I have always respected the saying 'Money can't buy class', and being a guy with very little income myself, I have always lived by it.
In the quest for class, many men have gone out of the way to acquire some of the most expensive items (cars, mansions, hyper expensive designer clothes and shoes, even the latest technological gadgets). The sad truth is that this trick hasn't always worked.
After consulting with some of the people I believe are the most classy I know, and also by applying my own intuition, here's the list of the 11 'must have's' of every classy man at this point in time. The definition of class is constantly changing, so a few of these items may not feature on this list same time next year.
1. Cotton White shirt.
A white shirt always does the trick. It is mature, classy and stylish. It could be worn with jeans, troussers and even shorts. And above all, it presents a man neatly. It shows him as a man who can take care of himself.
2. Wrist Watch
A wrist watch is one of the most defining fashion accesories of the Twenty First Century. It doesn't have to be a Rolex, or Tissot like the one in the picture; not even a fossil. Even metal hands (which are more expensive) would do the trick. If someone asks you for the time, you don't need to take out you cellphone.
3. Espadrilles
These shoes are stylish, classy and comfortable. But most importantly, they're affordable. They are highly versatile too. They could be worn with jeans, troussers, shorts, suits... Bottom line, you need a pair.
4. Black Suit
Forget the funny colours of suits you see on the streets. Black is the new green. Only the mature can pull it off. You can then substitute the troussers for any colour, be it red, green, blue, ash or even shorts...why not jeans? The good thing about a black suit, it will go with a shirt of any colour.
5. Loafers
A solid pair of loafers never hurt. It would work best if they are black, brown or dark blue. However, there are other colours that work too.
PICTURE COURTESY OF globalblue.com
6. Plain white t-shirt
A plain white t-shirt is a must have for every man. Just like the plain white shirt, it distinguishes the wearer from the 'rest of the population'. It could be a v-neck t-shirt; but forme, I'd go for the round neck.
IMAGE COURTESY OF dailycal.org
7. Blue jeans
Every man must own at least a pair of blue jeans. They
could be light blue or dark blue, plain or ripped. Bottom line is, you
must own a pair. Jeans come in handy in casual accasions or outings
8. Dress shoes
Dress shoes are the ultimate symbol of maturity. You can't go to an important event in sneakers. They could either be black or brown. Some people prefer brown, but black would be more universal
PICTURE COURTESY OF menofcolours.blogspot.com
9. Tie
Ever been invited to an important event and you don't have a tie to wear? It's really frustrating. A tie should always be in every man's closet. My favorite pick would be a black tie because of it's versatile nature; but there are other great colours like dark blue and grey.
PICTURE COURTESY OF www.polyvore.com
10. White sneakers
A classy dude doesn't need a very flamboyant pair of sneakers in order to look good. Rather, most of them look childish. However, a pair of Jordans or Yeezy's never hurt
PICTURE COURTESY OF GQ
11. Khaki Troussers
Everybody (or anybody who's stylish) knows that khaki is one of the most universal colours for troussers. If you didn't know I'm telling you now. Try it on with shirts, t-shirts, pullovers...
PICTURE COURTESY OF opticsplanet.com
So there you have them, my pick for the 11 clothing items every classy man should have. Of course there are other things which are important, but these to me are the top 11.
If you disagree, let me have your perspective on the comments section.
