Do you often worry about what to wear for an occasion? Like in the office, you dress the smartest but find yourself awkward at an office party?
Do you have to rush to the shopping mall at a short notice and pick up whatever is available because, well, there’s no time to think?
Do you find yourself overusing certain clothes while others lie brand new in your cupboard?
Chances are that you haven’t stocked your wardrobe well.
Here’s a checklist of all kinds of clothes you should own so that you don’t have to turn down invitations.
Complete Wardrobe for Men – A Checklist
Tops:
1. Shirts
2. Polo shirts
3. T-shirts
4. Sweatshirt
No matter what the occasion, the tops you wear will get noticed first. For men, it seems the choices are very few. But men conscious about their appearance find ways to have a good mix of all kinds of varieties. For example, shirts can be plain, striped, or checkered.
Bottoms:
1. Trousers
2. Chinos
3. Jeans
4. Shorts
5. Cargo
What men wear for bottoms get noticed when one is interested in understanding the hygiene practices a guy follows. That’s why, good shirts paired with shabby trousers worn off at the ends fail to make an impression. Choose wisely. Choose a variety so that you don’t have to repeat certain clothes.
Shoes:
1. Boots
2. Brogues
3. Formals
4. Oxfords
5. Loafers
Covered toes are always better than exposed. Polished shoes are better than unpolished. Always. But in the process of paying attention to shoes, one forgets the socks! Don’t forget to match both well.
Coats:
1. Blazers
2. Cardigan
3. Sweater
In India, layers like blazers are not compulsory but they make a difference in extra-formal situations. Sweaters can be worn to office parties.
Accessories:
1. Belt
2. Watch
3. Tie
4. Cufflinks
5. Sunglasses
6. Fragrance
Match your belt with your shoes. Match your shoes with trousers. Watches with leather straps look elegant. Colourful watches go well when matched with the colour of the shirt/blazer.
Ethnic:
1. Pathani suit
2. Kurta
3. Sherwani
4. Indo-western
5. Nehru Jacket
6. Dupatta
7. Pocket square
8. Brooch
9. Jutti
10. Turban/safa
11. Stole
Men find it awkward to dress for ethnic occasions. Have some or all these options so that you don’t feel you are repeating clothes when invited to celebrate for Indian festivals.
Complete Wardrobe for Women – A Checklist
Tops:
1. Blouses
2. Shirts
3. Dresses
4. Sweatshirts
5. Sweater
Keep a stock of how many you have and in which colours. You’ll not feel conscious about repeating certain tops.
Bottoms:
1. Jeans
2. Trousers
3. Skirts (formal)
Again, how many and in which colours. The combo with the tops mentioned above can give you a huge number of ways to pair stuff.
Shoes
1. Loafers
2. Brogues
3. Pumps
4. Heels
5. Boots
6. Sandals
You don’t have to buy matching footwear all the time. Instead focus on buying stuff across different types of footwear that you can carry well with different outfits.
Coats
1. Blazers
2. Jackets
3. Pea coat
4. Sweater
These will keep you warm in the air-conditioned offices and/or help you look formal. Use them in combinations and you’ll feel you are rich!
Accessories
1. Jewelry
2. Nail paints
3. Sunglasses
4. Hand bags
The more you have them, the more you want.
Ethnic:
1. Lehengas
2. Kurtas
3. Skirts
4. Leggings
5. Palazzos
6. Salwars
7. Saris
8. Anarkali suits
9. Juttis
10. Sandals
The category “ethnic” can be quite misleading. Because kurtas can be worn with jeans. And palazzos come in formal cuts too. Salwars look elegant as office wear too.
Go over your collection in your wardrobe with this checklist and put a number against each. Add more items/categories you may have – the ones not mentioned in this list.
Now try to generate as many combinations of clothes you can. You’ll find yourself repeating a set/combination after a year at least.
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