Minimalism vs. Maximalism in Menswear: What’s Best for You?

If you’re a menswear enthusiast, you might have come across the terms “minimalism” and “maximalism.” Today, we’ll explore these concepts when it comes to clothing and accessories, and discuss how to get them right.

What Do These Terms Mean?

Minimalism

As you might have guessed, when it comes to minimalism in menswear, it all has to do with reducing things. This, quite literally, can be accomplished by having a minimal amount of clothes, as you’ve probably seen in capsule wardrobes. The focus here is to have as few items as possible that you can combine together.

Minimalism can also apply to the actual element of styling the clothing. Here, minimalism focuses on the clothing itself, lending them to be unfussy without logos, and with simple patterns and designs; really focusing on the quality and construction of the garment.

Finally, minimalism has to do with how the entire outfit is put together. Here, you’ll find outfits centered around simple colors and patterns, in addition to the amount of clothing that is worn or isn’t worn in an outfit.

Maximalism

Maximalism, you might have guessed, is all about the name itself. It’s all about being bold. This can apply to the individual item of clothing itself, whether it’s a combination of bright colors, patterns, and designs, like a madras check, or how the item is constructed, such as a pair of multi-pleated pants with lots of details packed in.

Maximalism also takes into account the volume in the outfit. This will include a larger number of layering pieces, and an increased number of accessories. Texture is also a factor in maximalism, as many different types of skins, like exotic skins, can be used.

One thing to also remember about maximalism is that it doesn’t just apply to classic clothing. You can see it, quite often, now on the fashion runway. You can see these giant oversized logos and signature patterns for particular brands, and you could even consider the multiple zippers on a Superdry jacket as an example of modern maximalism.

Benefits of Minimalism

By far, the easiest benefit of minimalism is just how easy it is to get dressed, and that’s not just conceptually; it’s practical, too.

When you have less pieces of clothing it’s just easier to put them together and get dressed. This means that getting dressed is a very simple task without a lot of extra thought required. After all, you’ve curated the wardrobe in which every single piece works together perfectly. And practically speaking, minimalism and its garments should have a lot less going on mechanically on the garments themselves. Plus, a reduction of buttons and zippers leads to a much more relaxing dressing experience.

Minimalism is also great if you don’t have a lot of space for your wardrobe. Naturally, we all dream of having an entire walk-in closet, but for most of us, that’s not a reality. This is especially true if you want to look good, but you don’t have the financial means to do so minimalism might be right for you.

Even if you have enough cash to build out an entire wardrobe, maybe you just want things to be simple and less fussy. In a minimalist wardrobe with lots of money, you’re able to invest more in your pieces, and get more enjoyment out of them and have them last longer.

Finally, minimalism can be really stylish as well. Trends come and go, but over the last hundred years, we’ve seen the suit really be a staple piece that is simple and worn by thousands of men. And even though the suit has its own fads, when it comes to lapel width and the width of the pants, the reality is it has stayed very true to its original form over the years. I mean, take a look at these photos, and you can see that the styles of the 50s and 60s still inspire and serve us well today.

Benefits of Maximalism

So, with minimalism being easy, relaxed, and less fussy, maximalism is its opposite. Simply put, maximalism gives you the ability to create stunning outfits that will wow others. As the saying goes, “More is more,” and having more pieces will give you more flexibility to create some really amazing outfits.

Maximalism also allows you to indulge in different areas of craftsmanship. For example, where a minimalist might only have one pair of loafers, a maximalist will get to enjoy suede loafers, unlined loafers, and loafers of various styles and colors.

So, as we’ve alluded to, maximalism gives you more overall choice. You’ll have a wide variety of different layers, and you will guarantee that everything will be covered in something different. What this will allow you to do is to create endless outfit combinations, and have accessories to add a personal touch to each and every one.

Drawbacks of Minimalism

The first drawback of minimalism is that you won’t have as many colors and patterns to choose from. Therefore, if you’re going to invest in less pieces, we highly recommend that you up the quality, because if you invest in a lot of cheap pieces, they’re going to look really cheap.

Also, if you have a minimalist wardrobe, you might need to invest more time in clothing maintenance. After all, the math is simple. If you only have a few pairs of pants and you wear them more often, than if you had 20 pairs of pants, they’re going to need more maintenance and care.

Some details of minimalism run the risk of looking dated quickly. For example, about 5-10 years ago, there was a trend with skinny minimal ties that looks totally dated now.

Finally, on a personal side, dressing in a minimalist fashion can make people think that you don’t care about your style. On the one hand, people might think that since your wardrobe is very minimal, that you don’t take your appearance seriously; and on the other hand, if you only have a few pieces, your outfits can just look dull.

There are ways in which you can dress where you won’t have to worry about these minimalism drawbacks, and we’ll have some tips and advice once we get through the drawbacks of maximalism.

Drawbacks of Maximalism

The first drawback of maximalism is that getting dressed might take a while. Whether it’s making sure that all the colors and patterns of your outfit go together well or having 15 accessories, it just takes a while.

Creating a stunning maximalist outfit can take a lot more time, as you have to make sure that all the elements go together harmoniously. You have to think about things like, “Does this stripe match with this check?” Or, “Do these colors go well together?” And lastly. “Hmm. How do I put these two textures together?” And then, after you figure all that out, then, you actually have to put the clothes on. 

Maximalism can also be really expensive. We’ve already established that with a minimalist wardrobe, you want to spend more money, but it can be really expensive if you spend the same amount on the same level of quality, but with 20 times the items.

When it comes to maximalism, you’re going to feel the financial hit more frequently. And this comes from the point of clothing being looked at as a collection, where you’re adding new pieces consistently. Sure, you can absolutely add higher quality items to your maximalist wardrobe, but the drive, after all, might be just adding a new piece.

Another unfortunate part about maximalist style is that, quite often, people will think that you’re just overdressed, and this is especially true in the day and age where you see more shorts than you do suits. But, since that’s the way society is evolving, wearing a suit will make you stand out.

We’ve spoken before about how to approach the situation if other people don’t understand your style, and you can check our other guide for some tips. But there’s no denying that you might feel the occasional discomfort and feel like other people are judging what you’re wearing. Hopefully, you will receive more compliments than negativity, but it’s just something that we wanted to highlight when you dress in a maximalist fashion.

And on a related note, there’s also a way to do maximalism wrong. This is another topic that we’ve touched on in another guide, but it’s really easy to make maximalism look like a costume.

So, in this example, Raphael is dressed in a very maximalist outfit with lots of classic menswear details. But with the mentality of just throwing everything at the wall and something’s bound to stick, an outfit is loud and distracting, and it just looks more like cosplay.

How To Do It Well: Minimalist Looks

Next up, let’s put both theories into practice and construct some outfits. With every color of the rainbow in different fabrics, we could go on and on, but we’re going to use some simple examples. So, taking into account everyday wear, cold weather, and warm weather, let’s go through some outfits.

Minimalism for Everyday

When it comes to minimalism, the basis of this outfit is a classic element of menswear – the navy jacket. No matter if it’s a blazer or a sports jacket, this look is absolutely timeless when it’s paired with a gray pair of pants. Gray and navy are menswear staples, so really anyone from the minimalism or maximalism camp really should have these pieces.

The addition of a crisp white shirt works well here as it’ll really look good with any skin tone. A pair of burgundy or oxblood loafers here work great, as they tie together with the colors and the formality of the ensemble. And all the pieces of this wardrobe work well with other pieces of a minimalist wardrobe.

The loafers will pair with a full suit, a pair of khakis, or even jeans. The gray pants can be matched with other odd jackets, or even knitwear. And white shirts and navy jackets look good with just about anything. And if the accessories are still too fussy for you, you can go one step further and just remove them for a pure minimalist look.

Although I will say, we are the Gentleman’s Gazette, and we always recommend that you wear a pocket square, and if you want to, a tie.

Minimalism for Cold Weather

Turning our attention to colder climates, let’s go with a tried and true two-piece suit. This one here is shown in dark navy, and if you’re in a colder weather climate, it might be good to get one in flannel.

In the true spirit of minimalism, you could consider that this is the suit that we use the jacket for in the previous outfit, where a streamlined wardrobe becomes more wonderfully versatile, and you can mix and match different pieces with ease.

This outfit draws on inspiration from those outfits earlier from the 50s and 60s, where choosing a well-cut two-button suit really has timeless appeal. The lack of pattern or fussy detailing really keeps it minimal, timeless, and classic. And although a white shirt is absolutely home here, you could swap in a blue, a pink, or even a cream one.

Also, we switched up the loafers to a pair of black Oxfords, which is not only a staple within menswear, but the whole cut design really lends more towards the minimalist. And when temperatures take even more of a dip, adding a classic trench coat is perfect. This choice of coat here is perfect because the color is pretty neutral, and it can be worn across a variety of outfits

Minimalism for Hot Weather

Looking at the opposite of cold temperature, let’s look at hot. You might think that the solution would be just to wear less clothing when it comes to hot weather, but there is an elegant way to do it.

So, sticking with the theme of a classic shirt, we’ll replace the button-down with a solid white T-shirt. We’ll also replace the suit trousers with a pair of cotton chinos. And if the nights and mornings get a little chilly, you can add in an overshirt. A simple design and color like this one will give you not only a little bit of added warmth, but also some utility with extra pockets.

Maximalist Ensembles

Maximalism for Everyday

For our everyday choice, we took a similar formula to the minimalist outfit, but added a little bit of maximalist flair. You can see that we have sort of the same color palette going on. We have a navy jacket, we have some lighter-colored trousers, and a white shirt, but here, the devil really is in the details.

Preston’s wearing a double-breasted blazer with gold buttons, which really leans more into the more is more idea of maximalism. He’s also wearing a pair of brogues, which adds a little bit of extra detail than a pair of plain shoes. He also replaced the tie and warrant ascot, which is much bolder. And all the colors work together as the gold tones pick up the gold in the buttons of his jacket. And lastly, it’s Preston, so he had to have a hat.

Maximalism for Cold Weather

Jumping to a cold weather climate, here’s our take for a maximalist winter outfit. This is one that’s tough for us, because when you have someone like Raphael on your team, who has an expansive collection of overcoats, it’s hard to just pick one.

But, we chose his paletot because it’s unique and interesting. It has a velvet collar, as well as a double-breasted closure. Underneath the overcoat is a rope stripe suit. And, of course, two-tone balmoral boots are perfect for maximalist winter dressing.

Really, you can have your pick of accessories here; gloves, scarves, hats, all the above, and of course, a pocket square and a boutonniere just to top things off.

Maximalism for Hot Weather

Okay, one last jump back to hot weather. Here, the maximalist will look for an opportunity to utilize color and cloth. A pastel green jacket is paired with a pair of beige and white seersucker pants – not only are both of these items interesting colors, but they’re also packed with craftsmanship and details.

This outfit is topped off with a contrasting deep blue denim shirt, and a pocket square where the denim will naturally age and fade into a unique patina. And once again, we’re utilizing broguing. as Raphael is wearing a pair of tan brogues, in a really nice fun color.

Conclusion

Whether you feel more closely aligned to minimalism or maximalism in your personal style, hopefully, we’ve made a case for both. Typically, the Golden Age of Menswear that we enjoy here at the Gentleman’s Gazette is rooted within maximalism. But, you can still achieve minimalist style within the realms of classic menswear, where the overall goal is to be not too plain or not too loud.

Which camp do you fall under? Let us know if you’re a minimalism or maximalism fan!

Outfit Rundown

In today’s outfit, I’m wearing a pretty classic menswear combination of a navy jacket and gray flannel pants.

My jacket’s in a classic navy hopsack. It was made to measure for me a number of years ago, and it is a well-worn piece. It has some unique details that I got to customize at the time, like a unique color to the melton collar, a unique lining and piping, as well as patch pockets and a three-rolls-two configuration.

My pants are pretty plain. They are a charcoal gray flannel from SuitSupply. My shirt and tie are where I decided to add a little bit of maximalism.

My shirt is a white and blue university stripped Oxford, made to measure by Proper Cloth; and my tie is in green from Fort Belvedere with blue and orange flowers; my pocket square is our white pocket square with a light blue X-stitch, which picks up the blue in my shirt.

My shoes are a pair of pebble grain brown penny loafers from Morjas. My socks are our gray socks from Fort Belvedere.

And sticking with the minimalist theme, my watch is this beautiful blue dial grand Seiko that is part of their Elegance Collection. This was sent over by Federico over at Delray Watch. They’re not a sponsor of the post, but they send us watches which is a huge help.

If you want to check out any of our other Fort Belvedere accessories like my tie or my pocket square, you can check out the shop here.