Building a stylish, versatile wardrobe starts with a solid foundation, and with shirts, you want to find simple, versatile options that are timeless and go with everything. Don’t be afraid to buy multiple colors of the same shirt to take out over-thinking about wardrobe. These are the five essentials shirts that every man should own!
Don’t forget to check out our shirt Fit Guides for more info.
1. White dress shirt
Simple, timeless and will go with everything. Every man should have a few crisp white dress shirts in his closet. Wear with everything from a suit to jeans.
2. Oxford
Another classic, make sure to get these in blue or white. Oxfords are the ultimate casual staple for jeans or chinos and can be easily dressed up for business casual with a blazer.
3. Black T-shirt
I love the versatility of a black t-shirt. It can be casual with jeans and sneakers or even dressed up with a blazer or suit.
4. Chambray shirt
This shirt has a cool, denim-like vibe and is perfect with chinos or as a more casual substitute for a dress shirt with a blazer and a tie.
5. Solid colored polos
Make sure you have a good rotation of solid-colored polos in basic colors like black, grey, navy, and white.
Bonus: Henley
A henley shirt is only recommended if you have a trim to medium build. If you’re a bigger or athletic guy it’s not the right shirt for you.
Since Fall is upon us, I wanted to do an update and supplement to my Men’s Fall & Winter Essentials series. So don’t think of this as a replacement for the series, think of it as a next-tier type of video and article. Enjoy!
1 & 2. Denim Jacket + Chino Pants
My first pick for the season is a denim jacket. It’s perfect for this time of year and works equally well during Springtime, too. Not only does it look good on every body type, but you can layer the heck out of them depending on how cool or warm the weather is. I recommend my go-to styling formula for denim jackets: wear with a t-shirt or crewneck sweater and a pair of chinos and boots.
My second choice are olive, tan and burgandy chino pants. Some of my favorite colors for the season are olive green, brown, and burgundy, which you can easily wear with your other casual jackets and sportcoats.
$70 – Levi’s trucker jacket – You can never go wrong with the brand’s iconic denim jacket. $225 – Rag & Bone slim fit chinos – I’m a huge fan of their chinos because they use a stiffer fabric that’s lays really nicely along the ankles and is super flattering on all shapes and sizes, especially if you’re a hefty fella.
3 & 4. Patterned Sweater & Boots
My third Fall Essential is a patterned sweater. Hopefully, you’ve already got the basic, plain sweaters, so now it’s time to add one that has a subtle pattern because it’s an easy way to add a visually interesting element to your outfits. Also, a pattern helps draw attention away from the torso which is especially beneficial if you’re a slim or husky guy.
My fourth Fall Essential is a pair of boots. You can go with leather or suede, dress or casual boots, but for me, I’m all about the taupe suede boots featured below. These are my hands-down favorite for the season because the color is the perfect dark brownish-grey so they can be used in place of brown or black boots.
$89 – Banana Republic wool birdseye sweater – I’m so impressed with not only the fit, but by the superior wool you can get for under $100. The brand sourced the wool from Zegna’s factory, which is always high quality and can easily set you back $600+. $178 – Banana Republic suede work boot
5. Chambray Shirt
My final pick for the season is a chambray shirt. It looks great on its own or layered underneath a cardigan or jacket. I recommend wearing yours with chinos or wool trousers.
I was doing a pull for a client when I randomly stumbled on this indigo blue chambray shirt and I had to share it with you. It’s not often that a simple shirt like this blows me away, but this one was something special. It was the perfect shade of indigo blue, the buttons where a similar color to the shirt, so they blended in nicely. And the fit was really darn good. If you don’t already have one (or a few) of these in your closet, get one – or many!
This shirt will definitely not be available for too long so be sure to order yours if you’ve been wanting a chambray shirt for awhile now because it’s so tough to find one this good.
Best Ways to Wear
Chambray shirts look great year round. You can wear it dressed up with a sportcoat, dress it down with a bomber jacket, or wear it on its own with the sleeves rolled up and paired with some chinos or grey or black jeans.
The casualness of a chambray combined with the sharpness of a sport coat is a guaranteed to turn heads in the office or at any wedding. Wear an indigo button-down chambray shirt, a grey wool sportcoat, blue chinos, and black oxford dress shoes. Spice things up with a lively pocket square and a simple plaque buckle belt.
$45 – 
