Canter Bridge

One of the best moments of Guy Relief happens when we realize we don’t need a separate get-up for every event or even for every kind of event.

They key here is to apply what we know about managing the rest of life efficiently to the building of a wardrobe. This means we’re going to need a uniform.

No, let me be more specific. You’re going to need a uniform. The first application of the sieve comes at the color line. You can pay for an assessment of the colors that go best on you, and this can be worthwhile. But women have an uncanny intuition for this sort of thing, so you can probably get reliable advice from someone you love or from someone who works with you. If you have any doubt about the lady’s taste, ask two. If they coincide, you’re golden.

Most women, by the way, find this a very affirming request and will respond with vigor and warmth.

You may discover that you really shine in earth colors. Or you may, like me, be at your best in navies, blacks, and grays. For the more adventurous, there’s a whole range of pastels and brighter, attention-grabbing colors as well. These can be just the thing, although one warning is in order: the more off the beaten path you go with colors, the faster they move in and out of style. For this reason, when establishing your basic uniform you may do well to walk a bit more cautiously when your horsepower tells you to bolt for the new color thang that this season’s got goin’.

The Average Professional Guy is going to want two suits and two blazers, plus an assortment of shirts, ties, and socks. We’ll talk about belts, shoes, and watches soon. You’re going to like what you hear.

If you watch for a sale, you can snag this inventory of basic uniforms stuff for three figures worth of ching-ching. Trust me, you’re going to be amazed at how much clothing you can get for a song at a reliable salesmeister like JCPenney or Macys.

Here’s an idea of what a guy who looks good in conventional darks could feel good about sauntering out to his car with: one navy blue suit, one charcoal suit, one blue blazer, one black blazer, two pairs of dress or business casual pants, four ties, and four shirts. That’s a lot of closet and, with the mix-and-match potential in there, that’s a good number of days when you’re not going to look like you wore the same kit you wore yesterday.

The key here is to keep the color range as narrow as you feel comfortable with. This is going to save you bucks and cut the time you spend staring into your closet trying to invent a color scheme.