9 Easy Ways to Level Up Your Wardrobe

Whether you started a new job, just entered the dating scene, or are merely trying to look better on a daily basis for personal reasons, you’re likely interested in leveling up your wardrobe. But what exactly does it mean to upgrade your wardrobe and what steps should you follow to accomplish this feat?

Easy Ways to Level Up Your Wardrobe

Leveling up or upgrading a wardrobe is all about improving the overall quality of the clothes and accessories you have to choose from and increasing the ease with which you can pull together a tasteful outfit for any occasion.

The two main goals here are quality and diversity, with a secondary goal of concision. You want every piece in your wardrobe to be excellent enough to be worth wearing, you want enough pieces that can give you a range of style options and serve every occasion, and you don’t want your wardrobe to be so packed that you can’t find what you’re looking for when you need it.

These are some of the best ways to accomplish these goals:

1. Get some reliable staples. A few nice suits, with neutral colors and/or simple patterns, can form the foundation of your formal attire. A handful of shirts with different materials and an assortment of trousers and chinos can get you through almost any smart casual or business casual event. And of course, you’ll need shoes of every conceivable level of formality as well. Securing these reliable staples should be your highest priority; once you have a neutral, quality outfit for every occasion, you can begin expanding outward.

2. Increase your budget (within reason). When shopping for new pieces to add to your wardrobe, consider increasing your budget, as you usually get what you pay for. Obviously, if money is tight, you shouldn’t go into a massive amount of debt to buy what are essentially luxury items. But there are some ways around this dilemma; shopping used and waiting for sales can help you score excellent pieces of the tire for less.

3. When in doubt, go with simple. If you’re not sure what to get or if you’re torn between a couple of different options, always go with the simpler option. For the most part, simplicity is the better choice. It’s less risky, it’s easier to match, and it’s less likely to draw controversy.

4. Learn and follow the color pyramid. The color pyramid is a construct of colors that you should generally follow within your wardrobe. At the foundation of the pyramid are core colors like white, black, gray, navy, tan, and olive. At the next level up are seasonal colors, lighter colors, and choices that are a bit harder to match. At the top are louder, bolder, and less conventional colors. Your wardrobe should generally follow this formula, with the greatest number of options toward the bottom.

5. Weed out what you don’t like. Building up a great wardrobe is also about tearing down your existing one. Find pieces that you don’t like or never wear, as well as ones that are wearing out or are no longer fitting you, and get rid of them. It will help narrow your scope and make it easier to select good outfits in the future.

6. Tailor what you love. Take the pieces you love and get them professionally tailored, if they don’t already fit you perfectly. Fit is arguably the most important component of fashion to master, so getting nearly any piece professionally tailored can instantly elevate it.

7. Get some tasteful accessories. Men’s accessories have always gotten less attention than women’s accessories, but this is a great space to show off your individual taste – and take your outfits to the next level. Tie clips, pocket squares, and watches may not be things that you usually wear, but consider experimenting with them to see how they fit you.

8. Take proper care of your clothes. If you want your wardrobe to last, you need to take proper care of your clothes. That means reading and following any cleaning and care instructions associated with them and learning about the strengths and weaknesses of different materials.

9. Experiment to find “your” style. Finally, be ready to experiment to find your unique style. You can start with simple staples and neutral, foundational colors, but eventually, you’ll want to branch out and figure out what makes you unique. The only reliable way to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t is to try – and that means you’ll probably be disappointed several times along the way. Keep iterating and improving; your effort will be worth it.

Bonus Tip: Pay Attention to Others

Here’s one bonus tip for you: start paying closer attention to other people. Look at people whose attire you love and try to figure out what makes them look so good. Watch people on social media and analyze their outfit choices. 

What takeaways can you gather? How can you match what they do or make it your own?

Upgrading a wardrobe can be intimidating, especially if you’re not used to making fashion choices or feel uncertain or insecure about your existing pieces. But with a little concentrated effort and a little bit of practice, you can eventually build a wardrobe that any man would be proud of.