The whole idea and inspiration behind this video comes from my own experience with trying to streamline my own wardrobe. My closet has become somewhat confusing and crowded lately. Part of the issue is my weight seems to fluctuate by about 10 lbs or so up and down over the course of a few months. It’s mostly due to my busy schedule and my diet. I have items that fit great on both ends of the spectrum, but I get somewhat frustrated on a day to day basis picking items that don’t always fit the way I want.
I’m sort of on a personal mission lately to simplify my wardrobe and to clear the clutter of the items that I keep trying on, and keep putting back. It’s a “practice what you preach” situation because I’ve talked on several occasions about clearing out the clutter, and if you haven’t worn it in a year, donate it. So for me, dressing with intent means starting with items that fit, and picking items that are appropriate to what’s in store for that day. Seems obvious, I know, but let’s dive in a little deeper.
For me, suiting is a little easier than casual clothing because casual outfits can encompass all sorts of different pieces depending on who you are and where you live. But with suiting, your jacket and trousers go together so that part is a no-brainier. Once you select a suit, you just have to find a shirt, tie, shoes and maybe a few accessories like a pocket square or a watch. With more casual clothing, things get a little different.
For example, what’s your definition of casual? Your definition might be a lot different than mine or the next guys. Dressing with intent still applies because you should have some idea what your personal style is. For me on most days, it’s jeans, a button down shirt, and depending on the season, either boots or sneakers and a good-looking watch like MVMT. Whether or not you’re into watches, personally I think wearing a watch is a great way to show responsibility and respect because there’s a subliminal message that’s sent when you wear a watch. People assume you’re always on time because you actually care enough about time to wear a time piece. And don’t let anyone tell you what watch you should or shouldn’t be wearing. If you like it my friend, wear it.
I’ve talked about MVMT once before and how I like the fact that they’re not trying to be something they’re not. They’re not trying to be $1000 watches. They start at only $95 and top out at just a couple hundred. They have some very good-looking designs and they even have some new automatic options. I’ll leave a special link right here that gets you guys a discount on just about everything except the automatic models. I encourage you to go take a look at everything they have to choose from.
So, one thing I try to do is pick out what I want to wear the next day, the night before. This makes life a lot easier the next day. Also, chances are you’ll have more time the night before to be particular and intentional with what you’re putting together. Also, if you need to run an iron over something, you can do it the night before not the next day when you might be running late. Planning out your wardrobe also allows you to match your accessories to your outfit. Maybe you’re wearing brown boots. Just swap out your watch strap really quick and you’re good to go.
Speaking of boots, experiment with planning your outfit starting with your shoes and then select pieces from there to build your outfit. Alternatively, you can start with the shirt you want to wear and build from there. Maybe you want to wear dark colors that day, so start with a black shirt and build on that. A nice pair of black boots, some gray (or black) pants and dark accessories would look great together.
The whole practice and purpose here is to try to be more intentional and deliberate with the wardrobe items that you select. I mean, personally, I have to be intentional about what I wear when I make these videos. Like, did I wear the same shirt last week? I’ll sometimes have to go back and look through my videos to make sure I’m not repeating myself too often. The struggle is real.
If any of this resonates with you, I encourage you to give pre-planning a try. I also encourage you to hit the subscribe button if you like men’s lifestyle videos because I’m here twice a week on Sunday’s and Thursday’s. Also, if you like affordable, good-looking watches, go check out the link to MVMT and take a look at their new designs because they release new stuff all the time. I’ll see you guys in just a few days for a brand new video, but until then, be good to yourself.
Good advise again!! Keep up the good work!!