Say Goodbye to the IBM Wardrobe and Hello to Balance

Think of a great meal. There are various courses, various textures, and various tastes. Think of a beautiful garden. There are various plants, various flowers, all in various areas of the physical space.?

The key to anything worthwhile is balance, and balance is based on intentional variety.?

The quandary some people are facing regarding their wardrobe is due to imbalance. And it’s not their fault.?

When I began my business in 2003 the “IBM Wardrobe” was firmly established. Professionals knew this wardrobe well. It consisted of dark suits, simple white dress shirts, and nondescript ties.? That was it. Even though the “dot-com” boom was changing things, men were used to this wardrobe and the ease it brought to dressing for work.

The benefit was not having to think. Just throw on a suit and you were set. And not only that, if a funeral came up, no big deal. You could just grab one of your IBM suits. How about a wedding? Same thing. Or how about a black-tie optional event? (Which always makes me laugh. Is it black-tie or not?) All good. Refer to one of your many uniforms, ahem, I mean suits, and you could get by.?

Getting by is no longer that easy…

For one, men haven’t? been updating their suits with regularity since the “Dress for your Day” concept hit. This was well before the pandemic. Then the pandemic hits, 11,000 clothing stores close in the US, and not only is there no balance in the wardrobe from years of mindless suit wearing, but the options are more limited too.

So, as people have resumed travel, client meetings, visits to the courtroom, conventions and events, clothing needs to be purchased.? But not like it used to be.? A dark suit isn’t the answer to all your problems. Balance is.

If a business person were to update their wardrobe in simple, balanced terms, what would a good start look like?

This is my wardrobe recipe for balance…

1 Formal Suit (Dark enough for any formal business or social event)?

1 Social Suit (This is your fun, year round suit)

2 Seasonal Suits (Have one for Spring/Summer and another for Autumn/Winter)

1 Formal Blazer (Remember, a blazer is a solid colored fabric with contrasting buttons)

4 Seasonal Sportcoats (Two for Spring/Summer, two for Autumn/Winter; these play more casual than your blazer)

3 Dress Trousers (Two dark and one light, to be worn with blazer and sportcoats; we’re talking like weight wool with limited wrinkling)

2 Semi- Casual Trousers (Either subtle pattern and/or casual fabric; worn with sportcoats or stand alone)

3 Casual Trousers (Fill this space with nice jeans or 5 pocket pants; maybe a cotton chino? Can be worn with a nice polo or sportshirt stand alone, or with one of your more casual seasonal jackets)?

3 Solid Dress Shirts (White or blue, you always need them)

5 Crossover Shirts (Shirts with pattern that are expressive enough to be worn as a sportshirt, but subtle enough to go with multiple sportcoats, suits, and ties)

2 Loafers (Dark brown and medium brown; Note, this is a big change for a lot of men still stuck in the IBM world)

1 Formal Laced Shoe (To be worn with your suits; if you’re old school, go black, but you need at least one formal dress shoe)