Style Savvy – An Outfit For Under £150
The male fashion world is a multi-billion pound industry covering every corner of the globe. Every day thousands of designers dress billions of men with budgets from the frugal to the phenomenal. Each of these men all share one aspect in common – to develop a style which looks good and works well as a unified outfit.
When you are on a budget ( as most of us are these days), you need clothes that look good, wear well and are versatile enough to cross over to other situations. With such an array of high street stores and sales these days, a low budget should not necessarily mean low quality. Its´s not difficult to understand that frail fabrics and second rate stitching will fall apart faster than their more ´luxurious´ counterparts – meaning you have to buy them all over again sooner. There is also a lot of merit in our parent’s tried and tested words of ´buy cheap, buy twice´.
Prudent advice is to save your hard earned cash for well manufactured wardrobe basics in muted colours and classic cuts that can complement each other when mixed and matched, meaning you will get more style for your money. With a core budget of £150, here are some of the key cloths to spend your money on;
4 Plain T-Shirts
If chosen correctly, the versatile t-shirt can work as part of a layered look or alone – you really don’t need many more options. By sticking to the classic colours such as black, navy, white and grey you will have a solid black canvas on which to develop your daily styles. Try to avoid the keenly priced multipack options that many of the high street sport shops are churning out these days as we know from experience after a few washes and wears that they fall apart at the seams. Some of the market leaders which offer a great combination of quality fabric with a good structure can be found from Uniqlo which are priced at £4.90 each bringing the total cost of these staples to £19.60.
2 Oxford Button-Down Shirts
One of the trump cards for a man’s wardrobe is the classic oxford shirt. They can be dressed up and down quickly according to the situation. The slim cut versions give you the most versatility especially when worn in a block colour that, when worn with a button down collar looks equally good over a t-shirt for the casual look or with a jacket and tie for a more formal / business looks. Try to avoid the more flimsy fabric options as these shirt look their best when presented in a thicker material. Uniqlo wins in the style stakes again with its heavier, more durable collection which are priced £19.90 each bringing the total cost to £39.80.
2 Pairs Of Neutral Chinos
From the days of James Dean and Revel Without A Cause, jeans have grown out of their careless anarchist phase, however this still doesn´t mean that they are suitable for every occasion. It stands true that denim costs a little more and is an excellent investment, but if you’re on a budget with an eye on style, then chinos are a winning choice due to their sheer versatility. Style guides tell us the best way to wear these are in a more relaxed fit, but also the slimmer tapered leg styles are ideal for both the office and the summertime socialising. The classic colourways such as navy and stone work well with other colours meaning by rotating these two, you can pretty much cover all eventualities on the dressing division. Swedish style superstars H&M offer several resilient numbers which will help you to look and feel cool in the summer months. They are available in-store priced £14.99 each bringing the total cost to £29.98.
A Lightweight Bomber Jacket
It’s been on everything from the runway to the radio; this season (yet again) the bomber jacket wins hands down as your one and only versatile summer option. Heralding the industries current love with all things military, this jacket is a great lesson in form follows function for its sheer practicality and visual relief making it perfect to wear anywhere. Zara are currently selling an ideal version which, thanks to its lightweight nylon structure which will fend off the summer showers whilst keeping you cool. The jacket is available in-store priced £29.99.
A Pair Of Black Plimsolls
One of the best wardrobe investments are a good pair of quality shoes and every attempt should be made to ensure these are your most conscientious choice. If you can´t afford a good pair then quite simply don´t bother buying anything less. Instead, opting for a minimal shaped and blocked colour pair of discreetly branded trainers will allow you some versatile affordable aesthetics. The trainer has come on strides from its off duty look thanks to the sport-luxe movement meaning that with them, anything goes. White trainers were prominent on the runways on London, Paris and Milan, but the equally classic black is a much safer option – meaning you won’t be rubbing them down every other day it rains. Topman offer a great pair which are available in-store and on-line and are keenly priced at £26 taking your entire wardrobe to the style savvy sum of £145.47. Who says you can’t look good on a budget!
