From free to reasonably priced finds, these methods, instruments, and picks will make higher fashion extra easy.
Particular due to 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 remodeling the way you method getting dressed.
The purpose is to create a system that makes the act of dressing clean, fulfilling, and sustainable, even on the hardest days.
A superb fashion system reduces friction in your day-to-day routine, creating a greater relationship with what you already personal and making it simple to place collectively outfits that work. Beneath are various simple methods, instruments, and picks which have made my very own system infinitely simpler.
A Nice Approach 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 venture.
Placing outfits collectively and honing your fashion is simply as a lot of a visible and creative endeavor as any of these artistic fields. Should you’re nonetheless determining your private fashion, 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, fashion, and outfit concepts as you come throughout them. Whether or not it’s on Primer, whereas shopping a retailer’s web site, strolling via the mall, or scrolling on social media, having a system to seize and set up 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 unsuitable technique to do it, nevertheless it’s important to do one thing. You’ll be shocked how usually you overlook about an outfit concept. Months later, you’ll scroll via your saved inspiration and rediscover a glance you’ll be able to 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 sneakers clearly seen whereas I select my garments is extremely vital. Constructing an outfit is not a linear course of; it is about experimenting, holding gadgets subsequent to one another, and seeing how they align for the event and look on you.
An outfit is a cohesive look; having all gadgets seen helps create that cohesion, somewhat than simply seeing them as separate items. All of it works collectively to develop into one thing extra. As an example, suede loafers change the texture of a shirt and denims otherwise than white sneakers do.
After I can see my sneakers alongside my clothes, I usually choose sneakers 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 further 15% with SLICKPRIMER
A structured collar could make all of the distinction between trying sharp and searching sloppy. That is true whether or not you are shopping for shirts on the reasonably priced finish of the spectrum or investing in costlier items.
With button-up shirts that lack construction, the collar usually flops over, making your look really feel unkempt. That is particularly a difficulty for good informal seems to be the place even informal items needs to be as refined as attainable.
Enter the Slick Collar: a easy invention that instantly proves its price. Inexpensive, efficient, and completely designed for its function, the Slick Collar is basically the collar+placket equal of collar stays. It gives construction not solely to the collar ideas 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 does 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 all the pieces—from knit polos and golf shirts to extra formal gown shirts.
Better of all, you’ll be able to simply transfer them between shirts, which means no alterations are wanted.
At round $20 for 3 with the code, the Slick Collar is a small funding that delivers massive returns throughout almost your entire collared shirts. It’s a stable, dependable software, and upon getting 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 fashionable. Positive, they lack the heritage of a dive watch or the class of a gold gown watch, however that mindset ignores the truth of residing in 2024.
For a lot of, smartwatches are important—whether or not for life-style, work, or duties. Personally, my Apple Watch helps me keep centered with out the distraction of my cellphone. I nonetheless get texts and calls however keep away from time-killer apps, which makes it a must have for me.
I put on it usually at dwelling with the default strap nevertheless it’s powerful to put on in a extra good informal, night look. Fortunately, Apple Watch bands are simple to swap due to their sliding mechanism. A leather-based or metallic band, which you could find affordably in off manufacturers, and may be swapped in through the instances the common strap does not work, makes all of the distinction.
Designate an Outfit Workstation
One of the crucial stress-reducing modifications I’ve made is establishing a devoted “workstation” close to the place I dangle my outfits. Having all instruments in a single place makes it a lot simpler to get all the pieces prepared effectively, particularly when working late. It’s a small shelf the place I maintain my steamer (with plug entry), a clothes brush, and another instruments I would want.
It’s a form of “workbench” to your garments, the place you progress gadgets from closet storage into the staging space, and have all of the instruments it’s worthwhile to get them trying their finest.
A Place to Dangle Outfits
This may appear easy, however it’s going to change the way you method your clothes and magnificence.
Selecting out your outfit the evening earlier than drastically reduces morning stress—particularly if you happen to’re not a morning individual and really feel half asleep or foggy. It is a complete sport 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 all the pieces neat and separate, appearing as a staging space whereas assembling totally different mixtures. As an alternative of making an attempt to image a mixed look in my head, I pull out key items and dangle them, making an attempt totally different combos till I discover the proper match.
A Clothes Brush As an alternative of a Lint Curler
$15+
Earlier than the sticky paper-based lint rollers you are accustomed to, folks 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 repeatedly. Since fits cannot be washed simply, it was vital to have a brushing routine.
I’ve lived with canines that shed for 15 years and the sticky lint curler has at all times felt annoying and wasteful to make use of simply as a result of sheer quantity of peeling and rolling I would must do every time. Just lately, I lastly picked up some clothes brushes. They arrive in numerous coarseness and stiffness ranges, with softer brushes designed for extra delicate clothes made from cashmere, for instance, and stiffer ones to deal with denim extra immediately.
Whereas they are not good, 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 may improve to the gentleman normal, English-made model Kent which begin round $40. The double-sided Kent CC20 which is usually mentioned as a go-to resulting from versatility eeks handed the article funds and is round $60.
A Clothes Steamer
$15+
I do not understand how that is attainable, however for me, ironing appears so as to add wrinkles somewhat than take away them. Plus, my typical schedule for preparing is at all times tighter than I’d like, so I’m usually dashing when it’s time to dress. The very last thing I would like is to plan on carrying one thing, solely to seek out it is too wrinkled and really feel like I don’t have the time to take care of 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 nicely—simply run the steam over the material, and most wrinkles disappear simply.
Truthfully, I’d be in a tricky spot and not using a clothes steamer. It’s a kind of instruments that makes preparing a lot less complicated, and I am unable to advocate it sufficient.
The Plain Ball Cap
James Clear, the writer of Atomic Habits, has famously mentioned, “You don’t rise to the extent of your objectives. You fail on the degree of your programs.” In case you are an individual making an attempt to decorate deliberately in your life—particularly if this can be a newer endeavor for you or doesn’t come naturally—you’ll be able to’t anticipate your pure habits and routines to brute pressure extra conscientious fashion 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 obtained to toss stuff 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 wonderful. There’s nothing unsuitable with carrying a cool hat with the suitable sports activities crew emblem or some form of classic design. However it does require some visible balancing with the opposite gadgets. 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 Wish to Put on
$20+
Hoodies are in style for 2 causes: they’re comfy and simple to put on. There’s nothing unsuitable with hoodies; I like them too.
Nonetheless, there is a distinction between carrying hoodies as a part of your fashion, 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 comfy as a hoodie however seems to be extra acceptable will make your life simpler.
There are numerous choices:
These are simple swaps on days the place you do not have the brainpower to suppose past a hoodie that elevate your fashion whereas sustaining consolation.
Wood 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 litter 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.
Wood hangers resolve 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? Wood hangers don’t must be costly, and also you don’t want to exchange them suddenly. I transitioned my closet over a few years, and the distinction is evening and day. IKEA and Amazon have reasonably priced choices, and when you make the swap, you’re set for good.
Closet Area Savers like Tiered Hangers
$15+
Tiered hangers are nice for grouping related gadgets collectively, decreasing visible litter. When you have six equivalent white T-shirts, dangle one visibly and maintain the remainder on a tiered hanger. The identical goes for exercise garments you put on in no explicit order. This setup saves house and minimizes visible litter, making it simpler to concentrate on key gadgets when placing outfits collectively.
Levi’s 501
$35+
Should you’re a Primer common, you’ve got heard me speak about 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 believed, “These are manner too broad; I will 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 all over the place in between.
Here is the factor about straight match denims: If you have not worn them because the ’90s, it is easy to evaluate them too rapidly. After they’re new, they appear crisp, pressed flat, cuasing the aspect seams to flare out awkwardly. However after washing, drying, and breaking them in, the drape modifications utterly. Now, they observe my physique’s contours with out feeling too broad, free, or blocky.
They’re simple to put on with chunky boots or suede loafers for that pale preppy look you see at locations like J.Crew, Buck Mason, and Taylor Sew. They’re comfy, gentle, have a little bit of stretch, they usually’re reasonably priced. You may snag a pair for below $50, particularly throughout upcoming gross sales.
A Nice Plain T-Shirt
Having a gentle, handsome t-shirt that you just love the best way it matches—I can not overemphasize how worthwhile 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 nicely with a gentle visible texture can exude sophistication simply in addition to a button-up shirt. Between a man carrying an inexpensive, unkempt button-up and a man carrying a extremely stable, gentle, 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 may look wonderful on anybody when the main points are dialed in. There’s an inclination to dismiss them as much less vital or boring, however that couldn’t be farther from the reality.
Cease Sporting (and Get Rid of) Issues You Hate Sporting
It is a massive one for me. I misinform myself about issues which are 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.”
Protecting these gadgets makes getting dressed tougher as a result of they create visible litter in your closet. It’s additionally wasted time if you happen to attempt them on solely to reject them once more.
One other shocking aspect impact that I found is, I might by no means take into account shopping for issues “I already had” however by no means wore just because they did not match proper or weren’t comfy, even when the right model of the merchandise would have gotten worn on a regular basis.
Exterior of utmost utilitarian instances—like a blazer or swimsuit you don’t take pleasure in carrying however often want—there’s no level in retaining gadgets you dislike. Use the trick the place you dangle these gadgets with the hook dealing with 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 technique clears up house and helps you acknowledge what you really need.
Darkish Grey Denims
$25+
In order for you 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, fashion them rugged, or pair them with preppy or streetwear seems to be. They’ll work with brown boots, black sneakers, and nearly anything. The flexibility is limitless.
If a buddy who was simply beginning out requested me for one advice, it will be this. Yow will discover loads of choices below $50 from locations like Levi’s or Amazon Necessities, particularly throughout gross sales which are developing.
