Building a wardrobe can seem like a daunting task and unless you have a generous budget and copious amounts of knowledge it can take years. Acquiring pieces over time, you will eventually get to a point where you have the fundamentals covered.

But what if we could build a solid foundation in a fraction of that time.

Whether its golf or carpentry you can accomplish a task with a few foundational tools. Menswear is no different.  Think of it in terms of the 80/20 rule where 20 % of your efforts give you 80% of the results.

In this post we’ll look at the major categories and pick one fundamental piece. When taken as a whole these pieces will complement each other and build a foundation that will serve you well for years to come!

1.  The  Suit

If you spend any amount of time in the men’s style blogosphere then you’ve heard this one before : “If you own one suit then it needs to be Navy.”

This is for good reason. The navy suit can be worn in numerous scenarios: weddings, job interviews, hell even a funeral. Increasing its versatility is the fact that it can be worn with brown or black shoes.

2. Chinos

This is going to be a close one but gun to my head I would have to go with khaki. Make sure its slim, tailored and with minimal brake at the hem.

My logic behind khaki is that it pairs with a gray or navy sport coat better than navy chinos would.

One more thing. Don’t be this guy.

3. Dress Shirt

A crisp white shirt will go with everything:

• Suit or blazer
• Layered under a sweater in the fall
• Worn on its own casually
• A high low look with trousers and a denim jacket

4. Tie

A grenadine in charcoal. Can be worn with that Navy suit ( a gray or black suit as well).

5. Jeans

Go for a high quality pair of dark denim in a slim fit. When I say slim I mean tailored not male jeggings. Make sure it’s free of holes and giant horseshoes.

6. Dress Shoes

Having to pick just one dress shoe i’d have to go with a timeless cap toe oxford. It’s clean lines and sleek silhouette look dapper in any suited ensemble.

7. Blazer

Yup Navy. I could honestly be just as happy with gray/charcoal here but I’ll go with navy for that one simple reason again: versatility.

I would go for a wool piece since it’s easier to dress up. Cotton and linen are great as well but are considered more seasonal options and not as foundational as wool.

So what’s so great about it?:

• you can wear it with the khaki chinos or gray perhaps
• it looks awesome with dark denim and monk straps
• it will look great in fall with Chelsea and wingtip boots.

One thing thing you’ll learn about me is my unabashed bias towards all things Navy!

8. Sneakers

Everyone seems to be rocking minimal white sneakers these days so it may seem like a trend but I digress. White sneakers have always been around and have experienced a type of renaissance with brands like common projects leading the way. Here is a much more affordable option by beckett simonon.

So why these?

• They will look great with casual chinos, shorts, and denim
• Can be dressed up with a seasonal suit

Would you add anything to this list? Leave a comment below!