Capsule Wardrobe: Shirts
When building your wardrobe, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Let’s say that you already own a navy suit, a grey suit, a navy jacket and a grey pair of trousers. Now how can you make the most out of these three outfits? A good place to begin is to build a varied selection of shirts.
Ideally you want at least one for every working day of the week, and perhaps one for Saturday and Sunday too. Putting on a fresh ironed shirt in the morning, makes your day better. That is an objective and undisputable fact.
So, every working day plus Saturday and Sunday, that adds up to seven shirts. Let’s have a look at which ones make the most sense to begin with.
The Essentials
Solid White
The white shirt is number one. For some professions, a selection of white shirts might very well be the only colour you need in your weekly rotation. Go with a high thread count twill or poplin fabric, we like a medium spread cutaway collar.
Solid Blue
A crisp solid sky-blue shirt is the perfect backdrop for almost any tie. It plays the role of an anchor, holding all the different textures and colours of your outfit together.
Business Stripes
Bengal Stripe
Following the solid basics, the equal blue and white Bengal stripe is a natural next destination. Opt for light rather than dark blues, and this will prove handy with or without a tie. I find this particularly useful with the grey suit and a navy tie, or sans tie with two buttons open in the navy jacket and grey trousers combination.
Reverse Stripe
A reverse stripe is when the stripes are not equal like in a Bengal stripe, but rather with a base colour and thin contrasting stripes. I find the mid blue base with white stripes to be very useful and easy to wear, both with grey and navy suits.
Oxford, Casual and Denim
Oxford Button Down
Many offices have embraced the American idea of “Casual Friday”. However, this does not mean fringed jeans and band t-shirts. Using a white and navy stripe oxford button down collar shirt and brown suede shoes will go a long way. This will give the office look a slightly rounder and more casual edge, and still retain some professionalism.
Wide Stripe
A wider stripe is more fun, stick with the familiar white and blue combo, or go with some colour. This will keep you looking decent as you stroll through the city on a Saturday, and ready for a spontaneous cocktail with friends in the evening.
The Denim Shirt
A denim shirt has no place in the office however it is perfect for dinner with the parents. The denim fabric itself is very casual, but in combination with tailored trousers and a navy jacket it forms a great ensemble bridging the gap between formal and casual. This combination says that you are not at work, but you mean business.
