We’re all guilty of making New Year resolutions we never keep. From hitting the gym to eating more vegetables, many of our resolutions are as faint of a memory as our champagne toasts on New Years Eve.
Even though our intentions are coming from a good place, our execution is off. The bottom line is that we’re all trying to be a better version of our 2013 selves.
Rather than falling off the all vegan, gluten-free, wheat grass wagon, use this year’s resolution as a commitment to put your best foot forward and invest in yourself. One of the best places to start is with an updated wardrobe. Considering there’s a direct correlation between your wardrobe and your level of personal and professional success, it makes sense to keep it up to date and current.
With that being said, these 3 items will help elevate your wardrobe to the next level.
The Replacement Suit
We all have that one old suit where the jacket doesn’t drape the way it used to, and the slacks look like they’ve been through hell and back. Yet for whatever reason, you still haven’t retired it from your weekly rotation. Enough is enough. Donate it to Goodwill and begin the wardrobe rebuilding process.
The best place to start is with a navy suit. Being one of the first suits you probably purchased; it should be the first one you replace. The best quality of a navy suit is that it’s appropriate for almost all professional situations. Whether you have an important meeting, a job interview, or a deal to close, your navy suit will be the perfect option because it is a classic.
Also, if you want your suits to last longer, stop wearing your suit pants as separates and invest in some new workhorse slacks.
Workhorse Slacks
What’s a workhorse slack? It’s the slacks you go to for day-to-day use. They get the most wear and tear, and you’ve probably worn them more times than you’d like to admit. When picking out new fabrics for slacks, stick with the basics. Grays, navy, and earth tones are best for maximizing versatility and matching a variety of shirt patterns. With an approximate lifespan of about 2 years, it’s likely that you will need to replace them every so often.
The Default Sport Coat
Need to amplify your workhorse slacks? Easy, toss on a “default sport coat“ and, voilà; your outfit is instantly elevated to the next level.
To be clear, a default sport coat is not a blazer, nor is it a suit jacket. It’s a sport coat consisting of a tight pattern, and it should match at least 2-3 pairs of your workhorse slacks. The subtlety of a tight pattern is ideal for creating various slack and shirt combinations while simultaneously showcasing your creativity and confidence. The greatest advantage of a default sport coat is it lets you achieve very different looks simply by what you pair it with. For a casual look, dress it down with some earth tone slacks and a patterned shirt. For a dressier feel, wear it with navy slacks and a white or blue button down shirt. Perfect for traveling, this jacket can easily be worn twice a week without anyone noticing.
Say goodbye to last year’s sub-par version of yourself and embrace the newer, better dressed you in 2014.