Our wonderful friend Paul H., whose been one of our closest friends since grad school, is extremely stylish. He’s a retired L.A. movie exec and current home/interior designer who always looks put together and casually chic, whether he’s working out or headed to dinner. He’s also really picky about his clothes (his wife stopped trying to buy him things years ago). Paul recently took his son, who was starting a new job in NYC, to Buck Mason for a “nice casual” wardrobe upgrade.
We asked Paul to put together a list of men’s essentials he recommends for both young adult men and “older” men to look current. Below, he shares overall fashion advice and specific Buck Mason picks. Thanks, Paul!
This Men’s Essentials List is based on both fashion rules handed down to me from my father, as well as my own fashion sense developed over the years.
- Match your belt color to your leather shoe color – brown with brown, black with black. If wearing belts with sneakers, either works depending on what else you are wearing.
- Match metals: belt buckles with shoe metal (e.g., Gucci Loafer Horsebit) and/or glasses.
- Glasses can also coordinate with clothing – brown with brown, black with black, but these can be mixed up as well for contrast.
- Color – while there are folks out there who can help determine what clothing colors work well with your skin, hair, etc., I believe everyone looks best in a classic, limited color palette. Further, my personal preference is to limit colors by season. This allows for a smaller wardrobe, which, in turn, is easier to pack for trips:
- Winter: Black, grey, dark navy, khaki, winter white
- Summer: Dark blue, grey, light khaki, white, pale yellow (works as a neutral)
- Pattern – I don’t wear much patterned clothing. It is often difficult to match with other things and therefore limits its use. I have found that patterned clothes just sit in the closet unworn. The only exceptions to this are:
- patterned suits and pants (plaid, checked, striped), which can be worn with the above solid colors
- ties
- bathing suits
- The above approach allows one to buy fewer, higher-quality items, which also has the added benefit of pieces lasting longer.
Buck Mason has a great line of classic clothing that is both timeless and fashionable, and can be worn by men of all ages. They are expanding their offerings in some amazingly designed new stores. I recently took my 29-year-old son to shop for Christmas in their two-story flagship store in Manhattan’s Soho neighborhood. Think of a very curated home with vintage European midcentury furniture, Japanese lighting, vinyls playing on a turntable, and offerings of Japanese whiskey.
Here are some of our favorite looks:
PANTS
My son and I have different opinions on pant styles that are clearly generationally based. I personally like more fitted pants, while he likes a more baggy look. Both are great, and Buck Mason offers several styles:
Paperback Twill Ford Standard Chino – straight fit and tapered. Everyone should have a pair of chinos in their wardrobe. They can be dressed up or down, and the more they get washed, the more comfortable they are and the better they look. And they work well across all four seasons. I believe the “Uniform Khaki” color is the most versatile.
Cotton Twill El Camino Pant – tailored slim-straight fit. Clean, sharp look that can be worn year-round. Both colors work here, but I believe “Pearl Snap White” would look great with all the colors listed above.
Fox Sateen Ford Standard Pant – five-pocket jean-style pant great in “Natural” and “Navy”.
Craftsman Corduroy Ford Standard Jean – mid-rise, jean style, tapered corduroy pants. Great to have cords in your fall/winter/spring wardrobe for both warmth and style. I would stick with colors “Featherstone” and “Khaki”.
Buck Mason has many jeans options depending on your style:
Japanese Denim Ford Standard Jean – easy straight fit with tapered leg. I would wear these jeans. I personally am not a fan of black jeans unless they are dark black. Here, all the navy variations work.
Japanese Denim Maverick Slim Jeans – great jean look (I would wear these too), and again, all the colors work except for the worn black option.
Japanese Loomstate Selvedge Full Saddle Jean – straight fit all the way down the leg. My son would wear these. Selvedge is a Japanese, very stiff denim that looks vintage.
Bryceland’s X Buck Mason Denim 933 Jeans – these are great-looking, dark black jeans.
SHIRTS
Again, I believe everyone should have a few classic long-sleeve white and blue shirts in their wardrobes. They can be worn year-round, alone or under sweaters or jackets, and with khakis, slacks, jeans, or shorts.
California Oxford Button-down (BD) – These are classic shirts that are worn by all ages. They look the best when the collar is unbuttoned. Sleeves can be rolled up long or tight or be left down with cuffs unbuttoned. Great for all seasons with pants or shorts. Everyone should have at least one of each color – “Lake End on End” and “White”.
Wornwell One Pocket Shirt – Another great, simple classic, this time without a button-down collar. Great in “White” and “Blue End-on-End”. I would stay away from patterned options.
NEP Denim Western Shirt – a very dark western shirt with white snap buttons. Denim shirts work in any season and are great on their own or over a white t-shirt. I would wear them with khakis, cords, or white pants or shorts. Note: Don’t wear jeans on jeans, unless you have super light-worn jeans and a dark jean shirt or jacket.
Old Herc’ Denim Work Shirt – a more standard-looking dark denim shirt with white buttons (not snaps). Would look great in the summer with white pants.
SWEATERS
Sweaters are for all seasons. Depending on the temperature, they can be cotton, wool, cashmere, or a blend. Everyone needs at least one for the summer and another for the cooler seasons. They can be worn alone or over a t-shirt or a collared shirt.
Seafarer Cotton Rib Crew – a great-looking summer sweater in a ton of colors. I would stick with the following colors – “Vintage Navy”, “Sand Dollar”, and “Dried Lemongrass”.
California Cashmere Cable Crew – for cooler times, cashmere is super comfortable. Go with “Natural” or “Black”.
Heritage Wool Collared Cardigan – My son and I like cardigans, but he is particularly fond of this one, given its short cut. Buy in “Dark Navy” and wear alone or over a tee.
Yuma Hemp Rib Knit Pocket Tee – This is more of a lightweight sweater and is great for warmer weather. Wear alone or under a jacket. I like the following colors: “White”, “Washed Navy”, or “Husk Yellow”.
JACKETS
Buck Mason has a lot of great-looking jackets that can be worn with any of the pants outlined above:
Felted Field Shirt – short wool button jacket for three seasons. This is a great look that can be dressed up or down in either “Black” or “Deep Charcoal”.
Storm-Stopper Bomber Jacket – another great three-season jacket, this time with a more casual zip, in “Black” and “Blue”.
Japanese Twill Belted-Back Chore Jacket – a great summer casual, almost blazer look in “Natural”.
Breakwater Sportster Jacket – a classic preppy cotton zip summer jacket in “Natural”.
BLAZERS
Woolen Cashmere Carry-on Jacket – we both love this look. This unstructured jacket (no lining) blazer comes in a classic “Camel” color and would look great with nice slacks, jeans, cords, or khakis. Great for travelling and a good value.
SUITS
While I grew up in a generation that wore suits and ties every day, and therefore I had an extensive wardrobe of both, today most men don’t wear suits. However, you need at least one suit for certain meetings and more formal events like dinners, weddings, and funerals. I think it also looks great to wear a suit out at night with a t-shirt and sneakers.
Buck Mason has a great suit that can be worn for all the above events, but can also be worn as separates – so you can wear the pants with a shirt and/or sweater, and the jacket with jeans or khakis. My son and I agree that this is a good value:
Three-season Graduate Pant and Three-season Graduate Jacket in “Navy”.
