From free to inexpensive finds, these methods, instruments, and picks will make higher model extra easy.
Particular because of Slick Collar for supporting Primer’s mission and sponsoring this text.
Dressing higher is not nearly shopping for totally different garments or studying esoteric style guidelines—it is about reworking the way you strategy getting dressed.
The purpose is to create a system that makes the act of dressing clean, gratifying, and sustainable, even on the hardest days.
model system reduces friction in your day-to-day routine, creating a greater relationship with what you already personal and making it straightforward to place collectively outfits that work. Under are numerous straightforward methods, instruments, and picks which have made my very own system infinitely simpler.
A Nice Option to Consumption and Set up Inspiration
Free – $10
Any good designer, filmmaker, photographer, architect, or inside designer is aware of the significance of cataloging inspiration. No nice artist works from reminiscence or begins from scratch with each mission.
Placing outfits collectively and honing your model is simply as a lot of a visible and inventive endeavor as any of these inventive fields. In case you’re nonetheless determining your private model, why pressure your self to face in entrance of a closet, staring blankly and making an attempt to determine what to put on?
You want a technique to save clothes, model, and outfit concepts as you come throughout them. Whether or not it’s on Primer, whereas searching a retailer’s web site, strolling via the mall, or scrolling on social media, having a system to seize and manage inspiration is invaluable.
The way you do that comes down to non-public choice:
- Create a Pinterest board.
- Take screenshots in your cellphone and save them into an album.
- Use instruments like Notion or Evernote for a extra elaborate system.
There’s no mistaken technique to do it, but it surely’s important to do one thing. You’ll be shocked how typically you neglect about an outfit concept. Months later, you’ll scroll via your saved inspiration and rediscover a glance you may recreate.
It saves time, reduces stress, and makes getting dressed for occasions or day by day life considerably simpler. I can’t emphasize it sufficient.
A Movable Shoe Rack to Be Close to Your Clothes
$25+
Having my footwear clearly seen whereas I select my garments is extremely essential. Constructing an outfit is not a linear course of; it is about experimenting, holding objects subsequent to one another, and seeing how they align for the event and look on you.
An outfit is a cohesive look; having all objects seen helps create that cohesion, reasonably than simply seeing them as separate items. All of it works collectively to grow to be one thing extra. As an illustration, suede loafers change the texture of a shirt and denims in a different way than white sneakers do.
Once I can see my footwear alongside my clothes, I typically choose footwear I would not have chosen if I had already selected the highest and bottoms first. Having the ability to audition totally different pairs whereas placing collectively an outfit makes a giant distinction.
Slick Collar
Equipment with 3 collar sizes + shirt stays, $23 save additional 15% with SLICKPRIMER
A structured collar could make all of the distinction between wanting sharp and searching sloppy. That is true whether or not you are shopping for shirts on the inexpensive finish of the spectrum or investing in costlier items.
With button-up shirts that lack construction, the collar typically flops over, making your look really feel unkempt. That is particularly a problem for sensible informal appears the place even informal items needs to be as refined as doable.
Enter the Slick Collar: a easy invention that instantly proves its value. Reasonably priced, efficient, and completely designed for its function, the Slick Collar is basically the collar+placket equal of collar stays. It offers construction not solely to the collar suggestions but in addition to the entrance button placket, holding them in place and stopping them from collapsing or folding below the material’s weight.
This retains the collar upright, making certain it would not slide open as a result of material’s weight. Created by a small enterprise out of Canada, the Slick Collar is adjustable for various neck and shirt sizes, with every order together with three collar lengths. This versatility means it really works for every little thing—from knit polos and golf shirts to extra formal gown shirts.
Better of all, you may simply transfer them between shirts, that means no alterations are wanted.
At round $20 for 3 with the code, the Slick Collar is a small funding that delivers large returns throughout almost all your collared shirts. It’s a strong, dependable software, and after you have it, you are set. Simple purchase.
Primer readers can save 15% with code SLICKPRIMER.
An Apple Watch Strap That Helps Steadiness the Tech-y and Athletic Nature
$10+
In social media style bubbles, there is a little bit of a pretentious, nearly Luddite view on smartwatches—that they will’t be trendy. Certain, they lack the heritage of a dive watch or the magnificence of a gold gown watch, however that mindset ignores the fact of dwelling in 2024.
For a lot of, smartwatches are important—whether or not for life-style, work, or tasks. Personally, my Apple Watch helps me keep targeted with out the distraction of my cellphone. I nonetheless get texts and calls however keep away from time-killer apps, which makes it vital for me.
I put on it typically at residence with the default strap but it surely’s robust to put on in a extra sensible informal, night look. Fortunately, Apple Watch bands are straightforward to swap because of their sliding mechanism. A leather-based or metallic band, which you will discover affordably in off manufacturers, and may be swapped in throughout the occasions the common strap would not work, makes all of the distinction.
Designate an Outfit Workstation
Probably the most stress-reducing modifications I’ve made is organising a devoted “workstation” close to the place I grasp my outfits. Having all instruments in a single place makes it a lot simpler to get every little thing prepared effectively, particularly when working late. It’s a small shelf the place I hold my steamer (with plug entry), a clothes brush, and some other instruments I would want.
It’s a form of “workbench” to your garments, the place you progress objects from closet storage into the staging space, and have all of the instruments you have to get them wanting their greatest.
A Place to Cling Outfits
This may appear easy, however it’ll change the way you strategy your clothes and elegance.
Selecting out your outfit the night time earlier than drastically reduces morning stress—particularly in the event you’re not a morning particular person and really feel half asleep or foggy. It is a whole recreation changer to only get up and know precisely what you are carrying.
For me, I hung a hook in my closet to stage my outfit for the subsequent day. It retains every little thing neat and separate, appearing as a staging space whereas assembling totally different combos. As a substitute of making an attempt to image a mixed look in my head, I pull out key items and grasp them, making an attempt totally different combos till I discover the proper match.
A Clothes Brush As a substitute of a Lint Curler
$15+
Earlier than the sticky paper-based lint rollers you are accustomed to, individuals used particular clothes brushes to wipe away mud and hair. Originating within the nineteenth century, clothes brushes have been important clothes care instruments for males who wore fits recurrently. Since fits cannot be washed simply, it was essential to have a brushing routine.
I’ve lived with canines that shed for 15 years and the sticky lint curler has all the time felt annoying and wasteful to make use of simply as a result of sheer quantity of peeling and rolling I might must do every time. Lately, I lastly picked up some clothes brushes. They arrive in several coarseness and stiffness ranges, with softer brushes designed for extra delicate clothes manufactured from cashmere, for instance, and stiffer ones to deal with denim extra instantly.
Whereas they are not excellent, and typically require a number of passes to lastly get that one piece of hair, it’s much less annoying to make use of. Clothes brushes may be discovered beginning round $15 and you’ll improve to the gentleman commonplace, English-made model Kent which begin round $40. The double-sided Kent CC20 which is usually mentioned as a go-to as a consequence of versatility eeks handed the article finances and is round $60.
A Clothes Steamer
$15+
I do not understand how that is doable, however for me, ironing appears so as to add wrinkles reasonably than take away them. Plus, my normal schedule for preparing is all the time tighter than I’d like, so I’m typically speeding when it’s time to dress. The very last thing I would like is to plan on carrying one thing, solely to search out it is too wrinkled and really feel like I don’t have the time to cope with it.
That is the place a steamer saves the day.
I have two steamers: a budget-friendly mannequin round $20 I’ve had for years and a bigger Conair mannequin. Each work effectively—simply run the steam over the material, and most wrinkles disappear simply.
Truthfully, I’d be in a tricky spot with no clothes steamer. It’s a type of instruments that makes preparing a lot less complicated, and I am unable to suggest it sufficient.
The Plain Ball Cap
James Clear, the writer of Atomic Habits, has famously stated, “You don’t rise to the extent of your objectives. You fail on the degree of your techniques.” In case you are an individual making an attempt to decorate deliberately in your life—particularly if it is a newer endeavor for you or doesn’t come naturally—you may’t count on your pure habits and routines to brute pressure extra conscientious model 100% of the time.
It’s simply not going to occur. There are going to be days the place you don’t wash your hair. There are going to be days the place you’ve received to toss something on and nonetheless need to look good however don’t have time to do the entire thing.
For these days, a plain black baseball cap has been superb. There’s nothing mistaken with carrying a cool hat with the precise sports activities workforce brand or some kind of classic design. Nevertheless it does require some visible balancing with the opposite objects. The plain black cap takes it from being a very utilitarian factor (like a free hat from a company giveaway) to an intentional a part of your outfit.
A Hoodie or Quarter-zip Different That You may Need to Put on
$20+
Hoodies are standard for 2 causes: they’re snug and simple to put on. There’s nothing mistaken with hoodies; I like them too.
Nevertheless, there is a distinction between carrying hoodies as a part of your model, and counting on them since you panic about what else to put on. For these barely much less informal settings—like a date, household occasion, or after-hours work perform—having one thing that feels as snug as a hoodie however appears extra applicable will make your life simpler.
There are a lot of choices:
These are straightforward swaps on days the place you do not have the brainpower to suppose past a hoodie that elevate your model whereas sustaining consolation.
Picket Hangers
$4.99+
In case your closet feels chaotic, switching to picket hangers can present the wanted construction and group. Rainbow-hued plastic hangers add visible muddle when your thoughts is making an attempt to determine what to put on, they usually don’t give your garments the assist they want. In a packed closet, shirts and pants get compressed, inflicting wrinkles, creased shoulders, and crushed collars.
Picket hangers clear up these issues. They supply construction to maintain your garments able to put on and provides your closet a cleaner, extra organized look.
The perfect half? Picket hangers don’t must be costly, and also you don’t want to switch them all of sudden. I transitioned my closet over a few years, and the distinction is night time and day. IKEA and Amazon have inexpensive choices, and when you make the change, you’re set for good.
Closet House Savers like Tiered Hangers
$15+
Tiered hangers are nice for grouping related objects collectively, decreasing visible muddle. When you’ve got six similar white T-shirts, grasp one visibly and hold the remaining on a tiered hanger. The identical goes for exercise garments you put on in no specific order. This setup saves area and minimizes visible muddle, making it simpler to give attention to key objects when placing outfits collectively.
Levi’s 501
$35+
In case you’re a Primer common, you have heard me discuss 501s as types have shifted towards straighter/looser matches over the previous few years. The 501s, with their traditional straight match, have been the primary place I turned. Initially I assumed, “These are method too extensive; I am going to by no means put on them.” However they rapidly grew to become my go-to, no-thought-required pair. I put on them dressed up, dressed down, and in every single place in between.
This is the factor about straight match denims: If you have not worn them because the ’90s, it is easy to evaluate them too rapidly. Once they’re new, they appear crisp, pressed flat, cuasing the facet seams to flare out awkwardly. However after washing, drying, and breaking them in, the drape modifications utterly. Now, they comply with my physique’s contours with out feeling too extensive, unfastened, or blocky.
They’re straightforward to put on with chunky boots or suede loafers for that light preppy look you see at locations like J.Crew, Buck Mason, and Taylor Sew. They’re snug, comfortable, have a little bit of stretch, they usually’re inexpensive. You may snag a pair for below $50, particularly throughout upcoming gross sales.
A Nice Plain T-Shirt
Having a comfortable, handsome t-shirt that you simply love the way in which it matches—I can not overemphasize how useful that’s. You’ll put on it on a regular basis. You’ll layer it beneath leather-based jackets, sweaters, and button-ups. You’ll put on it by itself with denims. You’ll put on it tucked into chinos for a contemporary look.
A t-shirt that drapes effectively with a comfortable visible texture can exude sophistication simply in addition to a button-up shirt. Between a man carrying an affordable, unkempt button-up and a man carrying a extremely strong, comfortable, well-fitting t-shirt with some particulars within the collar, hem, texture, or wash—I select the t-shirt each time.
Staples and fundamentals are known as that as a result of they’re common and might look superb on anybody when the main points are dialed in. There’s a bent to dismiss them as much less essential or boring, however that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
Cease Carrying (and Get Rid of) Issues You Hate Carrying
It is a large one for me. I mislead myself about issues which can be a smidge too small or don’t match fairly proper. I’ll attempt them on, then find yourself selecting one thing else, however I don’t say to myself, “I ought to simply do away with this.”
Preserving these objects makes getting dressed more durable as a result of they create visible muddle in your closet. It’s additionally wasted time in the event you attempt them on solely to reject them once more.
One other shocking facet impact that I found is, I’d by no means think about shopping for issues “I already had” however by no means wore just because they did not match proper or weren’t snug, even when the right model of the merchandise would have gotten worn on a regular basis.
Outdoors of maximum utilitarian circumstances—like a blazer or swimsuit you don’t take pleasure in carrying however sometimes want—there’s no level in holding objects you dislike. Use the trick the place you grasp these objects with the hook going through outward and after six or so months, if the hanger hasn’t been circled (indicating you’ve worn the merchandise), donate or promote it. This methodology clears up area and helps you acknowledge what you really want.
Darkish Grey Denims
$25+
If you would like a single reply to what’s one factor you should buy to make outfit-building simpler, it’s a pair of darkish grey slim or straight denims with 1 / 4 or half break.
You’ll have the ability to gown them up, put on them tremendous casually, model them rugged, or pair them with preppy or streetwear appears. They’ll work with brown boots, black sneakers, and nearly anything. The flexibility is countless.
If a good friend who was simply beginning out requested me for one advice, it might be this. Yow will discover loads of choices below $50 from locations like Levi’s or Amazon Necessities, particularly throughout gross sales which can be developing.
