How to Update a College Male’s Wardrobe In One Day
A first-person adventure with Sweet Sauce.
Cargo khakis, high tops sneakers, hoodies, athletic t-shirts, more cargo pants—these are the items that comprise many a college male’s wardrobe. My younger brother is no exception. Zack was a high school football star and now a freshman at West Virginia University. He turned 19 in November and as a birthday gift, my dad gave him an allowance to update his wardrobe.
He is anxious to start working via internship or other sales job. He doesn’t need a full suit, yet, but certainly could use some fresh attention to his clothes collection. So I graciously volunteered to take him shopping! Twist my arm.
Ground zero.
This blog is all about self expression and I was so thrilled to help my brother begin to create his own brand. I wrote down guidelines to help you update your own wardrobe or help update the wardrobe of your son, brother, cousin, or friend for around $250.
- Ask yourself, “What TV/movie character or other celebrity do I admire?” What details do you notice when you think that man looks well dressed? Zack said he had been watching a lot of Mad Men. Skinny ties, fitted suits, and muted colors were all things he noticed and wanted to emulate. I was impressed!
- Survey your closet and make a list of items to search for. Most men can’t frolic in the mall like we ladies can. You need goals! I pinned a PERFECT guide to essential young male clothing items here. Not on Pinterest? Check it out here. Since Zack is just starting, I decided we would target this list:
Oxford button-down shirts
Ties
Nice sweaters
Well fitting, versatile pants
Leather belt
Shoes, if we found some that were really awesome
- Go to a mall with a lot of options for men’s clothing. We went to Leesburg Premium Outlets. We started out with Ralph Lauren . We walked around and I told him to show me what stood out to him. I pulled out a few items and asked for his thoughts. We didn’t pull any triggers there, but it was a good place to start. We eventually made it to Gap, J. Crew, Calvin Klein, and Nautica. Because there were so many stores, we never felt pressured to purchase anything because we knew there was another store around the corner that may have a more perfect item. I think we came out with more of what we wanted because of this. We crossed the most vital items off our list.
- Learn your fit, then buy multiples. After Ralph Lauren, we went to Gap. I had just done some damage there a few weeks back for myself, so I was hopeful. I pulled out some cream white sweaters, some green shirts, and buffalo plaid button downs. He didn’t like any of them! I found a grey and white checkered button down and he perked up. Alas, there were none in his size, but we did come across some dark gray dress pants right next to that shirt. What a great staple. We pulled a few sizes in his range. And success! He liked them so much, we went back looking for more. We got two pairs of pants for around $40 with the sales and my Banana Republic Card membership.
- Learn different ways to wear different items. I don’t think Zack knew you could wear a tie UNDER a sweater. He also didn’t want to have to worry about cuffing his sleeves perfectly when we layered his shirts to show the button-down pattern. I showed him a different way. We just rolled up the sweater sleeves once, kept the undershirt cuff buttoned, but pulled it out to show about a half inch of it. It keeps things crisp and its nowhere near the labor of rolling sleeves so they lay perfectly. I also introduced him to the reversible belt.
- Go when items are on sale. This way you can make decisions based on how well they fit rather than cost. We went the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Everything was already at least 50% off (and it was well stocked and organized for Black Friday). The greatest haul: We bought two ties, two shirts, and a sweater from J. Crew for around $160. Definitely not something you hear every day and he’ll use these items for a long time. Here is an article about the best times to shop for clothes.
J. Crew domination.
- Be confident! I added this bullet in at the last minute after talking with Zack on the phone a couple weeks later. He said that my letting him know when he looked really good made him follow through and purchase the items he really liked. Embrace yourself and be proud of the clothes you chose. OR bring someone along like me to keep your spirits up!
About $250 worth of swag. That Nautica belt is reversible! Perfect for beginners.
- Now what? Wear these clothes! Try all the possibilities with what you’ve got and then work on mixing them in with other items you already have. Those ties can be worn with other shirts, different sweaters will layer really nicely with those button-down shirts… you get the point.
Outcome: His Thanksgiving outfit! - Pay closer attention to what other men are wearing. Take notes for the Wardrobe Update 2.0.
- What to buy next: More layering sweaters, a good blazer to mix and match with jeans or dress pants, sleek and quality black and brown dress shoes, an everyday watch, a good pea coat, and a solid pair of shades.
