Order of a Gentleman: 10 Style Staples Every Gentleman Must Have In His Closet
June 26, 2019
Whether your starting a new look, re-organizing your own closet, trying out the minimalist life, entering a life path be it career, family, etc. or even if you’re going to travel but have very limited luggage weight, and you don’t know where to start as far as your clothes is concerned, I’m here to help. Here are the list of my 10 style staples every gentleman must have in his closet.
Every sensible gentleman should have atleast one pair of dress shoes, or leather shoes which one can use in formal events, the workplace, or if you just feel like dressing up on a great day.
My Favourite to Wear: Clarks Black Lambeth, I love it because it’s super comfy, super slick and it’s quite low maintenance unlike the others I’ve had before.
But my real favourite is my Versace Medusa Buckle Chocolate Brown Penny Loafers but I have yet to wear it, because I haven’t been to an event worthy of Versace, so it doesn’t really count, I just wanna low key brag about it cuz it’s my first Versace ever.
Where to Buy:
Low-end: Marikina Shoes are your best bet for cheap dress shoes (P500-1000)
Middle-Grade: Salvatore Man (P1000-2000) You can even wait for them to be on sale, I got a Salvatore Man Shoe for only P400 during 2017 Year End Sale and it’s still alive till this very day. Hush Puppies (P1,500-4,000) and Clark’s (P3,000-6,000)
High-End: Versace and LV (P 45,000 - 72,000)
NOTE: If you’re wondering where in the Philippines you can get high end branded stuff, Greenbelt has a minimal selection and sizes, most had to be ordered online.
White Rubber Shoes is a man’s version of a woman’s nude heels, it’s the most versatile pair of shoes you could possibly own and a quick fix to make your whole clothing look more polished. Not to mention it’s very comfortable. Just make sure to give it a wash after 3-5 times of use depending on how dirty it’s gotten, cuz nothing makes me cringe than rocking dirty white shoes.
My Favourite to Wear: My white running shoes doesn’t really have a brand per se, I’ve recently just gotten one from Lazada for P200 because I used to think that wearing white rubber shoes is just lazy styling, but now that I’ve come to my senses, I’d probably upgrade real soon.
Where to Buy:
Low-end: I have bought and loved white shoes online for only P200, however it’s not as comfy as it should be, and it’s good for like 5-7 wears max.
Middle-Grade: Brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma, Fila has a wide selection of mid-range shoes (P3,000-5,000)
High-End: Balenciaga (P30,000-42,000) Yeezy (P20,000-35,000)
You cannot go wrong with black pants, you can wear it on any outfit. When I was in college, I’ve had like 2 pairs of black pants from Uniqlo, and a bunch of v-necks and coverups. This hooked me up for a whole school year worth of clothing.
My Favourite to Wear: I am obsessed with my Uniqlo Stretch Slim Fit Black Pants. It’s super comfy and it hugs my legs just right (not to tight that it’ll look like jeggings but not too loose that I’ll look boxy) and I love the texture too.
Where to Buy:Low-end: Divisoria or Taytay Market or even your local market has great pants for only P150-300. The only downside is most of these places don’t carry sizes for plus size men, I believe 36 is the biggest and rarest size you can find there. For plus size men, there’s always the thrift stores.
SM Department Store’s Baleno is my no.1 go to for staple pieces, they have pants from P699-899
Middle-Grade: I love Uniqlo pants (P1,999-2,999), ADDICTED even. They are the most comfortable, and soft jeans I’ve ever worn. Levi’s is also great (P2,199-3,299)
High-End: I’m not a fan of high end brands when it comes to pants, cuz let’s face it Im married to Uniqlo pants. Plus, Levi’s the god of pants are quite attainable so why bother?
However if you are that person, Prada has a great selection (P35,000-45,000)
Denim Jeans are not as versatile as some men style enthusiast would claim. However it is a classic, by that I mean, it never goes out of style. From James Dean to Shawn Mendez, men have been rocking the denim jeans for DECADES, making it a staple for every man’s closet.
My Favourite to Wear: I only have one pair of denim jeans (I know, bite me) so I don’t really have a choice here but to go with my Penshoppe Slim Fit Light Denim Jeans which I got for P1,199
Where to Buy:Low-end: Divisoria or Taytay Market or even your local market has great denim for only P200-350. The only downside is most of these places don’t carry sizes for plus size men, I believe 36 is the biggest and rarest size you can find there. For plus size men, there’s always the thrift stores.
If you’re a Divi-Snub you can find some at any department store for P500-700
Middle-Grade: For me there are only 3 brands of pants that I actually like Uniqlo (P1,999-2,999) Levi’s (P2,199-3,299) and Zara (P3,295-4,595)
High-End: I’m not a fan of high end brands when it comes to pants, cuz let’s face Levi’s is pretty affordable and they are the god of Denim Jeans. However if you are that person, Calvin Klein has great denim jeans (P12,000-20,000)
Some may say it’s basic, and they are not wrong, but for men, plain t-shirts are the "go to" article of clothing for casual wear. May it be crew neck or V neck, a single plain t-shirt can give you, hundreds of clothing ensembles, that’s how versatile it is.
My Favourite to Wear: I am obsessed with my Baleno Black V Neck. I can seriously pull off anything with it, I can put a jacket on, I can wear it with jeans or shorts, etc. and Baleno has this super comfy material, and it’s affordable too.
Where to Buy:Low-end: Divisoria or Taytay Market or even your local market has a wide selection of plain t-shirts for only P50-150. The only downside is most of these places don’t carry sizes for plus size men, I believe XL is the biggest size you can find there, and almost always the label says “XL” but in reality it can only fit a Medium sized man.
Middle-Grade: I live for the Baleno Basics-SM Department Stores (P149-299)
High-End: LISTEN, if you’re paying more than P1,000 for a plain shirt, trust me, you’re getting robbed, no mater what fabric it is, you’re seriously spending more that what you’re getting, Uniqlo and Cotton On has great Shirts for P590-790. BUT IF YOU REALLY MUST, Calvin Klein has some for P1,499-2,999/ 2-3 pieces pack.
White long sleeves are more versatile than you think, even more versatile than plain shirts. Hold your “gasps” here’s why, White long sleeves can be worn for a formal as well as casual look, something a plain T Shirt cannot pull off. It all depends on the styling of it all. An open chest and rolled up sleeves can be a nice casual look, an open button and rolled up sleeves can be a perfect beach cover up, and a neatly worn long sleeves can be a perfect formal or semi-formal wear.
Where to Buy:Low-end: Here’s the thing, I don’t particularly recommend Divi-grade long sleeves (I’m not a snub, I just prefer quality long sleeves) So for the low-end choices, I recommend Main Street and Code Blue from SM Department Store can go as low as P249 to P599.
Middle-Grade: Uniqlo, Cotton On and Zara carries white long sleeves for P1,490 - P2,699. Onesimus has some for P899.75
High-End: Prada (P62,699)
Like White Long Sleeves, Pullovers sweater can be worn both casually and formally depending on the styling. Wear it as is with the sleeves scrunched up and it’s the perfect casual look. Wear it on top of a white long sleeves and you got yourself a semi-formal outfit. Wear it with a blazer on top and it becomes a polished formal look
Where to Buy:Low-end: In Divisoria you can find good quality pullover sweater for as low as P145. Baleno (P399-699) if you’re a Divi Snub.
It’s also worth mentioning that I got a blue and a black pullovers at Code Blue (SM Department Store) for P200 but that was on sale, Im not sure how much it actually costs.
Middle-Grade: Cotton On, Topman and Zara (P1,190 - P1,999)
High-End: Guess (P2,145 - 3,200) Ralph Lauren (P16,399 - 22,000)
EVERY GUY SHOULD HAVE ATLEAST ONE BLAZER OR SUIT. This is the piece of clothing most men would not give a second thought for, because, let’s face it, it's expensive, and we seldom wear them so why not just borrow? BUT you need to have one that’s tailored to your body type because nothing makes a man look more dapper and polished than a blazer/suit that fits (unless you’re lucky and have a friend or family member who has the exact same body type to whom you can borrow from) PLUS, A single set of suit can be worn multiple times without people noticing "repeat wears" specially if it’s black.
My Favourite to Wear: I have this Custom Onesimus Two Tone Suit, that was left at the back of the closet for a good 2 years because it didn’t fit me for some time (fatty problems) and now it fits me again and Im loving it. I also love this Main Street Emerald Green Blazer, that I luckily got on sale at SM Department Store for only P400
Where to Buy:Low-end: For once divisoria is not an option for low-end because Divi suits in today’s market can get pretty expensive and the quality is now top notch. SO, for the low-end I’d recommend thrift shopping.
Take note that if a suit costs above P300 at a thrift store, you're probably better off buying new ones from online stores
If thrift shopping is not your thing, check out the suit selection of SM Department Stores it can go as low as (P500 (on sale) to 3,000)
Middle-Grade: Onesimus (P3,799 - 4,999) Top Man (P5,299-9,495) Zara (P 2,295 - 5,995)
High-End: Prada (P 135,329 - 187,541) Versace (P 78,360 - 261,000)
….I will have an article on customised suits soon…
What can I say, belts just elevate your style 10x. Making you look more put together and expensive to look at. Just make sure leather's still in mint condition and well taken cared of.
My Favourite to Wear: Hickok Reversible Black/Chocolate Belt, Any sturdy belt that’s interchangeable is good for me, I've had this belt for nearly 5 years now (The one on the photo) wear it everyday and it still looks brand new.
Where to Buy:Low-end: DAISO (P188) It’s not a quality belt but it does the job. SM Accessories (P 199 - 249) . There are also plenty of no brand belts that does the job around P100 - 200 online
Middle-Grade: Beverly Hills Polo Club (P499 - 890) Topman (P679 - 829) Hickok (P799 - 1,799)
High-End: Gucci (P23,490 - 33,965) Louis Vuitton (P47,435.73 - 153,206.96)
A great watch is like a cherry on top. It’s the last and quite important article of clothing every man should have in his arsenal. It ties everything together and makes you look 10 times more polished and luxurious, even with a simple t-shirt and jeans combo.
My Favourite to Wear: Daniel Wellington Rose Gold Classic Sheffield, I love the versatility of leather watches, it’s not too formal, and not too casual, it’s the right amount of both which is why I wear them most of the time.
Where to Buy:I don’t particularly recommend buying cheap ones because it gets broken quickly. I did the math, if I buy a watch that’s bellow 500 and it gets broken, and I have to buy a new one, because cheap watches doesn’t particularly have “spare parts” available on the market, and I get another watch of the same level etc etc. It’s a cycle of cheap watches, you’ll end up spending more than if you buy a sturdy reliable brand. This is a lesson I learned back when I was in college.
Low-end: Economy Casio Watches (P645 - 2,000) , Tomato Time (P1,000 - 2,000)
Middle-Grade: Police (P2,990 - 14,878), Timex (P1,290 - 5,490), Police (P2,990 - 14,878), Casio Watches (P5,000 - 17,949), Daniel Wellington (P10,000 - 18,000)
High-End: Mont Blanc (P144,304 - 214,853), Rolex (P87,799 - 1,211,569)
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