Power Of The Interchangeable Wardrobe | 120 Outfits From 14 Pieces Of Clothing

120 outfits.

From just 14 pieces of clothing?

A new outfit everyday for 4 months?

Really?

It is possible IF you focus on interchangeability in your wardrobe.

What is an interchangeable wardrobe?

An interchangeable wardrobe is when every piece of clothing in your closet works with nearly every other item.

The advantages of building an interchangeable wardrobe are

Less clothing and therefore less clutter in your wardrobe.
More money to spend on quality clothes which fit better.
More clothing combinations from less clothes .
No worry dressing because everything matches.

In this article I go over the The Power of the Interchangeable Wardrobe.

Want to win your own interchangeable wardrobe for free?

Click here to join Ledbury’s newsletter and be automatically registered to win $1500 in clothing. I use their images and clothing in this presentation and can tell you first hand they have amazing shirts, jackets, ties, and trousers!

120 Outfits from 14 Pieces of Clothing – Click Here To Watch the Video

Click Here To Watch The Power of the Interchangeable Wardrobe Video

The Foundation of an Interchangeable Wardrobe

Before you head off to the store to start building your wardrobe there are a few things to take note of.

The first step is to understand why you want an interchangeable wardrobe.

See the image below – 14 items that work with each other can yield you 120 outfits! Quality does triumph Quantity!

You want to get the most for your money, which means less clothes, more quality, more outfits. You need to build the foundation first.

An interchangeable wardrobe is comprised of foundation pieces.

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This means that all the pieces involved can be used with each other. Forget about glamour when building this part of your closet.

The three main characteristics that makeup foundation pieces are:

Fit
Quality
Matching

1. Interchangeable Wardrobe Foundation #1 – Fit

In order to attain a perfect interchangeable wardrobe, the clothes have to fit well.

What does this mean?

It means know your measurements.

One tip I tell people is to go to the tailor simply to find your measurements and write them down.

Once you know your personal sizes this makes online shopping much less painful.

You won’t need to waste time feeling unsure about your purchases or returning items.

Once you know your sizes, a fit guide like this one can aid you in finding the perfect dress shirt.

It also means find the brand that fits you best.

If you can find a brand where the clothes fit you right off the rack, this is a bonus.

If not, find the brand that fits the closest to your size and let the tailor correct the minor things.

2. Interchangeable Wardrobe Foundation #2 – Quality

The beautiful benefit of owning a leaner wardrobe means you can focus in on quality.

When you have less clothes to buy, the focus is now on more important things like fabric, durability, and stitching.

A common question I get asked is “Which pieces should I start with?”

If I were to make an order of operations for buying quality clothes it would look like this:

Jackets/Shoes + Trousers + Shirts + Accessories = Interchangeable Wardrobe

Go in this order when making purchasing decisions.

Jackets & Shoes

These items are the first pieces people will notice when you walk into a room.

They are also the items that will probably be the highest investment decision to make.

When making your purchasing decisions, stick to the basic colors.

Go with navy, gray, and olive green for jackets, and brown or black for shoes. Oxblood is a strong second choice.

You don’t need to buy five jackets and five shoes at once either.

Start with two jackets and one pair of shoes, then move on to complete the outfit. You can revisit jackets and shoes again later.

Not sure what store to start at? Ledbury offers high quality jackets which are perfect colors for an interchangeable wardrobe.

Once you have these items, building the rest of your wardrobe becomes much easier.

Trousers

People can tell if you are wearing a $25 pair of denim or a higher grade pair.

You need to be looking for durable trousers made from a nice canvas, whether it’s jeans or dress slacks.

This means look for superior denim, flannel, twill, and even a soft wool for the winter time.

This investment goes a long way because high quality trousers will sustain the wear and tear from your every day activity.

Ledbury offers a wide range of color and durability that fills the interchangeable wardrobe characteristics.

Shirts

Pause here for a second.

Your purchasing decisions should include several shirts. I recommend starting with a minimum of 5 shirts, but 10 is a stronger number.

You will be looking for different variations of light blues and whites to begin with.

Why?

They are the most versatile colors. They match nearly every trouser and jacket you pair with them.

You can change the style and patterns minimally but solids of these colors are your best bet.

The Ledbury shirt selection is a great starting point for colors and patterns to fit your interchangeable wardrobe

Accessories

These are the icing on the cake. After you own complete outfits you can start to incorporate the details.

What specific details are used in an interchangeable wardrobe?

This would be your brown and black belts and dress socks. It also could include a quality watch, or a cotton pocket square. Neckties are a fundamental accessory as well.

A navy grenadine necktie is a core accessory piece to incorporate in your wardrobe. An important concept to remember about ties is:

As your neckties get lighter in color, they become less interchangeable.

3. Interchangeable Wardrobe Foundation #3 – Matching

This is the part where your interchangeable wardrobe comes together.

Nothing else we’ve talked about up until now matters if your clothes don’t match.

This part is integral.

There are four elements to matching your interchangeable wardrobe together.

1. Style

2. Texture

3. Pattern

4. Color

First – Style

Before you begin putting together your wardrobe you need to ask yourself “What is your individual style?”

Are you a casual dresser? Or are you more formal?

If you don’t know your personal style yet ask yourself, “Who/what do you represent?”

Is it your family? Is it your business? Is it your employer? Is it yourself? Is it a position you desire to be in?

Once you can answer these questions you can begin to formulate an image of how that person would look.

Then you can begin to build your wardrobe around that.

Second – Texture

This element of matching is the most ignored and the most underused.

Items that are the same color can be matched with each other if there is enough contrast in the texture. Keep this in mind when shopping.

Additionally, smooth textures like linen and cotton blend exceptionally well with coarser textures like flannel and wool.

Understanding this concept is key for an interchangeable wardrobe.

Third – Patterns

For your foundation pieces patterns that are small or nonexistent is the goal.

Solid colors are best, but if you want to incorporate some patterns keep them minimal.

Patterns like pinstripe, herringbone, or small checks are fine.

For your core wardrobe a good rule of thumb to follow is this:

Are your patterns noticeable from a distance?

Yes? – Take it down a notch.

No, they are only seen up close. – Perfect.

As your patterns become louder, they become less interchangeable.

Fourth – Color

There are basic colors to stick with as you are building your core wardrobe.

Variations of white and blue will be the most interchangeable.

Find which colors work best for your skin type, your hair color, and your other interchangeable pieces.

You can refer to my Color Coordination for Men article which goes into detail on which colors work best for different skin types based on science.

Gray is considered a non-color, which means you can match it with just about anything.

I personally have dark hair and light colored skin, so I stick to darker colors like gray, olive green, and navy.

I mix that with light colored shirts to give my outfit a complimentary contrast.

How would you like to win an interchangeable wardrobe?

Click here to visit Ledbury and sign up for their interchangeable wardrobe giveaway. Hurry, the offer ends soon!

Interchangeable Menswear Clothing Featured In The Video

Jackets

Blue sports jacket – I feel a blue sports jacket is a core wardrobe staple. Darker blues such as navy made from a worsted wool are classic and versatile, while lighter true blues from flannel (such as the one seen in the video) are perfect for the man who owns more than 3 sports jackets and wants a color that commands attention.

Brown sports jacket – The brown jacket is another foundational piece. I recommend combining it with any of the trousers seen in the video, as this will be one of your most versatile items. Wool and flannel fabrics add texture which provide a natural superior look and feel.

Green sports jacket – Deep olive green in wool and cashmere blends work great for the man who has a medium to light skin complexion. It brings out a nice contrast to the overall look. Combining it with lighter color shirts also exposes the earthy tones in the jacket.

Grey sports jacket – We’ve touched on this before, but gray is a non-color and can match any item in your interchangeable wardrobe. You can even wear it with other grays as long as it has enough contrast in texture to tell the difference.

Trousers

Navy chino – They navy chino is a great option for the business casual look. Look for a twill and a twill cotton canvas when making purchasing decisions.

Brown moleskin trousers – Again, brown is one of the foundation colors that will fit interchangeably with the rest of your wardrobe. Really try and make this your first or second trouser purchase.

Stone colored chino – The stone color is close cousins to khaki, but a little lighter. This is a versatile piece due to their neutral shade and ability to blend with patterns and solids alike.

Olive moleskin trousers – Olive trousers are another optimal choice for the business casual look. The dark earthy tone creates a harmony that is just formal enough to mean business and just casual enough to relax in. Mix this piece with a solid white or blue to bring out the professional side and a light micro-pattern to bring out the casual.

Classic dark jeans – Solid dark wash denim can take the place of chinos and dress slacks and still keep your outfit looking professional. Denim is an interchangeable piece for the manager who works in the field and still needs to maintain a professional look, and the guy going on a date who wants to dress up but still feel casual.

Shirts

White poplin shirt – The white dress shirt will be your initial purchase when buying shirts. You will want 2-3 of these in your interchangeable wardrobe from the start. The quality to look for here is poplin and 100% cotton.

Blue royal twill – Coming in at the second most interchangeable shirt will be your light blue. If you notice your jackets are all darker colors and your shirts are lighter. This is intentional, as the light color shirts acts as the base of the entire outfit. This is why solid colors are best.

Timeless blue and white plaid – The plaid is for the man who prefers to dress a little more business casual. Again, keeping the colors blue and white helps with the interchangeability.

Plaid Twill in purple – I would place a plaid, light purple shirt, in the middle of the interchangeability scale. Save purchasing this color for after you have established your blue and white foundation pieces.

Purple gingham checks – Remember the rule. The louder the pattern, the less interchangeable it becomes. Checks can be a bold pattern. This is definitely a shirt to buy after you have your interchangeable wardrobe established. It’s a great option to wear for someone looking to expand their palate a little.

Gray long sleeve polo – This is a go to item for the interchangeable wardrobe. A gray long sleeve polo is great for business casual and when wanting to travel comfortably.

Neckties

Navy blue grenadine – This is a must have for the interchangeable wardrobe. The solid navy tie can be worn with every color shirt and jacket in the video above.

Blue woven tie – Remember as your ties get lighter in color they become less interchangeable. That being said, this is another solid item with textured patterns. It’s a great piece to add some variety in your versatility.

Purple silk tie – A 100% silk tie is a must have for the quality. The dark purple tie is one of your more versatile pieces. It’s a close second to the navy grenadine. Purple is an ideal refresher color and goes well with darker suits to add some character to your outfit. This tie can be used with most of the colors in your interchangeable wardrobe.

Gray textured tie – The dark gray gives this a pop sensation when worn with a suit. Usually you want to pair this with another color to add some contrast. This piece works best when combined with your jackets.

Shoes

- Oxfords – The oxford is a classic and timeless dress shoe. It’s a must have for every man’s wardrobe. It falls on the more professional side of dress shoes, usually accompanied with a cap toe.

Chukka boots – For more casual days with jeans and a sports jacket. Dark brown is the color of choice for shoes because of its versatility.

Wingtips – A pair of brown wingtips adds a hint of playfulness to your outfit while ensuring a smart appearance. Wingtips are usually mixed together with decorative brogue perforations, making this shoe a little more on the casual side.

Loafers – Leather slip-on shoes are a convenient and comfortable choice for frequent travelers. Wear them with jeans, chinos. If you’re feeling bold enough to emulate the Italians, go sockless with a pair of dress pants.

Double monk-strap – My go-to pair of shoes. In Oxblood, a pair of double monk strap leather shoes will match almost any outfit combination you can put together in your interchangeable wardrobe.

When you learn to shop for versatile clothing, you can have an expansive interchangeable wardrobe using a relatively small amount of clothing. Most of your outfits will complement each other.

You can pick any combination of clothes and rest assured that the outfit will be both stylish and comfortable.

Click here to view the full infographic – One Week Outfit Plan with only 13 Pieces of Clothing

Final Words

Now that your wardrobe is coming together, you can incorporate some minor variations that will keep your wardrobe different while still interchangeable.

One example is collar type. Different collars are a great way to spice up an outfit. Check out my Dress Shirt Collar Overview article to learn more about the different types.

If your style is a little more casual start introducing small micropatterns into your wardrobe.

Another option is to begin to add dark wash denim in place of chinos and dress slacks.

The darker denim is a great replacement and still holds the formality of business casual.

Different styles of shoes can add some flavor as well. Whether it’s a wingtip, a cap toe oxford, or a loafer, each shoe can be interchangeable with every outfit.

The whole point here gentleman is to focus in on quality, and obtain the highest number of outfits for the least amount of money.

That is the power of the interchangeable wardrobe.

Want to win your own interchangeable wardrobe for free?