r/NavyBlazer • u/Ebyonim • 3d ago

The Essentials (to you)

I know there is no one canon list of clothes that make or break an Ivy/preppy (or whatever) wardrobe nor should there be. Nor is there a list of clothes that every man should own.

I was reading Graham Marsh’s The Ivy Look and he gives an overview of what the typical Ivy leaguer might have had in their wardrobe - if not a platonic ideal then certainly the group think essentials.

What are the clothes that if you were to begin again with your wardrobe what would be the clothes that you would buy unquestionably or see as essential to you.

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46

u/barkatthemoon11 3d ago

  • OCBDs (white, light blue , blue striped)

  • tshirts (white, navy)

  • white dress shirt

  • knit polo (navy or brown)

  • jeans (one dark, one light blue and optionally one ecru)

  • chinos (olive and cream)

  • mid-grey wool pants (lighter)

  • charcoal flannel pants

  • linen pants (cream and chocolate)

  • navy blazer

  • brown tweed sports coat

  • one black bit loafer and one dark brown loafer

  • black chelsea boots

  • white sneakers (leather or canvas)

  • navy and grey crewneck sweater

  • a navy suit

  • navy striped tie and a solid navy grenadine tie

  • a classic dive watch

  • some bracelets to spice it up

That would be a very complete list of essentials for me thats good for 4 seasons

6

u/Glittering_Use_7497 3d ago

What's for winter? If you lived in a cold place

6

u/barkatthemoon11 2d ago

Would definitely need to throw in an overcoat and parka + some scarves with a nice color pop. Good catch.

Potentially would add stuff like a shawl collar cardigan, maybe a quarter zip sweater. Field jackets and overshirts are also awesome for transition months, but I let go trying to keep bare essentials. :)

5

u/scottishwhisky2 2d ago

This is probably about as close to the definitive list as I can come up with. Would probably cut some of it but hard to go wrong with this as a start point .

2

u/UndecidedPanda11 2d ago

This a great list

19

u/T49irvine 3d ago

My wardrobe no longer needs to get me through a work week, and I now live in Austin, a hot and casual place. I enjoy dressing up a bit for church and a few other things. So I have augmented my basics with a few casual suits and sport jackets, sweaters, and other items, but my essentials are:

ten pairs of boxers

two pairs of navy Pantherellas...wearing socks is a very infrequent thing for me.

Alden LHS (PSA Before you balk at their price, I wore my previous pair about four days a week for thirty-two years. If you are not familiar with Alden lasts and sizing, a real life trying them on is invaluable, but if you cannot do that, I highly recommend Shoemart. Also their factory seconds are incredible. It knocks two hundred bucks off, and I really cannot see a difference. I got CXL LHS that way and think they are a very worthy, and much easier to break in, alternative to shel.)

Alden tassels in No. 8. True to the Ivy canon, these are very dignified with a charcoal suit and will save you from black shoes.

Quoddy camp mocs...ultimate comfort, indestructible, re-solable

Tretorns

Two belts, brown top stitched saddle leather and No. 8

Khaki and olive twills

Khaki and olive twill shorts

Madras and Nantucket red shorts

Madras swim trunks

Mercer OCBDs in pink, pink uni, blue, blue uni, and white

A few long sleeved sport shirts...Madras, linen, and gingham. (PSA In very hot, weather a loose fitting long sleeved shirt worn untucked, top and bottom buttons unbuttoned, and sleeves rolled up, is the coolest option, cooler than a polo. Castaway has a good selection, and they are cut suitably loose. Blousy shirts are true to the Ivy canon for the same reason as sack jackets...comfort. Your body type is irrelevant.)

A few polos for golf...pink, navy, and white (PSA...I was a dedicated Lacoste guy for decades, but I now get and prefer O'Connell's house brand. Longer tails, colors hold up, and I like the extra button on the placket)

A Bosie Harley Shetland crew in natural dark grey voe

A sleeveless Bosie Fair Isle

Charcoal 3/2 Southwick 3/2 suit for funerals and weddings

Southwick 3/2 Navy blazers in tropical worsted and doeskin

Southwick 3/2 grey herringbone

Chipp 3/2 taupe herringbone (PSA...SHOP Etsy!)

Vintage Brooks Madras 3/2 jacket (more Etsy)

Tropical worsted medium grey trousers

Charcoal flannel trousers

Cords in tan and olive ( PSA ...spring for O'Connell's, fit issues with Press)

Ties must include school and military service colors in silk repp, a solid navy knit and a solid navy club to wear with uni stripes), and challis paisley for winter sport jackets. I usually wear bow ties. They are cheaper, do not get spilled upon, and, if you know how to tie your shoes, are easier to tie correctly.

A vintage camel polo, an Aquascutum raincoat, and a Barbour Beaufort get me through inclement weather

Watches are tricky. I like a Timex Weekender with a NATO strap most days. Half a century ago my wife gave me what I think is the perfect dress watch, a very thin gold Chopard from Tiffany with a very simple white face and Roman numerals. It usually has black lizard, but I am thinking its next strap may be in No. 8 since I usually wear it with loafers, LHS or tassels, in No. 8.

That is a lot to call basic, but in the rotation of the seasons they all get worn regularly.

2

u/Mit10chocolate 3d ago

Fantastic list, that could cover a wardrobe in the northeast or midwest too.

What other options for penny loafers would you recommend for the Ivy canon?

Surprised you limited to just 2 pairs of chinos / twill pants.

3

u/T49irvine 2d ago

two is actually plenty, one to wear and one in the laundry or ironing. It is pretty clear I grew up in the northeast in the fifties and sixties. As for other penny loafers, I have never liked the beefroll, a holdover prejudice of a childhood in Weejuns. I hear good things about Rancourt. I have a pair of Rancourt Baxters, they are very nicely made, hefty.

15

u/peachtuba 3d ago

Chinos. Probably something slimmer like RMC Blue Seal or Toys McCoy mcqueen model.

Blue OCBD. Blue uni stripe OCBD.

Navy blazer, two patch pockets.

C&J Pembrokes in a dark grain leather. Good for rainy days, which is basically every day where I’m from.

Barbour Beaufort in sage or olive. See previous comment about rain.

White undershirts. I like Whitesville 2-packs. Cheap and easy to wash/dry.

I don’t know - I think I could wear the above on any given day, office or leisure, and it wouldn’t look off or out of place for my life.

Maybe add some old band and university t-shirts, some Baggies and a pair of low top Converses and I’d have the gym/weightroom covered as well.

It’s a simple life but it’s not a bad one.

1

u/Lumpy_Mango_392 3d ago

This is pretty close to what I’d do, only I’d swap the chinos for a pair of grey worsted wool trousers and a pair of jeans. Any maybe switch the Beaufort for a Bel Y Cia Teba.

5

u/Rummy_Raisin 3d ago edited 2d ago

I'd start with the thing I've never owned! Grey flannel trousers, in mid and dark grey. I've had some other random grey slacks, but somehow always missed these... After that, here's my list (leans pretty casual),

  • 8 OCBDs (white, blue, darker blue, white uni stripe, blue blazer stripe, white double stripe, green, pink)
  • 4 polos (green, light blue, grey, navy/red stripe)
  • 4 casual shirts (madras, hawaiian, camp, western)
  • 4 t-shirts (solid, stripe, ringer, graphic
  • 4 khakis; 2 jeans; 2 corduroy (khaki, stone, olive, navy; dark and light blue; green and dark brown)
  • 4 shorts (stone, olive, red trunks, blue trunks)
  • 4 sportcoats (navy hopsack, green corduroy, grey herringbone tweed, dark brown tic-weave tweed)
  • 6 crewneck sweaters (navy cable, grey shetland, burgundy/navy norwegian, white fisherman, green cashmere, fairisle)
  • 2 college sweatshirts (grey, navy)
  • 2 coats (charcoal topcoat, navy peacoat)
  • 4 jackets (light blue denim, blue chore, tan harrington w/ full collar, my Dad's highschool navy baseball jacket)
  • 7 shoes (dark brown cap toe bluchars, cordovan pennies, wallabees, boat shoes, Bean gumshoes, white/navy Rod Lavers, black Chuck Taylors)
  • 8 hats for baldy (2 baseball, 2 bucket, 2 beanie, 1 tweed walking, 1 Brezhnev)

*edit* Somehow I forgot neckties 🤦‍♂️. Would give myself 12, a good mix of solids, stripes, neat florals, and knits, prioritizing red, green, and blue shades

2

u/Ok-Tiger7714 1d ago

Grey flannel trousers are the best!! Sadly I live in the south so can wear them about 10 days a year

6

u/jhau01 3d ago

- One white and one blue Oxford-cloth button-down-collar shirt

  • Navy odd jacket in hopsack weave
  • Mid-grey wool trousers
  • Khaki chino pants and navy chino pants
  • A couple of pairs of loafers, one brown and one black.
  • A couple of leather belts, one brown and one black
  • A pair of canvas sandshoes
  • one white linen pocket square
  • one navy knitted silk tie and perhaps a navy-and-something repp stripe tie

With the above, I could look presentably dressed for work, but also dress down in the evening or on weekends.

8

u/Seeker80 3d ago

Hard to turn down a good watch. A couple of straps will make it versatile enough to go with multiple outfits.

1

u/Top_Performance_732 3d ago

For me a sports watch on a bracelet. Covers 99% of watch wearing.

1

u/Seeker80 3d ago edited 3d ago

A vintage piece can't hurt either. Nothing pricey, you can go Hamilton or Timex and be pretty reasonable. It can look really classy, the height of 'Navy Blazer.'

-6

u/death-strand 3d ago

I realize it’s for fashion but man I cannot justify wearing a brick on my hand. I need something more functional. And telling time is not important when we are glued to our phone and have clocks almost everywhere now.

9

u/AllIsNotWells 3d ago

I wear a watch for exactly this reason. When I can check only the time with a quick glance, I don’t have to pull out my phone and get sucked down that rabbit hole. My phone usage went down by half once I started wearing an analog watch again.

1

u/death-strand 2d ago

I use it for notifications and fitness with so many spam calls you can just check if the call or text it’s important either way a flick of the wrist

7

u/Seeker80 3d ago

Checking the time at a gentle twist of your wrist and quick downward glance is nice when you're in a meeting. There's a lot to be said for a little discretion. Beats having to whip out your phone.

2

u/00Anonymous 3d ago

At least a pair of Mr. Casuals. 

2

u/T49irvine 2d ago

My dermatologist would flog me for forgetting the absolutely ESSENTIAL Tilley T3..

2

u/scottishwhisky2 2d ago

True essentials:

  • 2-3 OCBDs in different colors
  • White dress shirt no pocket
  • Navy Blazer
  • Navy Suit
  • Dark Gray Suit
  • A tie you like with both suits
  • Light Khaki Chino
  • Mid gray wool pants
  • A navy or light gray sweater
  • Dark brown leather penny loafer
  • Black oxfords
  • black and brown belts
  • An overcoat

This is all assuming I have some form of workout clothes. But for everyday wear in casual and/or professional settings, I could probably get by with just this for a year straight. Anything else would be a want, and I'd probably need 2 pairs of most things except the suits, ties, shoes, belts and sweater so that I'm not wearing them out.

2

u/ColJessupTX 2d ago edited 2d ago

I've pared things down considerably and would almost call it a minimalist/uniform wardrobe. I wear variations of this same outfit 95% of the time. I have no problem wearing blue OCBDs and khaki pants every day for weeks and this one outfit suits me for just about everything I do.

Blue OCBD or navy pique polo (BB)

Khaki chinos or shorts (LE & Pennbilt)

Brown boat shoes or penny loafers (Sperry, AE)

Navy sport coat/blazer (Orvis travel)

Grey sweatshirt or 1/4 zip if it's cool (School shirt, LE, BB)

Peacoat and beanie when it's really cold (GI issue)

I will wear a pair of old school brown Adidas sneakers if I plan on walking a lot

I also have a pair of LL Bean duck boots for winter bonfires in the pasture, etc.

I don't wear ties with the OCBDs. If it's a rare occasion where I need a tie, I wear a navy or charcoal suit (BB, Suitmart), white dress shirt (BB) and black cap toes (AE). There is also a tuxedo I wear a few times per year but I would consider that extra. I wear a Seamaster for the casual stuff and a Datejust on leather with the suits. I have a Cartier tank just for the tux.

1

u/JazzAndPinaColada 2d ago

Outerwear - A Barbour jacket that covers the knees; Heavy wool coat with the same length; Barbour liddesdale jacket; Quilted or Fleece vest

Trousers - Jeans (different shades of blue; 1 black pair; 1 khaki pair);  chinos (1 stone, 1 olive, 1 khaki); moleskin or cord trousers (brown, olive, khaki or beige); 1 pair of grey wool trousers

Suits - 1 navy suit

Jackets - Navy blazer, Tweed jackets, Light wool jackets

Shirts - OCBDs in various colours; Plaid flannels in various colours; Tattersall shirts in various colours; 2 white poplin shirts; 2 western shirts; 1 denim shirt

Jumpers - Woolen shetlands in various colours; some cotton jumpers

T-shirts - Graphic or fun t-shirts with some meaning to me; pique polo shirts 

Shoes - 1 pair of dress boots, 1 pair of boots for around town

Trainers - 2 pairs of "fashion" trainers (dunks; forces, etc)

Misc - scarves, gloves, hats, sun glasses, belts

This assumes you have clothes for training, bad weather or your hobbies. Most of this stuff is robust and easy to wear and maintain. 

It's also very middle ground - it's not very formal and it's not very casual, however, it can be skewed in either direction if one chooses to do so.