3 Outfits Every Guy Needs

My articles and videos almost always center around a specific piece of clothing or accessory, so I thought it would be fun to switch it up and talk about 3 head-to-toe foundational outfits every guy needs. Once you have these 3 outfits, you can build an entire wardrobe around them. And here’s the beauty of them: from these 3 outfits, you can switch things in and out to add your own personal touch and truly make them your own.

Outfit 1

The first outfit is a casual one, comprised of a black polo shirt, a well-fitting pair of dark wash jeans and some white low top sneakers. This is a solid casual outfit that will always look great and put together on every man, regardless of your age or body type.

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$198 – John Varvatos Collection Hamptons Silk & Cotton Polo Shirt in black or charcoal (Best luxe polo shirt!)
$13 – H&M Polo Shirt Slim Fit in black (**THESE ARE THE BEST POLO SHIRTS!!!!)
$165 – J. Brand Tyler Taper Fit in slate resin (Love that the color, stitching, and hardware are similar color)
$55 – Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Stretch Jeans in dark hollow
$410 – Common Projects Achilles Leather Sneakers in white
$60 – Adidas Originals Stan Smith (colorway: white/white/fairway – Also available @ Footlocker)
$415 – Tom Ford ‘Snowdon’ Sunglasses
IWC Portugieser Automatic Watch

Outfit 2

I like to call this outfit ‘dressy casual’ because it transitions well from day to night. Throw on a leather or cotton black bomber jacket with a black t-shirt, dark wash jeans and black leather chukkas.

If you’re thin to average build, you can also wear a white t-shirt. However, if you’re a broader man that’s not in shape, and you decide to take off your jacket, then a white t-shirt will actually spotlight how big you are (and not in a good way). Also, the reason why you want to go with black chukkas is because black is the dominant color in your jacket. I went with leather chukka boots over suede and lace-up boots because the latter options won’t look appropriate for every season.

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$670 – All Saints Mower Leather Bomber Jacket in black (LOVE how minimal this jacket is – definitely a BIFL!)
$88 – Everlane Cotton Bomber in black
$60 – James Perse Clear Jersey Crew in black
$10 – H&M Crew-neck T-shirt in black
$170 – Diesel Buster 0607A Tapered Jeans (I’ve bought my fiance 3 pairs of these – they’re that good!)
$55 – Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Stretch Jeans in dark hollow
$175 – Johnston & Murphy Conard Cap Toe Chukka in black

Why a bomber over a blazer?

A bomber is a very stylish, modern alternative to a blazer that works in almost all the same occasions and looks great for every man, regardless if you’re a teenager all the way to a retiree. A younger gentlemen in high school or college, for instance, wouldn’t necessarily need a blazer, so that’s why I’m not recommending it over a blazer. If the occasion does call for a sport coat or blazer, in a pinch, you can use the jacket in my next recommendation and dress it up like I did in the picture below.

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Outfit 3

Lastly, my classic go-to formal outfit is a charcoal or navy suit with a white semi-spread collar dress shirt, black or charcoal tie, white pocket square, and oxford dress shoes. If you’re going with a charcoal suit, then pair with a black tie and black dress shoes. For a navy suit, pair with a charcoal tie, and dark brown dress shoes.

I love these two suits because it’s very easy to go formal by adding a tie or dress them down by forgoing a tie or swapping in a t-shirt instead of a collared shirt.

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$1395 – Burberry Modern Fit Wool Part Canvas Suit (charcoal)
$498 – Brooks Brothers Red Fleece Grey Suit
$115 – TopMan Grey Slim Fit Suit (alternative for warm climates: Topman Charcoal Linen Suit)
$280 – Allen Edmonds Carlyle Plain-Toe Oxfords (black or brown)
$120 – Aldo Bandolla Dress Shoe (black)
$19 – The Tie Bar Grenafaux Tie (My, hands down, favorite solid tie – go with black or charcoal)
$10 – The Tie Bar Solid White Cotton Pocket Square

POTW: Johnston & Murphy Burgundy Cap Toes

I was prepping for a fitting, and I came across these Johnston & Murphy burgundy cap toes that I thought you should know about. I’m not normally a fan of burgundy shoes because I often find the color to be difficult to wear and usually ends up being too much of a statement piece. But, these are different because the darker color is closer to a burgundy brown instead of the more reddish-oxblood color you often see with other “burgundy shoes” and that makes them much easier to wear. So, I had to make them my pick of the week!

 

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$155 – Johnston & Murphy Burgundy Conard Cap Toe 

Best Ways to Wear

The decorative broguing along with the brown soles adds a casual look to them making them easy to wear with your summer suits, like a green or navy cotton suit, or with some chinos or dark wash jeans. Blues, greens, and khaki go great with burgundy. If you’re ever unsure how to wear these, just know that whenever you wear brown dress shoes with a more casual outfit, you can easily wear these instead.

I also want to address the contrasting stitching. On more formal shoes it can be very distracting and pull the attention away from your outfit and really focus it on the shoes. But on a casual dress shoe, such as these, it works because you’re never going to be wearing them with a really formal outfit. So if you’re thinking about doing that, then please don’t.

Like I’ve said before, accessories are a great way to add some fun touches to your outfit and these shoes do exactly that.

BurgandyCapToeOutfits_AshleyWeston

 

Look 1

$40 – J. Crew Slub Cotton Deck-Striped T-Shirt
$68 – J. Crew Navy or Green Stretch Chino Pant in 770 Fit
$30 – Uniqlo Slim Fit Flat Front Chino in Navy

Look 2

$69 – Brooks Brothers Selvedge Oxford Sport Shirt
$70 – Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Stretch Jeans (in blue flame, dark hollow and stump town)
$228 – JBrand Tyler Fit in Blue Hood

Look 3

$358 – J. Crew Ludlow Suit Jacket in Italian Cotton Oxford
$188 – J. Crew Ludlow Suit Pant in Italian Cotton Oxford
Shirting – See my dress shirt article
Ties – See my ties article

POTW: What to Wear When Going To The Gym or Airport

I’ve been getting a lot of questions and emails from you about what to wear when going to the gym or airport so you’re still stylish, yet comfortable.

Thus, my POTW are John Elliott’s grey sweatpants because they’re the only item you need to add to your closet in order to create this sharp outfit below. You should already have three out of the four items if you’ve been following my Men’s Wardrobe Essentials Series for any length of time.

John Elliot Sweatpants POTW Ashley Weston

Here’s why this outfit is great:

Sweatpants

I love John Elliott’s clothes because he always does such a great job with creating high quality basics and these sweatpants are no exception. The construction and fabric choices are a cut above the rest, so if you’re able to swing it, I highly recommend these.

$190 – John Elliot Grey Escobar Lounge Pants (also in black)
$40 – Topman Grey Peached Skinny Joggers 

T-Shirt

You already should own a navy, black, and/or white t-shirt. These colors are perfect for the gym because they won’t show your sweat prominently like a grey tee will. Also, they look great with this outfit outside of the gym as well.

$80 – John Elliott Mercer T-Shirt
$30 – Armani Exchange Pima Crew

Jackets

Next, you should also already have a bomber jacket, whether it be navy or black, in your closet because as I’ve said before, bombers look great on every man, regardless of your age or body type. You can easily switch out the bomber for a zip-up hoodie if you want, but I wouldn’t change a single thing in this outfit.

$610 – Ami Navy Twill Bomber Jacket
$80 – Zara Technical Bomber Jacket 

Shoes

And finally, add some white tennis shoes or athletic sneakers from your closet to complete the look.

$120 – Nike Roshe Flyknit 
$75 – Adidas Stan Smith Sneakers

 

 

Lightweight Wool Spring and Summer Jacket

POW: Lightweight Wool and Cotton Jacket

Last Sunday I was getting a client ready for the Oscars, and a friend of his was wearing this incredible lightweight wool jacket that I knew I had to share with you. It’s been quite awhile since a jacket got me this excited.

There’s several reasons why I love this jacket for Spring and Summer, or year-round if you live in a warmer climate: lightweight wool and cotton fabric, incredible construction, texture and color, and its so damn stylish. Normally, I’m not a fan of pockets on the front of a jacket for all body types, as they can add bulk and throw off your proportions if you’re a thinner guy, but, as you’ll see in the video above, these pockets blended in so seamlessly that it isn’t an issue at all.

Wear it with a t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers or dress it up with a collared shirt, wool trousers, and dress shoes – it will go with most casual and dressy casual outfits. Yep, this jacket is that good.

Apolis Indigo Wool Chore Jacket

Jacket

I went into the store and had my friend Michael, who’s average height but a broad build, and Dorian, who’s 6’3″ and slim, try the jacket on and they both looked great in it. See the video above to see what I’m talking about. Also, Dorian ended up picking up the blazer version of the Chore jacket for himself.

$278 – Apolis Indigo Wool Chore Jacket

How To Wear It

Crewneck Sweater

$158 – J.Crew Lightweight Italian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater  (in Heather Dove)
$122 – Life After Denim Lacrosse Crew
$40 – TopMan Grey Ripple Textured Raglan Slim Fit Sweater

White T-Shirt

$60 – James Perse Short Sleeve Crewneck
$10 – TopMan White Slim Fit T-Shirt

Jeans

$228 – JBrand Tyler Taper Fit in Rasalas
$70 – Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Stretch Jeans (Blue Flame or Dark Hollow)

Sneakers

$509 – Common Projects Achilles Low Premium 
$65 – Converse Jack Purcell Classic Low Top (in White or Black)

 

Snorkel / Parka Jacket

Because of all the rain that’s been happening here in LA and the East Coast, I’ve been trying to find stylish yet practical jackets for some of my clients who are doing press right now along the soggy coasts. I found this awesome snokel jacket that fit the bill perfectly.

 

 

Snorkel Jacket POTW Ashley Weston

Jacket

I was so excited to find a lightweight snorkel jacket that fit the bill perfectly. A snorkel jacket is basically a parka. It’s a 3/4 length jacket hitting mid-thigh and has a drawstring hood that can tighten so your entire face is covered except a small breathing hole, hence the name snorkel. A lightweight jacket, like the one in the image, will also take you through Spring and is easy to layer under.

$788 – Todd Snyder Storm Parka in Beige
$298 – J. Crew Lightweight Snorkel Jacket
$150 – Zara Technical Parka

Shirt

In the image, the jacket is layered over a striped long sleeve shirt, but you can also wear a grey, navy, or burgundy sweatshirt or crewneck sweater.

$168 – Todd Snyder Italian Silk-Cotton Striped Sweater
$95 – Vince Striped Long Sleeve T-Shirt
$60 – J. Crew Striped Long Sleeve T-Shirt in Heavyweight Jersey
$35 – TopMan Selected Homme Navy and White Stripe Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Jeans

Not only does this outfit look great with some dark wash jeans, you can also wear a pair of chinos or wool trousers with it.

$228 – JBrand Tyler Taper Fit in Rasalas
$70 – Levi’s 511 Slim Fit Stretch Jeans (Blue Flame or Dark Hollow)
$40 – Uniqlo Stretch Selvedge Slim-Fit Jeans

Shoes

As for shoes, I’d go with a pair of boots or sneakers.

Spring/Summer Suede Jacket Outfit

I came across this image that I thought would be a perfect Spring & Summer men’s suede jacket outfit because it’s a great, casual everyday outfit that you can wear when you’re going out with friends or if you work in a casual work environment. It has the added benefit of being able to be dressed slightly up or down as well as layered depending on the weather.

 

Jacket

A suede jacket is perfect for Spring and Summer and will look great on every guy, regardless of age or body type. But if you’re not into suede, or like other styles, look no further than the Harrington jacket or a wool bomber jacket.

$1,455- A.P.C. Louis W Suede Bomber Jacket
$1,085 – Hackett Mayfair Suede Bomber Jacket
$160 – TopMan Faux Suede Formal Bomber Jacket

Shirts

The plaid shirt underneath the grey sweater can be switched out for your classic white or blue oxfords or other fun colors or patterns like navy and/or green plaid or gingham.

$188 – J. Crew Albiate 1830 Ludlow shirt in red plaid
$139 – Steve Alan Masters Shirt
$92 – Brooks Brothers Non-Iron Milano Fit Mini-Madras Sport Shirt
$85 – TopMan SELECTED HOMME Navy And Grey Check Button Down Shirt

Crewneck Sweaters

On warmer days, you can ditch the crewneck sweater and just wear a collared shirt.

$298 – Brooks Brothers Golden Fleece 3-D Knit Fine-Gauge Merino Wool Crewneck Sweater
$158 – J.Crew Lightweight Italian Cashmere Crewneck Sweater (in heather dove)
$40 – TopMan Grey Ripple Textured Raglan Slim Fit Sweater 

Chinos

As for chinos, Spring and Summer is when you pull these bad boys out or you can swap them for a pair of dark wash jeans as well.

Make sure, that you know how either your chino pants should fit or how your jeans should fit, based on your body type.

$75 – J.Crew Broken-In Chino in 484 Fit
$30 – Uniqlo Slim Fit Chinos
$30 – H&M Chinos Skinny Fit

Shoes

Lastly, the brown suede chukka boots in the image are great, but you can also swap them out for brown monkstraps or even white sneakers.

$225 – Vince Camuto Branx Two-Eye Chukka 
$175 – Johnston & Murphy Conard Cap Toe Chukka 
$75 – Aldo Granges Chukka

Chiwetel Ejiofor Style – The Martian

This article & video is part of the Celebrity Style Inspiration Series, where Antonio Centeno from RealMenRealStyle.com and I pick out great outfits from movies and tv shows and demonstrate how to recreate and incorporate them into your wardrobe. 
As Antonio and I discussed in our other video about Chiwetel Ejiofor’s outfits to emulate, I love how unexpected this one was because who would watch a space movie and think they’d have amazing outfits in it? I thought Chiwetel Ejiofor’s style in the film hit the perfect sweet spot between dressy and casual that’ll be great for any man, regardless of his age or body type. I also wanted to include this one, because I’ve gotten a lot of questions from readers and viewers about how to wear shades of the same color. So I felt this was the perfect opportunity to show how it works.

Here’s the full outfit I’m going to recreate. I wish the full length images were a little brighter, but these were the best shots I could find. Also, they never fully show his shoes, so I’m having to guess a little bit on this one.

Chiwetel Ejiofor The Martian Ashley Weston4 Chiwetel Ejiofor The Martian Ashley Weston5

The Cardigan & Shirt

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Chiwetel is wearing a blue knit shawl collar cardigan with an oxford button down dress shirt. I put my model in a sweater by Rag & Bone and a Brooks Brothers Oxford shirt since they’re just so damn good. Check the outfit details at the bottom of this page for images and links.

Now, as I said in the video, you can either go with a white or blue Oxford button down, like I have my model wearing or you can go with a semi-spread collar dress shirt, or if you wanted to dress it down, you can go with a white v-neck or crew neck t-shirt.

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Funny enough, I created a similar look for my t-shirt story.

Pants, Shoes & Accessories

As for the pants, here’s wearing olive chino pants – which are just fine. But I don’t think olive is such a universal color and it’ll be hard to put them into other outfits. Since I’m a huge fan of dark wash jeans, especially for creating a more monochromatic look like I did with my model, I went with those instead. I also did this because it allows me to use some of my favorite shoes ever. Please follow my chino pants fit guide or my jeans fit guide so they’ll look amazing on you, regardless of your body type.

Like I mentioned in the intro, his shoes are never shown with this outfit, but to me this was an easy choice to go with some beautiful brown chukka boots. Blues like this are begging for a nice rich brown leather shoe and accessories, so I had to go with them.

Check my outfit details below to see the chukkas and accessories I’d pair with this outfit.

My Version of this outfit

Here’s my slightly modified version of Chiwetel Ejiofor’s outfit from The Martian. I hope you enjoy it!

Chiwetel Ejiofor Martian Style Ashley Weston3 1Chiwetel Ejiofor Martian Style Ashley Weston2

 

Rag & Bone Avery Shawl Cardigan
Brooks Brothers Milano Fit Button-Down Collar Dress Shirt
Diesel Buster 0845G
Warby Parker Watts Glasses 
The Frye Company James Chukka Boot


Designer Options

 

Brooks Brothers Shawl Collar Cardigan
Dolce & Gabbana Shawl-Collar Virgin Wool Cardigan
Brooks Brothers Milano Fit Button-Down Collar Dress Shirt
Burberry Cotton Oxford Shirt
Diesel Buster 0845G
J Brand Tyler Slim Fit Stretch in Tumble
Oliver Peoples Feldman Glasses 
The Frye Company Phillip Chukka
Allen Edmonds Dundee 2.0 Suede Boots

 

Budget Friendly options

 

Club Monaco Shawl-Collar Elbow Patch Merino Sweater
J. Crew Cotton Cardigan Sweater
Uniqlo Easy Care Oxford Long Sleeve Shirt
J. Crew Vintage Oxford Shirt
J. Crew 484 Stretch Jean
Levi’s 511 Slim-Fit Stretch Jeans
Warby Parker Watts Glasses 
Johnston & Murphy Copeland Chukka
Johnston & Murphy Grayson Chukka

Outfit Inspiration For Dark Wash Denim

James Bond Casual Style

This article & video is part of the Celebrity Style Inspiration Series, where Antonio Centeno from RealMenRealStyle.com and I pick out great outfits from movies and tv shows and demonstrate how to recreate and incorporate them into your wardrobe. 
As Antonio and I discussed in our other video about James Bond outfits to emulate, I really love the casual outfits Daniel Craig wears, so I wanted to recreate this one from Quantum of Solace, because it’s clean, simple and looks amazing on every guy, regardless of his age or body type.

Unlike the other video, where I switched out some items for more practical options, this one is already very practical, aside from the shoes. But we’ll get into that in a moment.

Here’s the full outfit I’m going to recreate. Apologies for the blurriness, but they don’t show this outfit for very long and the full-length shot is focused on a woman in a bikini to the right of Bond.

JamesBondQuantomOfSolaceChinosCardiganOutfitAshleyWeston

The Cardigan & Shirt

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Daniel Craig is wearing a black shawl collar cardigan which is so warm and comfy. I certainly wouldn’t advise wearing this during summer time, but for any other time of year, there’s nothing better than a shawl collar cardigan. I put my model in one from Todd Snyder, but check the outfit details at the bottom of this page, because Todd Snyder no longer makes that cardigan, but I included a very worthy substitute.

Now, with the shirt, you can either go with an Oxford button down, like I have my model wearing below or you can go with a semi-spread collar dress shirt.  if you wanted to dress it down a bit more, you can go with a white v-neck t-shirt, like Daniel Craig also wore in Casino Royale.

JamesBondCasinoRoyalCardiganSweaterVNeckTShirtAshleyWeston

Pants, Shoes & Sunglasses

As for the pants, tan or sand colored chinos are perfect here. Just please make sure that they fit properly, otherwise it won’t look so great.

In the full length image at the top of the page, you’ll see bond is wearing brown suede chukka boots, which as I mentioned in the companion video to this one on Antonio’s Real Men Real Style channel, I’m not the biggest fan because they get gross and dirty quite quickly. So instead, I’d go for something like brown oxford dress shoes. That way, you’ll keep the same general profile as the original outfit and you hopefully already have these in your closet, so it’s a perfect way to incorporate them into a more casual outfit. I find a lot of men have a problem with mixing their dress shoes into more casual outfits and this is a perfect example of when it’s appropriate to add them in.

The final piece of the puzzle is the sunglasses. Daniel Craig is wearing aviators by Tom Ford in the film, but whether you should be wearing those or another style is dependent on your face shape. Since my model has a more oval face shape, I went with squared Tom Ford wayfarer-style sunglasses instead.

My Version of this outfit

I also wanted to mix a more budget-friendly piece, like the chino pants, with less budget-friendly items, because for some reason, a lot of men think that if they’re wearing an expensive item, everything else has to be equally expensive or it just won’t look right. Well, hopefully you see that this couldn’t be further from the truth.

James-Bond-Cardigan-Quantum-of-Solace-Ashley-Weston

Rag & Bone Avery Shawl Cardigan
Brooks Brothers Red Fleece White Solid Oxford Sport Shirt
Uniqlo Mens Flat Front Slim-Fit Chino Pants
Tom Ford Black Snowdon Sunglasses
Salvatore Ferragamo Remigio Cap Toe

Designer Options

 

Brooks Brothers Shawl Collar Cardigan
Dolce & Gabbana Shawl-Collar Virgin Wool Cardigan
Brunello Cucinelli Slim-Fit Button-Down Collar Cotton Oxford Shirt
Burberry Check Detail Cotton Oxford Shirt
J Brand Brooks Slim Trouser
Burberry Slim Fit Cotton Chino
Allen Edmonds Park Ave Cap-Toe Oxfords
Christian Louboutin Greggo Balmorals
Tom Ford William Silver sunglasses

Budget Friendly options

 

Club Monaco Shawl-Collar Elbow Patch Merino Sweater
J. Crew Cotton Cardigan Sweater
Topman White Oxford Long Sleeve
J. Crew Slim Thomas Mason for J. Crew
Uniqlo Mens Flat Front Slim-Fit Chino Pants
J. Crew Broken-in Chino 770 Fit
Johnston & Murphy Melton Cap Toe
Aldo Anniex Cap Toes
Ray Ban Aviator Classic

Outfit Inspiration For Cardigans & Chinos