Sick of closet clutter? It’s time to go minimalist with your wardrobe. I decided to cut down on the amount of clothes I own a few years ago and it was one of the best decisions I’ve made. Here, I’ve rounded up some examples of my favorite minimalist wardrobe essentials — the real staples of my wardrobe. Buy them for yourself or pick out similar options that suit your taste. Either way, if you use Ebates to define your minimalist style, you’ll get Cash Back while shopping for all the best products.
Basic Undershirts
Don’t waste your money on a five-pack of bargain-bin crew necks. Spend a little more on five to seven decent undershirts and they’ll last you a lot longer. Plus, they won’t make you feel like you’re wearing a shirt made of sandpaper like the cheapos will. You need at least three in white, and I like to have a few in different shades of gray to round out my collection. These shirts from Kohl’s are my current favorite — super soft and very affordable.
Men’s Sonoma Goods for Life Slim Supersoft Tee
from Kohl’s
Timeless Button-Downs
The key to buying button-down shirts is to stick with the classics. Funky prints come and go, but solids, checks and gingham have been (and will be) around for the long haul. Twillory makes some outstanding shirts and the fit is just right. I suggest buying five shirts to start off. Stick to solid blue or gray for at least three shirts, and use your last two picks on patterns and nontraditional colors like purple or green.
Non-Iron Blue Twill
from Twillory
Black Cap-Toe Shoes
If I had to pick one pair of dress shoes to wear indefinitely, I’d choose black cap-toes — particularly this pair from Cole Haan. Subtle and refined, the cap-toe shoe is a minimalist style staple. You want to pay more up front for a quality pair of shoes because you’ll be rotating between only these and your brown pair during the workweek. Because they are understated, they’ll pair well with just about anything in your closet.
Cole Haan Jay Grand Black Cap-Toe Oxfords
from Men’s Warehouse
Brown Wing-Tip Shoes
Your black cap-toe shoes will be pretty basic, so if you’re feeling the need for a little flash, you’re in luck. Meet the wing tip — your second go-to pair of minimalist shoes. The brogue detailing on the leather offers a little pop of style and will get you plenty of compliments anywhere you wear them. You don’t have to be a boring minimalist, right?
Joseph Abboud Barstow Brown Wing-Tip Lace-Up Dress Shoes
from Men’s Warehouse
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DIY Custom-Fit Jeans
When I explain Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit jeans to someone, I get some weird looks. In order to get the perfect fit, you need to soak them in your bathtub for a half hour or so, pat them down with a towel to get most of the water out and then wear them around the house until they’re dry. Sounds crazy, right? It may be, but you’ll think it’s less insane when you’re strutting around in jeans that fit you like a glove. You only need one or two pairs of jeans in your minimalist wardrobe, so make them count. I have a pair of these in gray and a pair of classic 501s in black, but you could easily make do with a single pair of 501s.
Levi’s 501 Shrink-to-Fit
from JC Penney
Carefully Selected Chinos
Skip the classic slacks and pick up chinos in a variety of dark or neutral tones. You should have a pair for every day of the workweek to round out your minimalist wardrobe, and you can wear them on the weekends as well since chinos look great both in and out of the office. This navy pair is a great start. Pick up two pairs in black, one pair in gray and one pair in khaki to complete your collection.
Selected Homme
Cotton Chinos
from Lord & Taylor
Two Versatile Belts
I was introduced to lever belts a few years ago, and I haven’t bought a traditional belt since. Lever belts don’t have holes and they let you make micro adjustments to the fit. For someone like me who is always between sizes, it’s a welcome change not to have to choose between too tight or too loose. They’re a minimalist wardrobe essential because you only need black and brown belts and two buckles. You cut the belts to size and clip the buckle onto the end, so you’re able to mix and match between different colors whenever you want.
Black Top Grain Leather Belts
from SlideBelts
