pillars of every well-dressed man’s wardrobe and for that reason we find ourselves reaching for them on a daily basis. That’s why we’ve decided it’s time to do justice to those everyday essentials and highlight a few of the pieces we just couldn’t imagine living without.
**The Perfect Tee
**It’s been said time and again that no man can have too many T-Shirts, and we tend to agree. However, considering the wide variety of sizes, styles, and fabrics used to make T-Shirts these days, it’s become even more important to find one or two that speak to you and stock up on them.
Once you’ve found your ideal fit, a tee presents endless outfit possibilities whether they’re worn on their own or layered under another statement piece.
The leather jacket, for example — no mean-muggin’ Moto Jacket would look quite as clean without a form-fitting T-Shirt serving as the ideal canvas underneath. No Steve McQueen-approved chunky cardigan would look quite as cool without a crisp white T-Shirt below. A well-cut sports jacket worn over top T-Shirts works too, with a particularly cool high-low contrast.
Whether you’re more of a crewneck or a V-neck kinda guy, look for something simple and sturdy in a nice cotton or cotton blend. We’re particularly partial to these from PATRICK ASSARAF, Eton, Sol Angeles, Parajumpers, and Officine Générale.
**The Essential Knit
**No matter the time of year, sweaters and knitwear present perennial opportunities to enhance an outfit. Yes, even at the height of summer, knitted polos and crewnecks made from more lightweight, open-weave wools and soft cottons are both elegant and ethereal.
Knitwear really proves its worth in the cooler months. Whether they’re cashmere, merino wool, or even cotton, the right sweater can help you through the coldest of days in the Great White North (or wherever else you might find yourself), which is exactly why we consider them essential.
When choosing knitwear for yourself, the value of purchasing quality pieces can’t be overstated. We strongly suggest gravitating to quality, long-lasting fabrics like cashmere and high-quality wool. These knits from Eleventy, PATRICK ASSARAF, Windsor, and BOSS are great examples:
**The Versatile Cotton Chino
**Even if you’ve become comfortably acclimatized to the WFH lifestyle and can get away with wearing your finest loungewear (on your lower half, at least) for most of the workday, there’s no getting around the necessity of owning a versatile pair of pants.
Cotton chino pants have been around forever — and for plenty of reasons too. No matter if you dress them up or dress them down, a pair or two of cotton chinos will always be there for you whatever the occasion. Whether that means getting you through the 9-5 or helping you look more polished during your favourite post-work pastimes, the cotton chino pant is up for the job.
No matter what your lifestyle is like, owning a pair of cotton chinos is essential for every man. Here are a few slim-fit options in a variety of versatile colours that’ll go with everything you’ve already got from brands including BOSS, Brunello Cucinelli, Eleventy, and Mason’s:
**The Reliable Denim
**When the occasion doesn’t necessarily call for something more formal, jeans are our next favourite choice. Perhaps the most practical style of pants you’ll ever own, a perfectly cut pair of straight-fit blue jeans will be there for you through thick and thin — and sometimes even after you’ve worn holes through them.
No matter if you’re just nipping out for a morning espresso and croissant on the weekend or heading out to see your favourite band perform live, your pair of old-reliable blue jeans will always stand up to the task.
When it comes to jeans, we prefer to bypass more ephemeral trends and stick to the tried-and-true straight cut, mid-wash blues. If you’re looking for jeans that will always look good no matter where (or when) you wear them, you can rely on these from 34 Heritage, 7 For All Mankind, Diesel, and Jude Denim:
**The No-Nonsense Underwear
**In our opinion, underwear isn’t talked about enough in mainstream menswear. Everyone’s got to wear them, but because they’re out of sight, they’re also usually out of mind. That said, buying your next pair of undies is always worth putting some thought into.
Generally speaking, we tend to reach for brands that have earned a reputation for producing hard-wearing yet ultra-soft underwear. Hard-wearing because they’re bound to get a lot of use — they’re about as close to defining the term ‘essential’ as you can get — but for obvious reasons, comfort and softness is also a big priority.
Around here, we find the boxer brief style offers the best of both worlds between the traditional bunchy boxer shorts and the old-school Y-front brief, which hasn’t quite been ‘in style’ for a while now. Don’t feel the need to look any further than these shining examples of the boxer brief from SAXX, Tom Ford, Emporio Armani, and Paul Smith:
**The Slick Sneakers
**Depending on your occupation, sneakers might already be your day-to-day go-to's when it comes to what you wear on your feet. Whether or not that’s the case, sneakers usually see a lot of life thrown at them, which is why we believe only the most robustly constructed ones are actually worth investing in.
Plus, sneakers are very versatile too. A pair of simple, neutral-coloured sneakers is unmatched when it comes to paring down more daring looks, though the right pair can also elevate more casual outfits as well. No matter if you’re wearing them with jeans or chinos (or maybe even a suit), a slick pair of sneakers is always a great way to cap off an outfit.
Whatever you’re wearing or wherever you’re walking, these seemingly simple sneakers are nothing short of stylish. Check out interpretations of the classic sneaker by Tom Ford, Paul Smith, Good Man Brand, To Boot New York, and Giorgio Armani ahead of your next haul:
**The Battle-Ready Boots
**If you, like us, are firmly based in the northern hemisphere, then you’ll know full well that sneakers just aren’t equipped for year-round wear — no matter how well they’re made. When changing seasons call for warmer footwear, there are no better alternatives than the lace-up leather boot.
While boots come in a wide range of different varieties for different applications (dress boots for formalwear and winter boots for inclement weather), if you could only list one as an everyday essential, it would have to be a sleek and stylish premium leather lace-up.
As far as finding the perfect pair goes, we’re never short of suggestions. Going forward, feel confident about what you wear on your feet with these lovely lace-ups by brands including Doucal’s, Church’s, Henderson, and, of course, our own Harry Rosen private label: