Essential Tops for the Men In Your Life
Happy Thursday, ladies! Although we weren't really planning on doing this, I have a special treat for you. After the success of the post How to Build a Casual Wardrobe for the Man in Your Life, I asked my oldest if he'd do a series based on that. He begrudgingly agreed, so I'm going to turn it over to him as he talks essential tops the men in your life should own.
Hi, everyone! This is Alex, Beth's son. As someone who has dressed in band t-shirts and jeans most of my life, as I approach middle age, I decided to rebuild my wardrobe from the ground up.
Not too hard given that I have Beth to help, but I thought I'd share a few of the tips I've picked up over the past few years or so. I figured most of us have a man in our life. (I have myself, at least.) And those men could probably use a little help.
So, over the next few months, I thought I'd take a page out of Beth's book and write a sort of "essential"-like column---tops, bottoms... you get the idea.
Ultimately, my aesthetic is pretty spartan and based largely in part on American and British workwear. We're talking a lot of jeans and work pants; button-ups and tees; sweaters and shirt jackets.
It's a wardrobe that dates back about 150 or so years. (Yay, Levis!) So, it's never really going to go out of style. Honestly, I think it would hold up well for a man of any age. And outside of a formal occasion, you can pretty much wear it anywhere. So I hope you enjoy the post and it provides a little inspiration for the men in your life.
The Summary
Today, my oldest is talking essential tops for the men in your life
He's pulled in 4 categories: tees, sweatshirts, button-ups, and sweaters
For each category, he also pulled in an inspiration outfit
All of this suggestions are shoppable via text-widgets
Essential Tops the Men in Your Life Should Own
1. Basic Tees
Whether the man in your life wears a t-shirt alone or uses it as a layering piece, they're the foundation of any wardrobe. To my mind, the four most essential tees--short and/or long-sleeved--a man should own are:
- henley
- crewneck
- v-neck
- raglan
I'm personally obsessed with henleys at the moment and wear them under just about everything from button-ups to cardigans.
When purchasing new t-shirts, make sure you have the neutrals covered first: white, black, grey, and navy. Once you have the foundation laid, tees are a great way to introduce color into your wardrobe. I've got a yellow and red crewneck that I've been rotating through heavily this winter.
inspiration outfit
2. sweatshirts
It's hard for me to imagine a single man I know that doesn't love sweatshirts. I know I sure do. Whether I'm lounging around at home or heading out to run errands, I always reach for a sweatshirt.
You've basically got three options here:
- pullover (crewneck or hoodie)
- zip-up hoodie
I was a hoodie guy for the longest time. (Mostly band ones, actually.) But as I've gotten older, I've gravitated more to crewnecks for what it's worth.
And it is worth pointing out, that although never formal, sweatshirts don't have to look sloppy. I put together an inspiration outfit below based on one I wear quite frequently: a zip-up hoodie, classic tee, chinos, and workboots.
Can't go wrong, really.
inspiration Outfit
3. Button-Ups
I would say the majority of my wardrobe is comprised of button-ups. And in all honesty, they're fairly evenly split between plain neutrals and flannel.
When I say "plain neutrals", I'm including denim shirts, snap buttons, and traditional button-ups. But in reality, I'm not a big pattern guy---just really utilitarian. So, I'm sticking to navy blue, black, olive green, and tan. Any color is coming either from my flannel shirts or the tees I'm using as layering pieces.
That's right, I'm big on layering. I always pair a button-up with some sort of tee. As for the button-up itself, I wear it unbuttoned about half the time, depending on the occasion.
4. Sweaters
Absolutely love sweaters. Crewneck, shawl collar, cardigans---you name it, I'm wearing it. The weather has been particularly cool down here in Georgia this year, so I've gotten a lot of use out of my sweater collection.
Again, layering is the name of the game here. Whether a t-shirt or button-up, you can't go wrong. I think my biggest consideration is the thickness of the sweater. I'm a huskier guy, so I'll wear t-shirts with chunkier sweaters and button-ups with thinner ones. Personal preference, though.
Inspiration Outfit
In Case You Missed It
This morning, Kelly shared her take on the monochromatic trend but for petites. Click the title or image below to read the article.
Beth, I am so thankful for this post! I am 73; my beloved husband is 81. We are active seniors and have a large family between us (6 kids, 9 grands, and looking forward to the great grands!).I love your blog! My greatest challenge is keeping my husband out of sweatshirts! He loves the ones he’s collected when we return to our hometown for balloon festival! It seems that so many people just give up as they age. I see men in particular wearing pants and tops that swallow them as they age. I’m determined to keep my adorable husband from looking like he’s drowning in his clothes. Alex’s post has given me some great ideas about how to do that! Thankful for you both!
Wecome Alex! I have followed your Mom and family for awhile and so happy to have some mens ideas. As a petite and cook I love Kelly’s posts! Thank you Beth for all you do amd share with us All!
Thank you for your kind words!
Great article, Alex!
I have three grown sons who all enjoy style and forwarded this to them!
Thank you…
I really appreciate you stopping by today. It’s all still a work-in-progress for me, but proving to be well worth it!
Thank you Alex. Now I have a plan for the weekend, to spiff up my husband.
Thanks again!
Thank you and good luck!
This is a great guide. Useful for my husband who is trying to keep his look current and my college age son who is working on creating his image.
My husband is in his 60’s and an active runner. Problem is, he receives a free tee shirt from every race he runs, and that has become his everyday wear with sweatpants! Arggg!!!!
I’m trying to “gently” turn the tide with gifts of clothing and subtle suggestions. This post helps with the basic essentials! Thank you!