Written by Paddy Maddison in Tips & Advice on the 24th July 2017

Trends, we’ve all been there: popper pants, flares, oversized beanies, cuffed jeans - what do they all have in common? That’s right, they look awful and everyone who ever wore them is embarrassed by their ill-judged style decisions. However, it doesn’t have to be this way and – we can’t stress this enough – you don’t need to follow every single trend that comes along in order to look good, quite the opposite in fact. If you want to be able to look back at photographs of yourself in ten years without wincing and involuntarily clenching your arse cheeks, you need to start building a wardrobe of timeless classics – the kind of clothes that will look as good in twenty years as they do today. A good place to start is by creating a solid capsule wardrobe of essential items that can be mixed and matched with almost anything, to help you achieve a personal style that will remain relevant year after year, decade after decade.

A Slim Twin-Vent Blazer 

When picking out a blazer for your capsule wardrobe you want something that treads the line between smart and casual. Something that can be just as easily dressed up or down. For this reason, it’s probably best to stick to light colours. Picking a jacket with twin vents is also a solid style choice as it makes it easier to sit down and is a bit of a British institution, really.

A Classic White Oxford Button Down Shirt  

Again, this classic style is an essential for your wardrobe’s backbone due to its endless versatility. It can easily be paired with jeans, chinos or pretty much any bottoms you choose. White is the only colour choice here, as again, it’s super versatile and will look clean when worn smart or casual.

A Quality Pair of Chinos 

When picking a pair of chinos look for a slim fit, but not skinny. You’re going for timeless style that isn’t tainted by trends here and skinny jeans are a trend, albeit a very long running one. You can’t go wrong with a slim fitting chino: it’s smart, clean and will never go out of style.

Brown Wingtip Brogues  

Again, versatility is key here, that’s why you should go for brown. The wingtip brogue is a classic style that has been favoured by stylish gents for centuries. Out of all the elements of your capsule wardrobe this is probably the area where you’re going to want to spend a little more. You get what you pay for and if you pick a good set of shoes, they’ll be loyal to you for as long as you look after them.

A Work Jacket/Overshirt 

You’ve got a smarter jacket in the form of your blazer now but you’re also going to need a more casual option that will look great with anything. A work jacket is a good choice because it’s not too sporty or modern but is definitely still interesting and certainly isn’t going anywhere soon. Perfect for layering, or just throwing on over a T-Shirt in the warmer months – which brings us to our next point.

Plain White T-Shirts  

Here’s an item you can stock up on given its relative cheapness. Just make sure to shop around and find the fit that suits you best. You’ll find that all the obvious high-street shops’ T-Shirts fit slightly differently from one another, and once again, you will get what you pay for. Spend £2 on a tee and you can guarantee it’s going to be four sizes too small after the first wash.

High Quality Slim Fit Indigo Jeans 

Slim is a timeless cut; indigo is a timeless colour and jeans are another area where you need to splurge a bit to get the best results. Whether you go for raw denim or washed denim; selvedge or non-selvedge – at the end of the day they’re all just style choices. As long as the denim is a decent weight (above 14oz at least), the fit is good and they feel comfortable then you can’t go far wrong.

White Trainers 

To top off your capsule wardrobe you’ll want a pair of white trainers. They go with everything and are always going to look good. The trend at the moment is for low-top, leather sneakers, and they’re still a good option, but if you really want timeless style then a pair of canvas trainers is where it’s at. Namely converse, possibly the most versatile trainer on the face of the earth. If you want to jazz it up a bit? then try a pair of Jack Purcells or Chuck Taylor 1970’s for an added bit of individuality.

We feature High Quality Slim Fit Indigo Jeans and Brown Wingtip Brogues in this guide to Essential Items to Form Your Wardrobes Backbone.