Keeping it clean: how to finesse a capsule wardrobe
This week, I negotiated planes, trains and automobiles across Italy in the noble name of men’s fashion (spare a thought, won’t you?) with two large suitcases, two pieces of hand luggage and one shopping bag from the spoils of a Prada discount outlet.
In the aftermath, streamlining my personal paraphernalia and adopting a minimalist approach to bags, shoes and tailoring has become an urgent priority.
Cashmere roll neck, £59.90, Uniqlo
It feels apt, when things are chaotic in almost every other facet of life, to look at how to distill your wardrobe.
It's not purely in the name of narcissism; lifestyle guru Marie Kondo has created a craze for de-cluttering, and every men’s brand from Milan to Marylebone is now offering a “capsule” wardrobe of interchangeable pieces. Perhaps I should have taken note before clattering through the Santa Maria Novella station like Widow Twanky.
It all boils down to the idea of that most trite of phrases; “wardrobe staples”. It’s a tricky business defining what makes a staple, because men’s style has changed dramatically in the last decade - most men no longer wear serious tailoring like they used to.
A Suit To Travel In blazer made from twisted worsted wool, £570, paulsmith.com
A blazer is an essential to most men, but to the millennial man a sportswear item like a bomber or chunky trainers might be more deserving of the status.
Similarly, it’s about finessing what can be tweaked and interchanged. You might be partial to those inoffensive camel cords, but whether looking to downscale your wardrobe or travelling, are they something that can fit easily into every situation?
First up; as menswear institutions from Paul Smith to Hugo Boss will tell you, it’s about a “go anywhere” suit.
No-one is about to dispute the sharpness of a traditional suit, whether it’s bespoke or crafted to your spec (which is advisable with off-the-peg varieties), but this new offshoot is - hear me out - made from high-tech materials that are crinkle-free, designed for travel and, in a lot of cases, machine washable.
Merino wool roll neck, £155, John Smedley
Not the thing for your wedding day, of course, but if your working life involves a flight to Brussels once a week, or if you need a suit that’s less stuffy to see you through the day, this might be the solution.
It will work as separates too; team the trousers with a plain T-shirt or the jacket with jeans. And one item that’s interchangeable is the polo neck; a thin, lightweight variety in a muted colour can be worn with casual attire or under a tuxedo.
Likewise, the rise of the fancy trainer, basically your garden variety elevated with patent leather or in a smarter form, means you can wear it as easily with chinos as a suit.
Suede trainers, £345, Lanvin
And once the wardrobe is fine-tuned, think about how it’s packed. Louis Vuitton - makers of trunks since the 1800s - advises rolling everything, and utilising the space that shoes take up to tuck underwear, T-shirts and socks inside them, as well as turning blazers inside out to make sure they aren’t damaged.
Maybe I’ll even heed my own advice one day.
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