Style Advice For The Recent Grad

Now that you’ve graduated from college, it’s time that you started dressing like an adult. Here are 5 simple wardrobe upgrades you can make to take your look to the next level.

White and Blue Oxford Shirts:

These shirts are tough, comfortable–versatile enough for the office and casual enough for the weekend. They should be slim fitting, can come with or without a pocket and are essential shirts that should be purchased before any dress shirts with stripes. A clean white shirt, dark jeans and black sneakers will never go out of style.

Look at Land’s End, J. Crew or Uniqlo

Dark Slim Fit Jeans:

Get straight leg, get relaxed, but whatever you do, make sure they are neat (no rips, whiskers or extreme fading), simple and don’t puddle around your ankles. These jeans should be kept clean enough for casual Fridays, but they should be loose enough for throwing a football in the park.

Look at Levi’s, J. Brand or Uniqlo

Black Captoes:

No matter what type of environment you dress for on a daily basis, more of your friends will be getting married and you will likely have job interviews when you need to dress to impress. Investing in a well-constructed, but entry level black cap toe, leather-soled dress shoe will provide a wardrobe upgrade to last for many, many years. The important details to look for are Goodyear welts, full leather sole (rubber in heel is ok), and fully closed lacing vs. open lacing (I.e. in a more casual derby shoe).

Look at Allen Edmonds, Kenneth Cole, or Cole Haan

Grey Hooded Sweatshirt:

Every guy wants casual sweats for chilly Saturday mornings or as a layer for going to the gym. This is the perfect place to represent your alma mater. Once your actual undergraduate classes are over, it’s time to ditch the fraternity/sorority mixer t-shirt from sophomore year. Doubly so if any t-shirts have sexual innuendo, no matter how clever.

Look at Russell, James Perse or H&M

Brown Loafers:

These should be the default, go-to pair for dressy weekends at any bar that doesn’t have puddles of beer on the floor. The loafer is casual, easy to slip on when you’re in a hurry, but also easy to slip off if you get lucky. Look for a dark leather that will age well and won’t show some light spills. These can have a partial rubber sole for extra traction on the dance floor. 

Look at APC, Cole Haan, or Kenneth Cole