Brown Brogues
Let’s start at the ground and work our way up. The first basic item you need to always look stylish is a pair of brown brogues, like these from Allen Edmunds. Now, it doesn’t have to be this brand, but I would recommend something very similar. And I’d also recommend an oxford over a derby, or a blucher. If you need a refresher on the differences, an oxford has closed laces while the Derby has open laces. On a Derby, you can stick your fingers all the way through, while on the Oxford, it’s sewn closed. Because of that design difference, the derby is always going to be more casual than the oxford.
The broguing is just referring to all the little hole punches that create the design. Also, the more broguing the shoe has, the more casual it is. However, in my opinion, if you only have one pair of dress shoes, make it something like this. You can wear this shoe with jeans, chinos, dress trousers and even fully suited. It’s the one shoe that’s versatile enough to be worn in most situations you might find yourself in, from Business, to weddings, to brunch and dinner out and even the get together at the neighbor’s house down the street.
Dark Wash Denim
Okay, moving up a little bit to pants, and the first pair of pants you might need to always look stylish is a great fitting pair of dark wash denim. We talk about dark wash jeans a lot around here, and for good reason. I just made a video last week on basic wardrobe items, and I went over all the jeans I think you should have in a basic wardrobe. And of course, dark wash jeans were mentioned in that video. Non-distressed, plain, dark blue jeans that fit you well can carry you from day to night, in a lot of different scenarios, all while looking stylish.
And, like I mentioned in that video last week, this is also your pair of dress denim. When you want to dress it up a little bit and elevate yourself, but still wear jeans so you don’t come off too stuffy, this is the pair of jeans you’ll wear. And also, the brown shoes I talked about earlier, can absolutely be paired up with dark wash jeans, no problem.
Technical Apparel
I got a bunch more for you coming right up, but first, I wanna talk for just a second about Public Rec, today’s sponsor. If you’re not familiar, Public Rec makes technical leisure apparel for men, and they’re on a mission to make comfort look good. I own a bunch of their stuff myself, and wear it all the time, especially around the house when I’m working or hanging out. I don’t wanna wear ugly baggy sweats because I still might need to run out to the store really quick and I don’t want to look like a slob.
Public rec was the first to offer tailored sizing in technical apparel, and all the pants come in waist and inseam sizes to guarantee a better fit. These new Workday Pants are perfect for the casual office, home office, the golf course and travel. They come in 8 colors, they’re super stretchy and they even have beltloops for a more formal look. The Polo is made with odor-resistant, antimicrobial technology, but you’d never know it because it’s so soft and comfortable.
And their new water-repellent bomber jacket that’s made with eco-friendly Thinsulate has 4-way stretch, a hidden chest pocket, and keeps you warn without the bulk. If you wanna go check out these items and everything else they have, there’s a special link right here with a discount code; 40Fashion but that discount code is only good for a limited time, so don’t wait.
Gray & Navy Slacks
The next 2 basic items you need to always look stylish is a pair of gray and navy blue dress trousers or slacks. These need to be well fitting and not too long that they puddle on top of your shoes. Because, since you’ll be wearing those sexy-ass brogues we talked about, you want those suckers to be visible. Seriously though, navy and gray slacks take it to the next level. You don’t need chinos right now, you need some nice, man-pants.
Let’s face it, you’re not wearing jeans to a wedding, or to a business meeting, or to a upscale lunch or dinner party. Let those other guys wear cotton chinos, but you’re going as the guy that people view as stylish. That’s why you’re going in slacks. Gray and navy blue are the two most versatile colors you can own. And in my opinion, the only two you need to own. Think about this, you’re out on the town with your favorite squeeze and you want this to be a memorable night.
You want your date to look at you and be proud of you for putting in the effort to look good for them. This carries more weight than you might realize. Let the other ladies in the room be jealous that their man doesn’t look as good as you.
Light Blue Dress Shirt
Next we have a simple light blue dress shirt. I prefer light blue over white because I believe white can be sometimes over-played. I like the white shirt, don’t get me wrong, but everybody is wearing a white dress shirt. So in line with this video, to be viewed as someone who’s stylish, I might encourage you to go the other way and wear light blue. I mean, it’s not like you’re giving anything up by wearing blue, and in fact, you might be gaining style points.
Think about it, the light blue dress shirt against those gray slacks, or the navy slacks? Instant style points because the obvious choice is white. And why take the obvious choice? Blue still looks amazing and also consider wearing the shirt with your dark wash denim and those brown brogues. Instant home run my friend. Give it a shot and let me know how it goes.
Zip Sweater or Polo
There’s only a few left, but if you make it this far, please take just 1.5 seconds to hit the like button because it’s a massive help to me. Okay, coming in next is something a little unexpected with a zipper. Something like a zip sweater, quarter zip pullover or a zip polo. We’re all so used to buttons that when we see something like a polo shirt with a zipper, it’s different and noticeable. It’s no more or less casual and it makes a little statement without drawing too much attention to itself. It’s understated, but also different enough to make people see you as stylish because you’re doing something that they see all the time, but you’re doing it a little bit different.
Watch With a Metal Band
The next basic item that can make you always look stylish is a watch with a metal bracelet. We don’t even have to get into watch brands because I know a lot of you guys like your expensive watches, but Orient, Conquer, Vaer and Seiko. They’re all under $500 and they all look more expensive than that. I mean, this Orient was like $220 on Amazon but it looks like it should cost 3x that. And I believe that the metal bracelet has a lot to do with that. And I even think Conquer is doing a kickstarter pretty soon, so I’ll leave some links down below to everything I mention in this video, if you wanna go grab something for yourself.
I’ve even talked about this before, but the metal bracelet catches light and it’s noticeable from across the room. Even if it’s not a super fancy watch, it looks like it could be. And just the fact that you wear a watch like that, makes you stylish.
Sports Jacket
Coming on next is a sports jacket. Most guys aren’t wearing a sports jacket. But I’m telling you, if you wear one, even with jeans, you will always be stylish. Once again though, go with navy blue or gray because these are gonna be your most versatile colors. You can go with plain solid colors, or if you’re not afraid of pattern, go with something bolder. I mean, think about it and let’s put it all together…. Brown brogues, dark denim, the light blue dress shirt with the zip sweater over the top….the cool watch and the sport jacket to finish it all off…. You my friend will always be stylish.
* Items Mentioned In This Video:
Brown Oxfords – https://go.magik.ly/ml/1a3u7/
Dark Wash Jeans – https://www.revtownusa.com/pages/fashion-over40
Slacks – https://go.magik.ly/ml/1a3ua/
Blue Dress Shirt – https://go.magik.ly/ml/1a3uc/
Quarter Zip Sweater – https://go.magik.ly/ml/1a3ud/
Orient Watch – https://amzn.to/3l2bzWT Conquer Watches – https://instagram.com/conquerwatches.co?utm_medium=copy_link
Sport Jacket – https://suitsupply.com/en-us/men/jackets/navy-check-havana-jacket/C1618I.html
