10 basic pieces for men

By Wendy Lee & Diana Roslam

 

Are you fresh from university and clueless on what to wear for work? Wendy Lee from Chapter One Asia shares with us 10 basic pieces a man should have in his wardrobe as he makes the transition from college/university to office.

For men:

1)Shirt

o White is a MUST.

o Subsequent shirts – go for anything that is light coloured.

o You may opt for striped shirts. Just make sure the stripes don’t make you look like a convict.

2)Ties

o Anything with cartoon motives and weird designs are a complete no-no.

o If anything that is less than 3 inches are meant for school, not office.

o If you are on a budget, buy ties and shirts that can be mixed and matched.

3)Pants

o Opt for colours like black, navy blue and dark grey for a start.

o Dare to be different? Checkered prints are okay, but keep them for casual wear on weekends.

4)Belts

o Black or dark brown is good. Make sure your buckle is not too big or has symbols and logos of Playboy Bunny.

5) Shoes (work & casual)

o Opt for Black or Dark Browns. Keep the designs simple.

o Get a pair of casual leather shoes.

o No sport shoes, safety boots, or flip flops. And Ugg Boots are ugly. Enough said.

6) Watch

o Get a dressy watch with metal or leather strap. To get that touch of style, match the material or colour of your watch together with other accessories. For example, silver metallic watch to match with silver belt buckle or silver coloured spectacle frame. The idea is to repeat the colour or material twice.

7) Casual Shirt

o Avoid polo Ts or and anything that says ‘The person beside me is an idiot’ and please, save the Hawaiian shirt as beach wear.

o A simple sweater-over-top is also a good combo for more relaxed Fridays.

8) A full suit

o Depending on the industry that you’re working in, you might need a smart working suit.

o Get tailored-cut suit as it will make you look more sleek and presentable.

9) Casual Pants

o Get a pair of Khaki chinos.

10) Jeans

o A few no-no’s: no ugly holes, no unwanted tears, no washed out colours, and not too long till the hem of the pants sweep the floor.

o Jeans must not hang so loose on your hips that you don’t even know where your behind is.

Now, isn’t that handy? Add more to your collection as you go along. Be adventurous, but do keep in mind the industry you’re working in.

Given time, you’ll find yourself getting better at what you should and what you shouldn’t be wearing for work.

Best of luck!

Photos are courtesy of nordstrom (dot) com.

This article is courtesy of
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