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I have come to realize that wardrobe plays an incredibly large part in each of our lives. From the way you feel, to the way you’re perceived, to what you’re able to do, to what it says about you; it really matters.

This is something I’ve put thought into for several years now and I think I’ve hit a point where I understand what it is exactly that I need out of my own clothes as well as what would make a great template for others (especially men).

A little about me:

• I am a 26 year old man myself who works a full time job but also writes on the side.
• I am very active, and love being involved in things like soccer, martial arts, hiking, climbing, and general fitness activities.
• I want to appear very athletic while also being taken seriously because I see myself as a Renaissance man.
• I like the idea of working a job that feels laid back, pursuing my own ventures on the side, having very close relationships with the people around me, expressing myself how I please, living in a very health-conscious way, and feeling free overall.
• I believe this all plays into the way I dress and present myself to the world.

Because I am the person I am with a lot of things to pursue at once, I’ve realized that simplicity is needed. For too long, I’ve tried to dress in my own version of extravagance, only to realize that too much time and mental energy goes into this when it should be going into my real-life pursuits.

Also, I find myself caring more about my clothes or my shoes when I should only be concerned with the activity I’m currently involved in. I came up with the saying one day while thinking about this concept:

“Are you wearing the shirt or is the shirt wearing you?”

It basically just means are you the main character or is the shirt? I would sometimes prioritize not messing up my outfit over enjoying my experience when the clothes are disposable, me and my life are not.

That being said, I like to live an active life (not in terms of fitness but in terms of activity and doing things) and I like to feel free to do whatever I want at a moment’s notice.

I am oftentimes going directly from work to the gym, my parents’ house to work, or multiple stops through the day. So I have to be somewhat planned and efficient with my time.

Here’s a breakdown of the decisions I’ve made with my wardrobe that allow me to accomplish whatever I need to, in the most efficient way possible, without feeling restricted:

Pants

The pants I wear are a huge deal to me. As funny as it sounds, my pants will have a big impact on the quality of my day.

I noticed a while ago that a lot of my pants wouldn’t let me squat or even bend my knees enough so I would often feel stiff from standing so straight.

I like to move a lot, it makes me feel better. Things like squatting, crossing my legs, sitting on the floor, laying on my side, etc are all things I want to do so my body feels better.

My old pants were not stretchy enough to do this. I swapped out several pairs for ones that were loose enough and stretchy enough. I feel much better because of this change and will not be going back.

Most men’s pants today are made in the style of “skinny”, “slim”, “slim straight”, or similar fits. I’ve found that something like an “athletic fit” is much better because there’s a bit more room and the pants have some elasticity to them.

I got so tired of pants not fitting me well. I used to wear pants with a bigger waist size just so the legs would have more room in them, but then I always had to wear a very tight belt.

I finally made a rule for myself that I would no longer wear pants that didn’t fit my waist or wouldn’t let me achieve a deep squat.

This is where something like travel pants come into play. These are an example of pants that present well for casual wear, but also can be worn while lounging.

I have a pair of Lululemon ABC Pants that fit this bill perfectly. They can be dressed up to look like dress pants or dressed down to look like sweatpants. They are very stretchy and have pockets so they work for any occasion for me.

Footwear

Shoes are an enormous deal to me and you would be well aware of this if you’ve been reading my stuff for a bit.

I mentioned I like to live a health-conscious lifestyle, this is why shoes matter to me. Its not so much for style as it is for letting my toes spread out, letting my feet get stronger, and keeping me more injury-proofed.

I don’t care if I’m at work, at an event, playing soccer, or hanging with a friend — my shoes have to be wide and zero-drop. No exceptions. Otherwise I’m just not wearing shoes, which I’m very okay with.

The shoes I used to wear destroyed my feet and played a part in me getting a couple serious injuries, so I’m not going back to that life. I want a functional and robust body that is ready for anything I’m doing. I won’t let my shoes limit that for me.

Because of the injuries I have suffered in the past and realizing the dysfunction in my feet and lower legs, I found the best type of footwear to be minimalist footwear for me. Most minimalist shoes are going to have a thin sole, wide toe box, zero-drop sole, be lightweight, and be flexible. This is exactly why I like the shoes. They are trying to mimic your bare feet which allows your feet to get stronger even while you’re wearing shoes.

For these reasons, I found Xero Shoes to be instrumental in my healing process when I was in the most amount of foot pain. I think when used responsibly, shoes like these can really help rebuild your body from the ground up.

Accessories

I’ve always been into jewelry, ever since I was a young kid.

I would wear necklaces and bracelets to school, wristbands and compression sleeves for sports; I just loved accessories. When I went away to school, I had a friend pierce my ears.

Now I try to wear simple but complimentary jewelry. I like stud earrings or little hoops, necklaces with small medallions, and bracelets that are simple but interesting. Nothing that is too dangly, heavy, or impairs my ability to get things done.

As I mentioned before, I really value my ability to move and navigate myself physically. I never want to feel limited in how I can get around. This plays into the way I dress with accessories now because when in doubt, I go simpler.

I have a tendency to overthink and overdo things that matter to me. So in an area like this, I’ve moved from wearing a couple bracelets, a necklace, and earrings all at once to maybe just earrings or a necklace and a bracelet to keep things simpler.

It may sound insignificant to you but these are the little things that make my day easier and help me be more adaptable throughout the day, not having to worry about minuscule things like getting wet, ruining my clothes, not having the right shoes on, etc.

Shirts

I have had a lot of fun in adapting the types of shirts I wear and the way I wear them.

For starters, I like dressing very casually but in a presentable way. I like putting effort in no matter what.

So with a t-shirt or long sleeve, I like something that has a nice v-neck, mini collar, or buttons at the top. The shirt should either be well-fitted so your abdomen looks like a V-shape and your shoulders are squared off or the shirt should be stretchy so you can wear it a bit tighter and show your physique if you’re into that.

I’ve come a long way from graphic t-shirts years ago, to pattern shirts like stripes or logos, to much more plain shirts. I want to look mature and command respect so I identified a while ago that graphic shirts or certain loud patterns can make you look more like a kid.

I still like to appear youthful, but wearing a plain, well-fitted shirt that stretches and has a classic style will be versatile and have you being taken seriously.

I have pretty light skin so I find the colors that compliment me year-round are ones like navy blue, maroon, charcoal, or even just black and white if you want to play it safe.

Versatility

The concept of clothing items being highly versatile also comes into play here.

It makes life much simpler: less decisions to make, less stuff to bring, more function out of fewer things. It’s very nice to have some clothes that serve multiple purposes.

I have a light Columbia jacket that is the epitome of this. It’s lightweight, water resistant, fitted nicely, a bit stretchy, and presents well. I can wear it to work out or to a nice dinner. I can wear it in the cold or in a more temperate climate. I could get away with having it as the only jacket I own other than a heavier winter jacket.

Another example is my Lululemon pants. They fit nicely, stretch a lot, provide room in the right places, and are lightweight. Again, I could wear these to work out or to a nice event. I could wear them on a cooler day or to work even though its hot in there.

Clothes that aren’t limiting are incredibly convenient to have because you won’t have to change during the day, make extra decisions about what to bring, or feel limited in what you can do. This is huge for people who live fast lives and are trying to accomplish different things throughout their days.

Like I said, I’m usually bouncing from place to place and trying to get things done wherever I am. I’m always very bothered when I forget important things or can’t do them because I’m restricted. The best way to offset this is with versatility, I have found.