Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette. In today's video, we discuss ten items
that you probably have in your wardrobe but really don't need, and probably should get rid of.
[The Gentleman's Gazette theme song plays]
Building a wardrobe and developing your personal style is a journey. And just like any journey,
you may come along things that you like at a time but they won't work for you later on. However,
with clothes, instead of shedding ourselves of our old skin, often
those clothes just keep piling up and staying with us in our closets. The problem is: not only would
these pieces be better off with someone else who would actually wear and appreciate them,
but those pieces also detract from the things you actually want to wear
but maybe you just can't see. The first thing you don't need anymore
is that black suit that you initially bought when you didn't have a clue about fit; that is probably
fused with a canvas and that you wouldn't feel comfortable wearing to a funeral anymore.
I get it. We all started somewhere. I had a charcoal suit that my dad wore for his wedding.
You may buy one that you think is versatile,
but it may be a blended fiber with polyester... [Raphael exhales strongly to compose himself]
[Blooper Cartoon: "But my stomach don't feel so good."]
Maybe it's a bit of a shiny wool or is polyester-blended
or it simply is not the style anymore that you would like,
and it's simply not up to snuff anymore. So, what's wrong with black,
you might ask? You've seen the suits in Men in Black or Reservoir Dogs, and you thought
Will Smith looked pretty cool in it. So, why can't you wear one? Chances are you felt like Tom Ford
the first few times you wore it until you realized when standing from the mirror that something was
off and you couldn't quite put your finger on it. You then probably realized that a black suit and
a white shirt and maybe a red tie, or something else that's really bold, was pretty much the only
combination you could wear. Because even with a light blue shirt, the black suit just looks weird.
To learn more about black and why it's one of the most overrated colors in menswear,
please check out this video guide here. If you look back at old photos, you may even see that
the vents weren't undone at the time and chances are you buttoned all your buttons because you were
just starting out and learning and didn't know how you should button suits and jackets properly.
To learn how it's done, check out this video here. If you're anything like me, you look back
at old photos where you wore those suits and you just have to cringe at the kind of baggy fit,
the wide shoulders, and maybe the white pants. And it's not just limited to black suits. For example,
for my high school graduation, I wore this white suit that was made of a Nehru jacket and had this
kind of Mao collar, and I found a white shirt and there were black square-toed shoes. And it
was just horrible. And, I mean, just look at the pants and how they were puddling. But I thought
I looked like a million bucks. I know there might be a sentimental value; it's your first suit. But
now that you realize that maybe a charcoal or a navy are so much more versatile and have the same
effect of a black suit, you probably don't need it anymore. And honestly, it's okay to let go.
Of course, if it's the only black suit you have and it fits you reasonably well, check out the
video on when to wear a black suit, so you can still get some life out of it. But, for most men
in most situations, it's not something that you'll wear often. And therefore, it's better
to get rid of it. The second thing you should get rid of is that blazer, sport coat, or jacket
that you had for years and meant to wear, but you just never did. The second I said this,
it probably popped into your mind in all its eye-peeling glory. I mean, we all have a piece
that we once bought, that was a little bolder and more daring, and we thought looked really
handsome. Truth of the matter is: we hardly ever wore it, if at all, and it's still in your closet.
And now, our style and our taste level have changed. You probably experiment with your
style and that's okay. I mean it doesn't have to be a jacket. It can be a sweater or a knitted polo
shirt in turquoise with orange horizontal stripes. Often, you probably got this item marked down in
the first place, because it was on clearance and it seemed like a great deal, no matter
if you bought it, in a retail store or on eBay. initially, you might think, "Well, it looks really
great on the mannequin." But, once you have it in your hands and you have to combine it with a shirt
and pants and shoes and try to create a cohesive outfit that doesn't look over the top, it gets a
lot more tricky and that exactly is the problem. Unless you're really into preppy style, and you
can learn more about that here, you probably won't get much use out of a madras sport coat.
Personally, I love to wear madras patterns, but I also have a passion for this. This is my business.
And I'm a collector and we use it for videos. You might not be so inclined to wear this bold kind
of jacket. As you can see, there's no absolute right or wrong answer. It's all about you and
how a garment makes you feel. And if you don't feel comfortable wearing it, which is probably
why you haven't worn it for the last four years, you probably should get rid of it. Or sometimes,
you may have seen a character wearing something cool in a movie that you really liked;
just think of the pink jacket that Robert De Niro wore in Casino,
but when you actually end up getting it, you don't look anything like it.
I mean, just because I wear a waxed cotton jacket that Steve McQueen wore, doesn't mean I look like
him. So, if you go through your closet and you see items that don't make you excited to wear them,
that don't make you feel confident, it's probably time to rid yourself of them. The third item you
should get rid of are so-called "goal" items: "goal" pants, or "goal" jackets. They're just in
the wrong size, they don't fit you, and you always hope that you get there but you, in fact, haven't.
When you're younger, you take it for granted to have a 30 a 32 or 34-inch waist.
Unless you're Preston, then you have a 28 or 27 waist. But, that aside, when you get older,
typically, you gain more weight. And yes, it's a good idea to workout, to remain fit, and in shape.
But, it's getting progressively harder. Now, don't get me wrong. It's great to
have an aspirational fitness goal and to work on a regular basis. But,
if you have pants in your closet that have been too tight for years, what are the chances
that they will magically fit now or half a year from now?
Probably not that big. Keep in mind, that spot in your closet could be occupied by something that
actually fits you and that you will like to wear. In my mind, it's better to put a fantasy to rest
and actually get something that you can wear in the real world and enjoy it. Also, remember, keep
the things that work for the body you have, not for the body you wish you had. And the good thing
with quality clothes is there's typically quite a bit of reserve so you can make things bigger. But,
if you're not quite sure about what an alterations tailor can and cannot do, we have a video for you.
Number four: that "great deal" that has the tags still on it years after was probably not that
great a deal after all. I know I like getting a good deal and so do many others. The problem is
we often time look at the initial cost rather than the cost per wear. For example, I like to
wear green, I'm wearing a green sport coat today, but I bought this lime green duffle coat that was
really inexpensive and I haven't worn it other than for a video on what not to wear. I bet
you have an item like that, too. Every time you open a wardrobe you can see it and it's there,
but the only thing it's really wearing is layers of dust. Chances are you bought it on a whim,
you thought about wearing it next season, and the season came and went and it came and went and you
just never wore it. Do your closet and wallet favor, put it on eBay so someone else can learn
from a mistake like that or just donate it. The fifth item to get rid of is probably a Hawaiian
shirt, unless you live in Hawaii or in a similar environment where you can wear it often. Yes,
on the one hand, it's a classic menswear item, but it has been abused for "business casual Fridays"
and "business casual everydays." Yes, the aloha shirt has been around in the US since the 1940s,
but is the epitome of something that's really not versatile at all. Of course, if you love wearing
it for a Halloween party or you want to look like a cheesy tourist, by all means, keep it.
Otherwise, probably time to get rid of it. The sixth thing you should get rid of are
square-toed shoes or shoes you bought early on, in weird shapes that you would like then
but just don't end up wearing. I certainly had those. My dad's from Brazil. And when we
were in Brazil, there was this brand called Ferracini and they had really chunky, wide,
toe-box shoes. And I thought they were the hot ****.
Even though the toe box may be round, sometimes you have shoes
that are just odd like this pair here.
And I still have it because sometimes I need negative examples for videos here. But frankly,
this one is so bad, I'll just donate it. Just think back to the time you bought your first
pair of dress shoes. Maybe you were at the store and you thought you wanted to buy some quality,
but then you saw the prices and we're like, "Well, the sales lady tells me that these shoes look
really great on me and they're really inexpensive so I get those" And then you wore them for a year
and realized, "Well, this is actually really worn out. Let's move on to the next pair." At least,
that's my experience. As you learn more about Oxfords, derbies, and Goodyear-welted shoes,
you realized that there was a huge difference between those glued, cardboard-insert shoes that
you can buy for a hundred dollars from Johnston & Murphy or any other brand of that caliber. Yes, I
get it. There's sentimental value and it's hard to part with something that served you as a stepping
stone and that, maybe, you have memories attached to. But, frankly, it's time to go for these
shoes. The seventh thing to leave behind are those novelty or bold or dated ties or other accessories
that you maybe inherited from your uncle. No, not all vintage ties are bad. I love vintage ties;
their very classic sophisticated pattern. But, then there's also the color palette of ties
that is really bold and just odd. And even though you tell yourself that you're a prep
guy and that you'll wear it eventually, you just never will because they're too bold and
look weird. Now, I'm not just talking about these obvious Mickey Mouse ties
and dollar bill ties and sports team ties. But, about ties that have maybe somewhat of
a classic pattern but maybe even the color range is totally off, it's very 90s-inspired. And yes,
that may come back in style but, frankly, do you want to wait around for three decades just in case
you like it again? Probably not. Especially if you store ties on top of each other, it becomes very
easy to block all the ones you'd actually like to wear and that work with your existing wardrobe.
The eighth item to get rid of are items that you enjoyed wearing and love, but are now frayed and
simply worn out. We've all had that go-to shirt we owned for years; it was probably white or light
blue, but now, if you take a closer look, you can see the cuffs are worn out, you can see the
interlining, same with the collar, and maybe it has stains, and it's just obvious. And you should
not wear it anymore in a regular rotation. Now, if you say, "Well, I'm at home. Can I wear it there?"
Yes, you can. I like to wear them for gardening or cooking and, sometimes, maybe there are other
things you can do with it. I talked to a craftsman who wrapped pipes with old shirts that he then
starched. But that's an extreme, rare use case and if it doesn't apply to you, it is okay to
get rid and throw away an old worn out shirt. One thing I like to do is cut up all the mother of
pearl buttons so I have plenty of spares in case a button should ever come off on a different shirt.
The ninth thing you should get rid of are any bold, jewel-toned dress shirts. Chances are,
when you first learned about dress shirts, you were enamored with a bold-colored blue,
purple, or turquoise shirts.
And we liked red or deep maroon or shiny black in kind of polyester blends that just looked flashy.
You might even watch "The Office" or "Better Call Saul" or watch some Hollywood celebrity wearing it
and thought, "That's what I want." The problem is these really harsh contrast typically scream, "I
have no clue what I'm doing. I'm a novice to dress shirts." No matter what your complexion, white,
light blue, or other pastel tones maybe green or yellow or pink are so much more versatile and make
you look better; that having those bold colored shirts are simply something you should get rid of,
even though they may still be in perfect condition.
By the way, to learn more about what colors work for your complexion
and what to skip, check out this video here. Last but not least, one item to get rid of is that faux
pleather jacket that you probably invested in when real leather prices scared you off.
Likewise, you may have gotten a real leather jacket but the cut was just baggy and saggy,
and it's just not flattering at all. Also, when you first bought your leather jacket,
you thought it fit like a glove, but if you look at it in the mirror now,
you realize the sleeves are too long or too short or it's too wide or too slim. And unlike
with a jacket made out of fabric, it's much harder to do alterations on a leather jacket. They're
also more costly and more visible, so you really have to think twice about whether it's worth
altering your leather jacket or just starting all over. I used a pleather
jacket from Italy that I loved, but the fit was just off. So, when I came across the Belstaff
Trialmaster leather jacket that had a nice color, was water-repellent, and it fit me really well,
especially in the sleeves and at the right length, I was like
"That's it!" and I got rid of the other jacket way earlier because
it was just not a good fit for me. So, that's just something to keep in mind.
Now, you're stuck with a pleather jacket from a brand like Forever 21 or H&M. They may have a
good cut, but they're just not meant to last and any kind of vegan leather or pleather
is just not something that will age nicely over time and develop that rich patina that
makes leather jackets so desirable. That being said, most pleather is also not
very environmentally-friendly. Now, you could argue leather is also hard in the environment,
especially if it's chrome-tanned, but that's subject of an entirely different video. That
being said, stay tuned for a more in-depth video on vegan leather and other alternatives. So, watch
this video. What do you guys have in your wardrobe that you either have already gotten rid of or that
you should part ways with now? Please share in the comments. In today's video, I'm wearing a green
Isaia jacket and I'll show you how I bought it , in this video. I know, for some of you, this might
be a jacket that you should get rid of because it doesn't make you feel confident and you don't wear
it. But, for me, it works just fine. My shirt is a light blue linen shirt with a button-down collar
from Spier & Mackay. My tie is green with tones of blue and orange from Fort Belvedere. You
can find it in the shop, just like my white hand-woven, handcrafted linen pocket square
with contrast x-stitches. It picks up the light blue of my shirt as well as the white and blue of
my seersucker pants. They're from Berle and I'm combining them with a pair of two-tone
navy and white solid two-tone socks, likewise from Fort Belvedere, and a pair
of olive green derby shoes in a modern Parisian last from Carlos Santos from Portugal.
[The Gentleman's Gazette theme song plays]