How To Build An Outfit
Sharing my thought process on how I approach clothing in order to build a variety of outfits
Recommending individual pieces is great but sometimes you need to switch things up. Having good clothing is part of the equation that will only get you so far when it comes to exploring your style. The truth is, you don’t even need good clothes to be fashionable, it really all comes down to your ability to mix and match pieces in order to maximize their potential — if you already have this ability then having good clothing will take you to that next level.
Understanding what works well and what doesn’t all comes with experience, and I know that it might seem scary to try clothes out of your comfort zone but I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be all bad. In today’s newsletter, I’ll be building 6 different outfits, explaining my thought process behind each fit, and how I approach certain pieces while hopefully generating a few ideas that you can use in order to expand your own personal style.
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OUTFIT 1
Even though weather has been all over the place for some, I wanted to give outfits that would fit various climates. The summer has not been a particularly warm one, at least here in Canada, which means that layers have been an option most summer nights — which isn’t particularly a bad thing.
For the first fit I wanted to lean into some sort of layering. Depending on your climate, the summer night might unlock the ability to rock a potential layer so why not start things off with a lightweight cardigan from Auralee. Because the green is such a strong color, I figured the best way to rock it would be to downplay the rest of the outfit — don’t get the wrong idea though, we’re still going to be rocking high quality garments that will help that Auralee cardigan shine in the best way possible.
White tee obviously goes a long way, and while I’m not on the whole what tee is Jeremy Allen White is wearing vibe, it’s still important to have some sort of quality in the mix. Cardigan is not insanely warm, but you might end up in a sweaty situation if you choose a heavyweight tee as your base.
I ended up picking the cut and sewn cotton tee from Lady White co. It’s a great basic to own, it’s thin, the tubular construction means that there are no side seams and the double needle binded collar will make sure you’re not stretching out that collar anytime soon.
The orSlow 105 standard jeans are based on styles from the 40’s and 50’s. These are made in Japan with orSlow’s own 13.5oz selvedge denim and hardware. This is going to be just a solid pair of jeans that will pretty much go with anything — I wanted to showcase that in the image above by duplicating the same pair of jeans and placing them just next to the white tee. You don’t even need the cardigan, in fact, just go with a good quality white tee and some proper denim and you’re set. Of course adding that cardigan will end up elevating your outfit so much more.
For the shoes I went with something darker with two different styles, but of course any shoe can work in this type of outfit. First up we have the Camion Mule from Our Legacy — mules are still very much in, and might be perfect if you’re just aiming to go get a quick bite with some friends. I figured a Clarks Wallabee is going to have a similar vibe to the mule. It’s a bit dressy, yet casual at the same time, and I didn’t want to go with something basic so I found these collabs with Wacko Maria that gives the classic Wallabee a sneak skin spin — Details like this are fun… kind of hard to wear as an everyday shoe, but definitely will give your fit a little bit of that extra something, and because they are black they don’t stand out in an annoying type of way.
OUTFIT 2
I have to come clean, for outfit 2 I am reusing a garment I’ve already recommended. Even though jorts are a meme, they are still fun to wear and I’m sad that I slept on these next ones. Fucking Awesome jorts are extremely comfortable, great quality and come in an ideal length — over the knee! The riveting that runs along the side of the jorts are a low key detail that isn’t a total eye grab but enough to stand above your other jort options.
This is your sunday-coffee-chill-day type outfit. Pair the jorts with any sort of tee, black, white or color — I picked the classic DIY tee from Dime’s recent drop for this one. Where things get interesting for me is with the belt and shoes. I wanted to do a matching situation but in a way that doesn’t grab your attention too much.
People! You need to make sure you have a good belt, because this accessory ties everything together by creating harmony within the pieces you’re wearing. I picked the rubber belt from Our Legacy that is actually somewhat translucent. I figured it might look pretty good with the denim details from the jorts coming through the belt. Keeping the cohesiveness throughout, I paired the belt with the Adidas Puig Indoor, a very lightweight skate shoe that is perfect for any sort of casual activity — pair these with either white or black socks and you’re set!
OUTFIT 3
I wanted to use some baggy pants from Needles to build this next outfit. The H.P. Pant comes in a balloon style, which will have a lot of breathing room in the legs and is ideal for hot days — I’ve been rocking balloon pants this entire summer and the breeze that is created within the pant is extremely comfortable. Technically these are two different outfits, but bare with me as I explain.
On the left side we start things off with a Stussy mesh tee in bone. Mesh tee’s are definitely a huge vibe right now, and I do enjoy the colorway of this specific one. If you’re looking to go with a more dressed-up look for the day, then consider a striped button up of some kind. You can either rock it opened and show those mesh details, or button it up — the baggy pants with the sneakers will help you dress down the button up, but if you’re looking to go even more formal then consider throwing on some loafers or any other leather shoe. The shirt I picked is from Comme Des Garcons… I know, I know, it’s extremely expensive but I am telling you it’s worth the money. The construction and the use of the highest level of cotton to create this piece is definitely worth it, but with that being said, any blue striped button up that fits your needs will do the trick!
To round it off, I wanted to keep things sporty so I chose to go with some sort of runner. I matched the ASICS GEL-NYC because of the similar mesh upper that matches with the tee. The black upper with the silver detailing will blend really well with the pants and the shirt to create a complete flow within your outfit. If you want something slightly louder then consider the New Balance 990, I really like this particular cream colorway that blends well with the blue button up. The black pant break the outfit in two, allowing for the two different color pallets to play with each other in a nice way.
OUTFIT 4
I’m on the hunt for black jeans recently, and I think I may have found the pair I’ve been looking for. The Lush Carpenters from Story MFG come with unique details that get me really excited. For this fit I decided to keep things light color wise on the top, so I matched it with the spider hoodie from Palace’s recent drop. Unfortunately the hoodie is already sold out, so I decided to replace it with Adsum’s Breezer Shirt that is currently on sale for half off — links will be at the bottom of the newsletter ;)
Going back to the pants, they feature unique hand stitching details on the knees and back. What’s cool about these is that they come with a drawcord at the waist, but if you don’t like that you can simply use a belt! Having the option to do either or is honestly great.
For the shoes I went with two options, one a bit more formal and one sports mode. The Paraboot Chimey is low key, it’s equipped with leather and most importantly the combat sole detailing will be a lot of fun to wear with this particular pair of denim — The way the jeans are going to stack on these shoes is going to make the entire fit. Last but not least, I recently saw the Nike Air Humara in green pop up and with all the white and black going on, this was the perfect shoe that would tie everything together — because you’re rocking a white/cream top with dark pants, it’s simple to go colorful with the shoes if you really desire.
OUTFIT 5
Let’s keep things breezy for the people who are trying to minimize their skin to fabric ratio. The heat is out there, and on those certain days it’s difficult to dress well when you know survival is on the line — I need water not drip. I wanted to keep things light by introducing some shorts from thisisneverthat. They come with this flower embroidery detailing that runs down the seam which I really enjoy. This particular pair is for folks who want to expose as much leg as possible. I’m talking about above the knee goodness.
Graphic tees to keep things fun and exciting while maintaining maximum breeze levels is going to be critical to this fit. Think of this vibe as chilling with the boys on sunday as you recount last night’s events. Tee on the left is from the recent Better Gift Shop x Nepenthes collaboration, and the tee on the right is from the recent Stray Rats collection, both are available on their respective sites.
I went completely wild with the shoe options for the laughs to be honest. I picked the Scarpa Mescalito GTX because I’m enjoying approach shoes currently, and you never know what mountains you’ll need to climb after a pint. The Nike x Martine Rose Shox was just a funny one, but honestly kind of doing its thing on this fit. Basically all I’m trying to say here is go wild with the shoes in your fit sometimes!
OUTFIT 6
So technically this next outfit is actually two different outfits, but I’m running out of space. With that being said, I feel like these next looks are very interchangeable within each other. While everyone was drooling over the Wales Bonner Adidas shoes, I was busy admiring the apparel, which I find to be more exciting anyway.
Soccer kits are hot, so I figured the Wales Bonner Terry Polo would fit that similar aesthetic without going straight for the kits. Pairing brown with green is like peanut butter and jelly. This fit is all about the pleats, and I wanted something flowy but not overly baggy for this specific fit, so I went with pants from Uniform Bridge. Because of the earth tone nature of this fit, I decided to go with some white shoes — Sambas are out, but Superstars are very much in! I picked the Adidas Superstar 82, which takes on a deconstructed details that run along the upper of the shoe.
The second fit keeps a similar vibe by utilizing pleated shorts — these are specifically the Christopher Gabardine Shorts by Norse Projects, which actually run all the way to size 38. Pleated details give off that dressed up/I know what I’m doing with my life type of look, so I wanted to keep that vibe going by incorporating the Adidas Wales Bonner knitted vest, which can be rocked with either a white tee, black tee or commando. I went with black just to match the rest of the fit while letting the vest do all of the talking through its colors.
Last but not least, a more dressier shoe option from Solovair to match the shorts and vest look. I’ve been wearing more dress-like shoes with shorts this summer and haven’t looked back. Don’t get me wrong, sneakers are great but there’s just something about keeping it classy with your footwear while keeping it casual above — I’ve been really enjoying it.
This concludes today’s outfit inspiration newsletter! This was surprisingly a lot of fun to write about and I’ll definitely do more of these in the future… Next time we’ll definitely have to dive into more accessories — couldn’t really do that this time, and the lack of belts from brands is concerning. We need more options!
For all of my paid subscribers, hit the button below to check out all the garments featured in today’s newsletter, with direct links to where you can purchase each piece — some pieces from today’s article will be on sale!
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The our legacy belt has me interested in a belt/accessories ideas guide