If you read the previous post in this series “The Throw Away”, then you have already gone through your entire wardrobe and thrown away what you didn’t need following the process I outlined. You have also looked at all the remaining items and studied them, either with photos, pen and paper or in your head

Now it’s time to move into the second phase.

Mix and Match

I want you to go through all your remaining clothes and see what actually goes together. Let’s start with colors first. If you don’t wear too many colors (like most men) this will not be hard and may not even be necessary.

Look at what you currently have and see what your outfit possibilities are. Try to make 5 different outfits out of what you have. If you used any of the clothing items in more than one outfit, then this is a clue where the weakest part of your wardrobe lies.

The reason I wanted you to make 5 different outfits is because you want to be able to “recycle” what you wear every week so that you are not wearing the same thing every day and for laundry reasons as well. The ideal set of different outfits is 10 in my opinion. This way you can wear something different for 10 days and do laundry every 5 days, always leaving you with clean clothes!

(+ $250)

Now that you have thrown away unused clothes and picked out some outfits with the remaining, it’s time to put on the finishing touch on your new wardrobe. The reason this part requires money is simple, clothes cost money and you will always have to invest money into your wardrobe to keep it updated. $250 is a fair amount for a man to spend on his wardrobe in one day, but just think of it as a kick start to your new image. Your initial investment…

Take some of your hard earned money and get ready to shop, but before you go I want you to remember the 5 outfits that you are working with already and/or take pictures of them with you. Think about the weaker points of your wardrobe and what you need most.

Men can typically wear the same or similar jeans over and over without any problem so my guess is that you probably are going to take a bulk of this money and spend it on tops. If you don’t have any decent jeans, I suggest going to the GAP and buying 2 nice pairs of boot cut jeans to add to your current wardrobe. The jeans should run you about $50-$75…

Shirts and Tops

To start things off you want to pick up 3-4 new shirts/sweaters or some kind of top. I would say go to Marshalls or some other “Yesterdays Fashion” outlet and look through the clearance racks. I rarely buy things full price and I always visit the clearance section of every store I go to first. You should be able to find 3-4 or more nice things for around $75-$100.

Clothes Shopping is like Food Shopping

Remember while shopping at the store to keep your current wardrobe inventory in mind. If you are looking at a cool shirt, take a step back and think of how many other things you own and how this shirt can be meshed in with your current clothing arsenal. Don’t buy that crazy shirt because you will wear it once every 3 weeks and feel like a pimp; buy the nice button down shirt because is not so flashy and will blend well with your other outfits therefore allowing you to wear it 2-3 times over a 3 weeks period.

I like to compare clothes shopping to food shopping because when you go food-shopping you are always thinking of ways to maximize what you currently have in your fridge and cabinets. Same thing with clothes shopping except you are constantly looking for things that will add to and extend your existing wardrobe.

Shoes and Sneakers

With the reaming money I would like you to buy a new pair of sneakers or shoes, whatever fits your current lifestyle better. Stay away from the high end brands for now unless you can afford them of course. For sneakers, I would refer to this post about 3 types of men’s sneakers that are always in fashion.

Shoes are a different story.

Before buying a pair of shoes I would look through your closet for any old shoes you may have forgotten about. You might find a pair or two of decent leather shoes that you can just take to the shoe shop and get shined and fixed up. Shoes that are made well will last and if they fall apart can usually be fixed. So check out what you already have before spending a lot of money.

If you have to buy a new pair I would suggest trying on a lot of different kinds with a pair of jeans on to see which ones look and feel the best. Comfort is so important with shoes and I urge you to make sure they are comfortable or you will never end up wearing them. Take you time and pick out a nice pair of shoes that are not too flashy so that you can wear them with almost anything.

And always remember to keep in mind what you already have including what you buy during this process. Constantly be buying things that will fit in with what you already have. If you follow this method when buying clothes you will have more outfits than you can think of as time goes on.

There is a time and a place to add a “peacock” aspect to it and I will explain how in the final part of the series.

Stay tuned…