HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT STYLISH CLOSET FOR MEN
The more I’ve worked with men over the past decade, the more I’ve realized that a stylish closet is like an ecosystem.
Let’s use an example of an ecosystem most people know - a garden. Having a good-looking garden is nearly the same as having a good-looking closet.
A good garden doesn’t just develop overnight. There are some steps you take to cultivate something you can enjoy over time. The same is true of your closet.
Let’s walk through it and see if I can help you get closer to a wardrobe full of stuff you love that makes you look good. These are more or less the steps I take when working with my clients.
First, you need to pull the weeds. There is no point in planting new stuff if you first haven’t prepped the soil and pulled out the weeds in your garden.
In your closet, this is removing clothing that no longer serves you. This is much more important than most men realize. In talking with now over 5,000 men about their clothing personally, the number one thing I’ve heard is that most of the stuff in their closet are items they don’t like.
You need to get in the closet and get rid of those items. It’s hard, but if you’re not using them, what’s the point? If you haven’t worn something in a year, if it’s damaged or stained beyond repair, or doesn’t fit well, get rid of it.
Much like pulling the weeds in a garden, this will help you identify gaps and sparse areas where you’ll need to plant new items.
Second, you’ll need to plan out your ideal garden. Once you pull the weeds and prep the soil, we need to think about what we want the garden to ultimately look like.
You wouldn’t just randomly buy plants and hope for the best. Unfortunately, this is what most men do with clothing. They shoot to the store, haphazardly grab items and cross their fingers, hoping everything works. Upon returning home, they discover that nothing pairs together and that they’ve only bought another golf polo they’ll just never wear.
Stop and plan. For my clients, we have them go through a questionnaire and identify visual examples of what they want to look like, or clothing they like. This helps to provide some direction.
Now that you’ve pulled the weeds, you can look at the examples of how you want to dress and see where the gaps are. What items are you seeing that you don’t have? These are the things you shop for.
Third, you’ll need to plant the garden. Once you’ve pulled the weeds and know how you want things to look, you can get some plants to recreate your vision and start planting them.
Remember, you’re only shopping for what you need here. Start small, as your garden/closet will grow over time. What you’re looking for are some starter plants. - things you can’t kill.
In clothing, this usually means basics. A good-fitting pair of dark wash jeans, great plain white tees, leather sneakers, a great leather jacket, etc. These are things you can’t screw up (provided they fit well) and will play nicely with all your other items.
Once you have those items, sprinkle in more of the stuff you like, but only after you get those basics.
Fourth, now that you have the garden you want, you must maintain it. You can’t plant a garden and never water it. There’s some upkeep involved if you want things to continue to look good.
This means cleaning things properly, tailoring your items when you shrink or grow in size, doing repairs, and storing them correctly.
I see guys that treat their clothing terribly and think it’s the manufacturer's fault when their stuff deteriorates. Be a good gardener and stay on top of stuff.
Growing a garden is more demanding initially, but once you have it all figured out, it requires just a little to maintain it, and then you can enjoy it every time you walk outside.
The goal is to get you that way with your closet - a sort of style nirvana every time you walk into it. You want to reach a place where everything looks incredible, and you enjoy everything you own.
This is the place I work with clients to get to. And funny enough, I just walked you through our exact methodology of how I work with my guys.
We first identify what clothing items need to get donated or tailored and pull the weeds - and if you’re working with me in person, we actually tailor and donate your items for you, along with organizing the closet.
Then from there, we identify what we need to add to fill those gaps and do so with stuff that makes you look how you want.
Then, I source the highest quality items we can for you with whatever budget you have to fill those gaps.
Finally, we ensure everything fits well, do any needed tailoring, and teach you how to maintain the clothing over time.
You can learn more about working with me and see if you qualify to work one-on-one in-person here and online here - it’s the same process for both.
You need to view your closet as an ecosystem - one you’re in charge of cultivating.
Stop thinking your style will be solved by one or two cool outfits - it won’t. It will only improve if you change your approach and design your style and closet intentionally. Play the long game - it almost always gives you the best returns on investment.
