When it comes to getting dressed, we tend to rhapsodize about the virtues of “wardrobe essentials” as if everyone knows what we mean. On Maslow's hierarchy of menswear needs, wardrobe essentials might encompass the perfect white tee, a killer pair of jeans, and the loafers you can wear with them. But in compiling this list, our goal wasn’t simply to meet your needs—you are, frankly, a grown-ass man, and your goal should be nothing short of self-actualization.
The closet classics we’ve rounded up are fundamental in their own way. In aggregate, they constitute the foundation of a rock-solid men’s basic wardrobe. For the total rube, we could start you off with a handful of categories: underwear, socks, shirts, pants, shoes, maybe a jacket depending on where you call home. But our staples go beyond the expected. When it comes to “essentials,” we took the mandate to its logical extreme, pulling together a highly specific starter pack of everything you’ll want—nay, need—to wear as the year marches on.
