Know your wardrobe

We’ve all experienced the (not as much of a) cliché of waiting around ages for our girl friends to get ready to go out. From choosing the look, to hair and makeup, we’re facing anything from 30 min to an hour of precious wasted time. However, as menswear becomes more and more intricate and men in general become more self conscious about their image, this old cliché is bound to work both ways. If you consider the amount of combinations for mixing and matching your garments and accessories, the possibilities are endless, which along with a thorough grooming routine may place your better half for quite the wait.

Remember those pics of dapper Italians cruising the streets in complex attires, making it look utterly effortless? The much praised sprezzatura? Don’t be fooled…I remember Scott Schuman addressing this subject and reminding us common mortals that “those men spend countless hours indoors making sure everything’s perfect before leaving the house, so once they do, they don’t have to worry about a thing for the rest of the day”. No impeccable look comes from randomly throwing some pieces on, hoping they’ll magically work perfect together (it may, if you have THE perfect wardrobe). Some thought has to be put into it. So, how about when you’re on a tight schedule and only have a few minutes at your disposal to look your best? How to pull it off then?

Simple: know your wardrobe. Surely you remind certain looks you loved or pieces that go well together; when pressed for time, these are your best allies. By knowing what you have in stock by heart, you’ll be able to make it work in a matter of minutes. No doubt this task is made much easier if you keep a few basic/essential garments in your closet: a navy blazer, oxford shirt, dark slim denim and brown wingtips will look good every single time. So, do yourself a favour and spend some time getting acquainted with your garments…it’s the only way you’ll end up looking as good as this: