JONATHAN NG
There’s an iconic scene in the Great Gatsby where the titular protagonist leads Daisy to his bedroom and flaunts his incredible wealth by showcasing his opulent wardrobe. Gatsby, elevated on a balcony, throws a copious amount of clothes over his bannister to his guest. Throughout, the viewer becomes aware or Gatsby’s enormous wardrobe – the character possesses a closet that would rival the inventory of the menswear section at any large-scale department store.
The Great Gatsby (2013) – Clothes Scene
Many men assume that to be stylish, they must have a comparable wardrobe to Gatsby’s. Friends who often compliment my sense of personal style often have often expressed a key assumption: that I must have an exorbitant amount of clothes and have spent an outrageous sum of money as a result. While I take their words as a compliment, I realize that a sartorial misconception runs rampant – that to dress well, you need two things: a lot of clothing, and a lot of money. I’d like to explain how this couldn’t be further from the truth. Quantity and price are not the determinants of a stylish man. There are many men who spend small fortunes on their closets full of ill-fitting and unflattering clothes. There are others, too, who may possess wardrobes that are vast, but simply not comprehensive. Like in cooking, however, less is often more in terms of your clothes. This, putting it simply, is the philosophy behind the interchangeable wardrobe.
The interchangeable wardrobe operates on a few key principles: buy what you need, love what you buy, and make sure all your garments match as much as possible. Most men’s closets do not follow this mantra – we all have items that only work within a select few outfits. Worse, still, are the pieces that we own that we can scarcely remember wearing. However, an interchangeable wardrobe attempts to rectify this. If our wardrobes are filled with pieces that work together in nearly all situations, putting together outfits will be much, much easier.
The key towards owning, and maintaining, an interchangeable wardrobe lies in the essentials. Focus on the fit and quality, as these items can be worn very often and will never go out of style. Garments such as white t-shirts, classic button downs, dark jeans, plain sweaters, and versatile footwear should make up the bulk of your wardrobe since these items can be dressed up and down. I’ve always believed that it is smart to invest in timeless investment pieces since they are a lot easier to mix-and-match than a bright logo sweater or statement sneakers. If you have an interchangeable wardrobe, you won’t have to worry if about matching clothing since your clothing will always match. While I would never endorse such an action, one should theoretically be able to approach their interchangeable wardrobe blindfolded and put together a flattering outfit, if all their clothes work together.
Dressing well can be daunting. It’s easy to get caught up in the misconception that you need a palatial wardrobe to dress well. However, when you’re adding to your wardrobe, carefully ask yourself how versatile a potential purchase might be. If the item will be hard to match with your other garments, it might be a good idea in the long run to put the item in mind back on the rack. However, if you carefully add to your wardrobe flexible pieces while removing clutter that you scarcely wear, you’ll be on your route to effortless style in no time.
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