Minimalist Wardrobe for Men, A Casual Guide

I hate spending money.

As a result, I found myself frequenting Goodwill and the Salvation Army for a majority of my clothing throughout college and shortly after graduation. I once bought a pair of Wrangler jeans from WalMart for $12, but my wife later informed me that they made my “ass look like cardboard”.

I was forced to get rid of the jeans.

Since most of my clothing came second-hand, my shirts frayed faster than normal, and sometimes things didn’t fit quite right. But, I didn’t care, since spending money on clothes was literally the last thing I cared about.

I definitely didn’t look “great” either.

Ironically, I had a closet full of clothes, but there was nothing I got excited about when I had to choose an outfit for the day.  Rather, I felt dread and some slight embarrassment.

About a year ago, I saw a documentary on Netflix called “Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things”. One of the main guys speaks about how happy his life is with little to no possessions, particularly his wardrobe. I think he fits all of his clothing into a small suitcase, with something like one pair of jeans and a couple shirts? See their blog here.

Anyway, around this time, I read another article about Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg always wearing the same outfit to avoid decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is when decision quality deteriorates throughout the day as time progresses and the number of decisions adds up.

Decision fatigue is the reason people who interview earlier in the day may gain a competitive advantage over those who interview in the late afternoon. Also, according to a study out of Princeton University in 2010, judges who saw inmates earlier in the day granted parole roughly 70% of the time. In contrast, judges who saw inmates late in the day granted parole only about 10% of the time.

So, I decided that if a minimalist wardrobe would help to alleviate the slightest bit of decision fatigue and make me slightly more productive, then it would be worth a shot.

I made a list of the essentials needed for a minimalist wardrobe for men, and opened my closet. I threw out all of the clothes I didn’t like, which was almost all of them, and went to the local outlet mall in Kansas City to make my first wardrobe purchases.

A few things to keep in mind when purchasing items in a minimalist wardrobe for men:

1. Keep colors solid and neutral.

• Black
• Navy
• Gray
• White
• Khaki

2. Get quality clothes.

Since you will no longer have 5 pairs of jeans, 9 sweaters, 8 button up shirts, 4 pairs of shorts, 3 jackets, and 19 shirts, you will be wearing the same clothing more often. It pays to invest in quality clothes that will hold up to the extra wear and tear. I’m not saying that you need to spend $45 on a t-shirt, but don’t go out and spend $3 on the cheapest WalMart t-shirt you can find either.

I got a lot of my clothes from the Gap Outlet store for 50-60% off the normal retail price. I even got new Bonobos pants and shorts for $12 from a store called “half of half”. “Half of half” stores are mainly located in the Midwest, and there aren’t many of them, but most major metropolitan areas have a similar discount type store for clothing.

Also don’t forget about Amazon, Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshall’s for great deals on clothes.

For the love of God, never spend full price on ANYTHING in life, ESPECIALLY clothing.  Wait for a sale, get a coupon, anything to avoid paying full retail price.

3. Build your wardrobe around what you need.

Don’t need to wear a suit everyday for your job? Then you don’t need three suits.

On the contrary, if you do need to wear a suit everyday, then you won’t be able to get by wearing your chinos and a t-shirt.

Also consider climate. A wardrobe in the Florida Keys will probably differ from a wardrobe in Buffalo, NY.

So, personalize your wardrobe around what you need it for.

I am going to focus on a general, everyday, casual, minimalist wardrobe for men that will make you look nice and feel good for most situations.

So here goes!

The (Casual) Minimalist Wardrobe for Men

Outerwear

1.  One neutral jacket

2.  One neutral sweater (v-neck or regular)

3.  One navy blazer

The Button-Ups

4.  One light blue oxford (cooler climate) shirt or poplin (warmer climate) shirt

5.  One white oxford (cooler climate) shirt or poplin (warmer climate) shirt

6.  One patterned shirt

T-Shirts

7-14.  Eight neutral t-shirts (v-neck or regular)

Pants

15.  One pair of dark, stone-wash jeans

16.  One pair of khaki Chinos

Shorts

17.  One pair of gray or navy shorts

18.  One pair of khaki shorts

Shoes

19.  One pair of white casual sneakers

Edit: Check out 10 Best White Sneakers for Men, a Minimalist Wardrobe Staple for more white casual sneaker options.

20.  One pair of brown boots

The list doesn’t include suits and accessories (20 Best Watches Under 100 Dollars).  We will talk about that in a future blog post.  But, this list should be enough to get you through most casual to business casual situations.

I essentially have this exact wardrobe, and I’ll admit, I am so much happier in the morning when trying to find something to wear.  I don’t open my closet anymore and stare at the tattered, ill-fitted clothes I once had, stressing about the perfect outfit for martinis with the wife or beers with the guys.

Now, with the minimalist wardrobe for men, I don’t waste time thinking about colors and clothing types, because I know the combination will work no matter what.

I’m not claiming to be the next Zuckerberg, but I definitely buy into the gray shirt theory.

My decision fatigue is not wasted, and I like it.

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I do need to credit some other bloggers for their influence on this article.  Thank you:

• The Modest Man
• Chris Reining
• The Essential Man
• Taylor Lapeyre

Thanks for reading!

-Chris

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Enjoy reading about a minimalist wardrobe for men? Check out the 20 Best Watches Under 100 Dollars, where you can find quality watches at excellent prices to help spruce up a style.  Curious about your hair type and what products go best with it?  Check out A Complete Guide to Men’s Hair Products for everything you need to know about men’s hair products.