Men's Fashion: The Wardrobe (4)
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A suit is one such garment. Most suits will require special cleaning when they become soiled, and
wearing underwear provides a barrier to keep the suit from becoming soiled too quickly. The same goes for other types of pants as well.
T-shirts do the same for the upper body. As a rule a wardrobe should contain enough underwear to allow for a clean pair every day for a
week. There are many styles of underwear, so if white jockey-shorts aren't to your liking, there are other styles to choose from. With
t-shirts, which serve to protect against perspiration and upper body soil, choose short-sleeved crew or v-neck t-shirts which provide
protection to the torso and underarms as well.
Finally, there is the matter of socks. Most men think that standard white athletic socks are all you
need, but the type of sock needed depends on the shoe worn and the rest of your apparel as well. With a suit, or dress pants, you need a
thin dark sock to match the color of the suit/pants. For khakis, you can go with socks of medium-thickness, choosing colors that match
either the pants or the shoes you are wearing. White athletic socks should be reserved for wear with athletic shoes and boots, or as
needed for other activity-related footwear. They are therefore acceptable for wear with jeans.
Accessories:
The main accessory to be concerned with for our purpose here is the necktie. You'll want at least a
small assortment of ties to wear with your suit(s) or with a dress shirt and dress pants. There should be at least two ties of silk or
rayon in a color suitable for wear with your suit for finer occasions, a few should be of patterns and colors that compliment your dress
shirts/dress pants combinations, and you should have a couple of "casual ties" that are suitable for wear with a sport coat and khakis/jeans
for dressy casual looks.
The other basic men's accessories are items we'll cover in other articles.
Shoes:
And finally, the last items on our list are shoes. It's amazing the number of men who don't think of
shoes as part of the wardrobe. Shoes are just as important to completing a look as any other part of the wardrobe. The typical wardrobe
should have at least one pair of dress shoes - black patent-leather shoes with laces - for wear with your suit(s) and dress pants/shirts
combos. You also need casual shoes - loafers or lace-ups in brown leather or suede - for wear with khakis (and jeans when you want to
dress them up). Finally, you need at least one pair of sneakers or athletic shoes for casual wear with jeans.
If you desire, or if your lifestyle dictates (for example, you play a lot of sports where you need
athletic shoes) you may want to invest in multiple pairs of one or more styles of shoe. The important thing to remember is that you need
to avoid wearing the same pair of shoes for extended periods on a daily basis. Shoes, especially those with fabric linings and absorbent
insoles, soak up perspiration from the feet, which breed bacteria and result in foul odors and fungus. So, make sure you have enough shoes
to allow yours to 'dry out' after a day's wear. Changing your socks as frequently as possible also helps.
And there you have a basic list of clothing for your wardrobe. Other clothing items, such as those
appropriate to hobbies and activities (hiking and climbing, motorcycles, rodeos and horsemanship, etc.) should be treated as additions
to the wardrobe, instead of replacements for items already on the list.
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