What Should Be In The African American Man’s Closet
What should be in the modern African-American man’s closet? What are those items he must possess to have a wardrobe he is proud of? The goal of this article is to not only present a visual guide of clothing essentials, but also to help you understand the foundations of true style so you can look at something and determine if it’s in sync with who you are and your stylistic beliefs. Some may argue that dressing the black man should not be that deep but it is, because clothes are unspoken language. Every time a black man dresses up, he is sending a message about how he views the world and his place in it.
Who am I?
Self-understanding is the bedrock of true style. Self-understanding is knowing your history, your values, your message and your vision. The world makes assumptions about how black men should behave, live or act and, most importantly, look. However, there are many ways to be black as there are many black people. So, binding yourself to what the world believes you should be instead of understanding who you really are will prevent you from finding your power.
How do I turn self-knowledge to style?
Style is a matter of inspiration and developing an individual sense of what is elegant and wearable. So, what inspires you? Music, art, food, sports? Find a way to incorporate it into your wardrobe. Who inspires you? Look at these people, study how they put themselves together and how they have crafted a signature style.
Style is also a matter of understanding the principles of good grooming and marrying it with personal inspiration. Good grooming may still be a vague term for men who just want to know what they need to have in their wardrobe. So simplifying further, style is understanding your body type and picking the right clothing to enhance it. Learn more about dressing for your body type by learning about fit, color and pattern.
Style begins with a classic Wardrobe
A classic wardrobe stays timeless regardless of the changing fashions and relies heavily on neutrals, solid colors and discrete patterns. But do not confuse a classic wardrobe with invisibleness or blandness. A classic wardrobe is like a foundation, once you get this foundation right, you can start to buy with extras.
Some people say that good things come in threes and the list of closet essentials have been grouped in threes to create combinations that can produce over 20 different looks.
The 3 Types of Layers – Cable-knit crew neck sweater, sports jacket and trench coat
The 3 Shoes You Need – Oxford dress shoes for formal occasions, sneakers for everyday casual wear and Chukka boots for everything in between. Allen Edmonds is a brand that makes all 3 types well.
The Formal Trio - A classic tuxedo in black, a navy suit and a charcoal grey suit for black tie and business events. Check Amazon for Calvin Klein work suits in standard colors at very good prices.
The 3 Shirts – The white dress shirt to wear with a tuxedo, a light blue shirt to wear with a navy suit and a lightly striped shirt to wear with a gray suit. Check SuitSupply for classic fabrics and tailoring.
3 Ties -A classic bow tie for wearing a tuxedo, a solid colour plain tie to wear with a navy blue suit and a patterned tie to wear with a charcoal gray suit.
3 Pairs of Casual Pants - A dark wash jeans which goes with any T-shirt, sweater or blazer, a Chinos trouser for the days you want to ditch the jeans and a wool trouser for a casual sophisticated look.
3 Cords – A black formal belt for dressing a suit, brown casual belt that is practical and hardwearing and a fabric belt for summer style. Columbia has some sturdy and well-designed pieces.
Accessories Threesome - A hat, cufflinks and a great watch.
3 African Inspired Attires To Show Some Culture – Joestylee is an African inspired brand that embodies the courage of the modern African American Man to do something different and unexpected. If you live in Africa, there are many street stores and local shops that make traditional and modern African articles of clothing. If you live outside Africa, then Joestylee is your go-to online store.
With these classic African American Man’s Closet essentials, you will be able to create the 5 most popular dress styles for men which are casual, smart casual, business casual, business professional and cocktail attire.