10 Things You Don’t Need In Your Closet (Menswear to Skip!)

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Building a wardrobe and developing your personal style is a journey, and just like any journey, you may come across things that you like at first, but that won’t work for you later on. Today, we’ll discuss ten items you might have in your wardrobe that you don’t need anymore and should honestly get rid of, to maximize your closet real estate with menswear that best benefits you.

Menswear To Skip: Save Your Closet Some Space!

As we go on a journey in menswear, instead of shedding ourselves of our old skin, 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. Check these items out to check them out of your collection.

1. Your First Black Suit

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 maybe it’s a bit of 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.

Young Preston in a black suit and red bow tie
Young Preston in a black suit

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. 

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.

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.

Raphael's graduation photo
Raphael wore an all-white ensemble at his graduation.

For example, for my high school graduation, I wore this white suit made of a Nehru jacket and had this kind of mild 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 is so much more versatile and has the same effect as a black suit, you probably don’t need it anymore. And honestly, it’s okay to let go.

A navy suit will be more versatile than a black one.
A navy suit will be more versatile than a black one.
A photograph of a Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square

Fort Belvedere

Wine Red, Yellow,Blue, Green, Orange Silk Wool Medallion Pocket Square – Fort Belvedere

Grenadine Silk Tie in Burgundy Red - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Grenadine Silk Tie in Burgundy Red – Fort Belvedere

Of course, if it’s the only black suit you have and it fits you reasonably well, our guide covering when to wear a black suit can help you get some life out of it. However, for most men, in most situations, it’s not something that you’ll wear often. Therefore, it’s better to get rid of it.

2. That Garment You’re Still “Meaning to Wear”

The next thing you should skip is that blazer, sport coat, or jacket that you had for years and meant to wear, but you just never did. We all have a piece that we once bought that was a little bolder and more daring, and we thought looked really handsome.

The truth of the matter is: we hardly ever wore it, if at all, and it’s still in your closet. Our style and taste level also changed along the way as we experiment with what works best for us, and that’s okay. It doesn’t have to be a jacket, but any item. For example, it can be a sweater or a knitted polo shirt in turquoise with orange horizontal stripes.

Raphael holding a turquoise knitted polo shirt with orange stripes
Time to remove that knitted polo shirt you don’t always wear from your closet.

You probably got this item marked down in the first place because it was on clearance, and it seemed like a great deal, whether from a retail store or eBay. Initially, you might think, “Well, it looks really great on the mannequin.” Once you have it in your hands and have to combine it with a shirt and pants and shoes and try to create a cohesive outfit, it gets a lot more tricky, and that exactly is the problem. 

Unless you’re really into preppy style, 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. 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.

Raphael holding a madras jacket
Unless you’re into preppy style, it’s time to say goodbye to that madras jacket.

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 let them go.

3. “Goal” Items

The third menswear to skip of is the 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.

Raphael buttoning a tight navy suit
Sell or donate items that no longer fit.

Yes, it’s a good idea to work out, to remain fit, and in shape, but it’s getting progressively harder. Don’t get me wrong. It’s great to have an aspirational fitness goal and to work regularly. However, 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.

Raphael holding two dumbells on each hand
While working out is a great idea, you just have to make peace with the fact that your clothes will not magically fit you again overnight.

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, our guide has you covered.

4. That Great Deal…with the Tags Still On

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 look at the initial cost rather than the cost per wear.

For example, I like to wear green, but I bought this lime green duffle coat that was really inexpensive, and I haven’t worn it other than for a post on things I regret buying. I bet you have an item like that, too.

Raphael looking ashamed of his lime green duffle coat
This green duffle coat was a poor choice for Raphael!

Every time you open your 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. 

Raphael handing over his unused suit to Chris
Sell or donate those unused items in your closet.

Do your closet and wallet a favor by putting it on eBay, so someone else can learn from a mistake like that, or you can just donate it.

5. Hawaiian Shirt

Another 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.”

Vintage Hawaii Shirt by Penney's
The concept of Aloha Friday, complete with Hawaiian shirts, was a forerunner to modern business casual.

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. 

6. Square-toed Shoes

The sixth thing you should get rid of is 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. I thought they were the coolest shoes at the time.

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 other guides on our website, but frankly, this one is so bad, I’ll just donate it.

A black square toe shoe
Square-toed shoe

Just think back to the time you bought your first pair of dress shoes. Maybe you were at the store, and you wanted to buy some quality, but then you saw the prices and thought, “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.

A cognac wingtip derby shoe with broguing versus a simple black captoe oxford, both from Acemarks
A derby and an oxford will look more elegant than a chunky square-toed shoe.

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.

7. Novelty and Bold Ties

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 and their very classic, sophisticated pattern. But then there’s also the color palette of ties that is really bold and just odd.

Even though you tell yourself that you’re a prep guy and that you’ll wear such ties eventually, you just never will because they’re too bold and look weird.

Raphael showing his collection of old ties with bold patterns that are included in his things to get rid of.
Let go of old ties with bolder patterns that will no longer complement anything in your wardrobe.

I’m not just talking about these obvious Mickey Mouse ties, 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. 

Moreover, 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.

8. Worn-out Items

You probably should also say goodbye to items 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, as with the collar, and maybe they have stains. It may be visible enough that you should not wear it anymore in a regular rotation.

Raphael showing the collar of a worn out striped dress shirt which is another menswear to skip.
Get rid of wardrobe items that are visibly and obviously worn out.

However, you can wear them at home. Personally, I like to wear them for gardening or cooking and, sometimes, maybe there are other things you can do with them. For example, 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 of and throw away an old worn-out shirt.

Raphael keeps older, worn-out shirts around for activities like cooking and gardening.
Raphael keeps older, worn-out shirts around for activities like cooking and gardening.

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.

9. Bold & Jewel-toned Shirts

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 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.”

A turquoise dress shirt from Boss
Bold and jewel-toned shirts like this turquoise one tend to be a bit flashy and too casual.

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.

10. That Faux Leather Jacket

Last but not least, another menswear to skip is that faux pleather jacket that you probably invested in when real leather 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. 

Kyle trying to zip a black leather jacket that's already too small for him.
Faux leather or not, it’s time to get rid of that leather jacket that no longer fits.

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 with a nice color, it was water-repellent. 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.

Raphael walking outdoors while wearing a brown Trialmaster Panther, denim jeans, brown boots, and sunglasses
Raphael sporting the Trialmaster Panther

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 on the environment, especially if it’s chrome-tanned, but that’s the subject of an entirely different guide.

Outfit Rundown

Raphael wearing a green Isaia jacket.
Raphael wearing a green Isaia jacket.

Fort Belvedere

Product Name

I’m wearing a green Isaia jacket. 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.

What do you 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.

Reader Comments

  1. Very ensible advice, except for one thing I disagree with: “Sell them or donate them”.
    Let’s just change that to “donate them”.
    1) There are so many less fortunate people out there.
    2) We should have better things to do with our time than selling our unwanted stuff.

    1. Some people are not particularly well-off and might use their limited discretionary spending on quality clothing, so selling garments could be reasonable

      1. Author Elizabeth L. Cline; “Overdressed: The shockingly high cost of cheap fashion” is a must read. In it she details how we delude ourselves into thinking by the simple act of donating clothes we’ve only worn a handful of times we’re somehow philanthropic? Can’t tell you how much the revelations she shares thru some pretty exhaustive research changed my sartorial journey away from throw away items and toward quality as Raphael suggests.

        Nylon, Rayon, Polyester are just ways of saying plastic. And the 3rd world countries this stuff is produced in is literally choking their rivers and skies. So unlike pie in the sky grand eco-schemes such as wind, solar and electric cars, not buying disposable clothing is a meaningful step we can actually take.

        Thrift stores can’t floor that garbage forever so when items don’t sell in a few weeks they’re shredded and baled for rags to the tune of roughly 20%. Plastic apparently doesn’t make for great rags and the 80% balance winds up in landfills. For a long time… And as Ms. Cline points out, we’ve got a lot of problems ( but throngs of naked people isn’t one of them..? )

    2. Kindly spare us your virtue signaling, Old Trad. I’ll sell them. I want the cash. I don’t need the cash. I just want the cash.

      1. I call it basic decency, not virtue signaling. Plus, my time is as valuable as cash.

  2. It’s a great list but I’d be inclined to add ‘dad shoes’ to the list.
    The only time a gentleman wears them is when he is actually exercising ;-)
    Of course, a gentleman also wouldn’t point out that someone’s dad shoes are hideous.

  3. I have a great Zegna suit that I bought years ago which still looks great. The problem (good problem) is that I decided to improve my fitness and health a couple years back and I e been a 48 for three years now and the suit is a 52. I certainly hope and don’t plan on being able to fit in it again, but just can’t pull the trigger given the initial investment!

    1. Good job on improving your health and wellness, Daniel! Can alteration be an option for your Zegna suit?

  4. I am always confused by the dislike of loose-fitting suits and wide shoulders. Look at a suit worn in the 1940s compared to one worn now. The ones worn then look comfortable and stylish and hang beautifully while so many modern suits look like they have shrunk in the wash. Button straining, pants too tight, wrinkled. The next suit I get made, I am bringing in a picture of Cary Grant.

    1. Couldn’t agree more. Compare and contrast the well-cut suits Connery wears in the Bond films with the too tight ones worn now by Craig. My rule of thumb is that anything tight-fitting looks pretty awful on a man.

    2. So many suits today have the look of a 12 year old wearing the suit he got when he was 10. Give me a long cut and sleeves and cuffs that go all the way.

    3. As with most classic menswear, trends metronome back and forth between extremes. I will also be glad when the current trend of skin-tight suits goes away. Most of the models that you see wearing the crazy skin-tight suits and super-narrow ties stand to have their masculinity questioned anyway. Give me a relaxed suit with nice drape (and some room in the hips, cuz squats), and I’m happy.

  5. Excellent article… Universal truth in ten points… So funny to look back in time and regret my faux pas…lol!

  6. I got rid of a three piece suit, made in wool, but also bought in a charity shop – and made in Rumania. I know little about Rumanians, but they seem to be built very differently from me – the trousers reached up to my hip-bone but no further; I finally realized I was never going to lose enough weight around my middle to make them fit, because the trouble was they were just badly cut. As it happened, the colour was wrong too – a sort of beige; so it was easier to ditch it.

    I agree with all of your comments above, but I’m afraid you’re not going to part me from my quite commodious black suits: I didn’t buy them because I wanted to model myself on the Ford gentleman (not even sure who he is), if I modelled myself on anyone it was probably Béla Lugosi…. But I still like black, or charcoal, in suits and overcoats; navy blue as a change now and then. But I think black suits me, and I feel comfortable wearing it. Persuade me to change!

    1. Thank you for sharing, Robert! As long as you’re comfortable and you feel that black suits you, then that shouldn’t be a problem because at the end of the day you’ll be the one wearing them – it’s important that you feel confident in your outfit. :)

    2. How about this: No self-respecting Savile Row tailor would let you buy a black suit, unless it were a tux.

    3. Plain black suits are for funerals, funeral directors, and Johnny Cash tribute bands.

      Unless you have just the right complexion, the contrast of the plain black suit and light shirt is just too jarring for normal wear. Under artificial light, black suits just look… off.

      Charcoal gray and midnight blue are a major improvement over black.

  7. I have been getting rid of my old quality socks that I have bought throughout the year. I just bought socks from here, and love them. Trying to sort them out as I have hundreds of pairs

  8. I don’t get it; there were many items in my closet from the 90’s that I didn’t wear for about 20 years, but then eventually I find the occasion and reason to wear them (again!) and am happy to do so!
    There were/are a few items that I want(ed) to part from, like that ‘capitalist style’ purple blazer that I bought at the start of the 90’s (I bought a ‘capitalist style blazer’ because I couldn’t buy a ‘communist style blazer’, because I simply had no access of buying a ‘communist style blazer’ at that time!
    The blazer was/is a nice, decent looking blazer, especially for a young person like I was at that time, but it looked ‘capitalist’ and that was exactly the thing I found ugly about it!
    But because of the Internet, I was/am able to buy from sites like Shein, Floryday, Airydress, Ericdress, AliExpress and probable few others to buy the (more) ‘communist style’ clothing, which I like more, so, now I have and will have a few more blazers (to start with) but than in the (more) ‘communist style’ that I also can combine with the other garments I still have, because I didn’t throw them away, so am at least a little bit happy, now!

    1. Eventually, after, for a long time, keeping the clothes that I wanted to donate ‘to charity’, because I still had to think of it, I also kept the ‘capitalist (style) blazer’ and am happy that I did so, I also kept another garment, but the rest of it went off ‘to charity’, I do not think they gonna give the garments to other, probably ‘poorer’ people, but they just gonna make rags of it (I, in many cases don’t like that!)!

  9. In the military I was told to throw out my chest, do I did. Now it’s impossible to find shirts that fit.

  10. I have quite a few Hawaiian shirts that I wear on cruises. They are not the ones that shout “I’m an American Tourist” but tasteful, subdued examples. You know, the ones that Tommy Bahamas sells a boatload of every year.

    1. I like the subdued ones also, Eric. Muted floral patterns, no hula girls or surf boards. Limited color palettes, no red or orange. I think there is a tenancy on the part of style critics to lump them all in together, but, in my opinion, there are nice ones and not so nice ones.

  11. Another good use for old shirts (no. 8 above) is to give them to your lower or middle-school age children to wear to school on paint or other messy day. The youngsters are thrilled to wear adult shirts, and it gets them to think about fine clothes. Be sure to tell them that your active closet is off limits, though.

  12. Ok , I will throw away all the clothes I cant get into but that Madras jacket ? Throw it to me !Still great w/ worn jeans and an Italian loafer or tans , white buck , no sox and a G&T. Come on Man .Of interest I had a friend in law school who bought ten suits seasonally from a high end off the rack shop who took all of them to consignment at the end of each season . He always looked snappy and the cost was mitigated somewhat by the consignment.

    1. I love madras too!
      I wore it in high school and back then it was important to have a true cotton, vegetable dyed fabric that would “bleed” during laundering! I’d wear it today! It gives a nice tropical look, with a symmetrical pattern and some bright color! A nice change from the somber solids, especially in summer!

  13. I was with you until you got to the Hawaiian shirts. I have 40 or 50 of them and I am not parting with them until they wear out. The Aloha shirt is an art form and a bold statement in one. I am firmly convinced that you cannot die of stress while wearing a Hawaiian shirt! (So far, so good) No, I do not wear them with my aspirational Armani suit.

  14. Sven, don’t know how you knew, but I think you made this video for me. I think now I can get rid of the sentimental items (I really don’t care for anyway), the worn out shirts I like, the wide pants that looked great 20 years ago, and the leather jacket that was a great bargain but doesn’t fit right. I needed a little coaxing and not from my wife. Thanks again.

  15. You are wrong about madras jackets. They are classic and never go out of style, and if for some personal reason you do not like them now, you probably will sooner or later. Preppy is forever!

  16. A robin’s egg blue three piece bespoke suit that I had made back in 1976 by Alexander’s of London. Flared legs so that I could still wear boots (I’ve been wearing cowboy boots since I was 3), I “kinda scorched” an iron imprint on the back of the jacket when I pressed it for a job interview at Columbia Pictures in 1982. My wife then “donated” it to the Salvation Army and they added it to their “disco collection”. I still miss that suit. I looked GOOOOOD in it.
    Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
    Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive

  17. Some bold ties are very nice to wear, I would wear immediately the center pink printed one on the picture. That has much more style than the army of men strutting around with the Hermes tie production from the last 10 years and thinking they are “it”. They only show that they have zero imagination and no style.

  18. I’ve half a mind to add #11 obnoxious cargo shorts. For kids and teens they look sporty and relaxed. On grown men they look obnoxious and about on par with graphic t-shirts, ripped jeans and hoodies; female members of my family would use the term ‘mutton dressed as lamb’ if we were talking about women and not men. Opt for chino shorts (see article by Kyle) or if you know what you’re doing, madras or seer sucker shorts a la Raphael.

    1. For the vast majority of situations, I would agree. However, I do keep cargo shorts around for yardwork/gardening/grilling and a few outdoorsy pursuits, simply for practical reasons. Your recommended options, or even seersucker/linen pants, are far better for actually being out in public.

      1. That’s why I added cargo shorts with some hesitation. Let’s face it: around the house and/or yard, one can dress ultra casual in a way they wouldn’t in public whether for practical reasons (I’ve worn cargo pants for camping because they’re designed for outdoor pursuits and maybe it’s just a preference for long trousers to shorts but I don’t think they look as childish or unflattering as their shorts counterparts) or sheer laziness. Unfortunately with today’s ‘anything goes’ culture so many men seem to think they’re also for smart casual wear along with boardshorts and gym shorts.

        1. Agreed. With an article about what to not have in a wardrobe at all, though, axing the cargo pants/shorts entirely might be a bit severe.

  19. Like I said, that’s why I said ‘with some hesitation.’ Two items I would like to add for axing, though: Crocs (look hideous and make one’s feet sweat as they don’t breath) and those slides from various sporting brands for the simple reason it inspires too many men to wear the socks with sandals combo. It looks plain hideous to start with (if one want sandals for warm weather, plenty of great leather sandal options for men nowadays) but also makes one look as if they can’t make up their mind if they’re hot or cold.

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