8 Enduring Menswear Essentials Actually Worth the Splurge
We talk a lot here about menswear essentials—go-tos, basics, whatever you want to call them. But these terms are too often reduced to T-shirts, hoodies, and underwear. When the truth is, true essentials are more than that. They’re the foundations of a wardrobe: reliable stalwarts you can mix together, layer up, and build on, even as your style evolves, the seasons change, and repairs are required.
Pulling that foundation together takes time, intention, knowledge, and yes, some cash-money. But the difference between investing in a passing trend and one of these kinds of pieces is that, with a proven men’s style classic, you don’t look in the mirror four months later and wonder what you were thinking. Instead, the longer you wear it, the more you realize why it’s so damn great.
With that in mind, we felt it was high time we served a few up for you. And on a recent visit to Mr Porter, we realized that a good chunk of our hero items were sitting right there, in an abundant range of sizes, and with the added bonus of fast shipping and free returns. Heritage loafers from J.M. Weston, elite cashmere from The Elder Statesman, Oxford shirts from Drake’s….the list went on.
So: We picked out our favorites, then went one better, pairing each with a carefully chosen set of easy, outfit-completing pieces to take the guesswork out of getting dressed.
8 Investment-Grade Menswear Essentials We’ll Always Stand By
The Loafers: JM Weston 180 Penny Loafer
J.M. Weston
180 Moccasin Leather Penny Loafer
Loafers—especially of the penny persuasion—have been a menswear mainstay for almost a century. At some point in their wardrobe journeys, every well-dressed man looking to fill the gap between their formal lace-ups and their casual sneakers has fallen into the welcoming embrace of the style.
But this is not just any loafer. J.M. Weston’s 180 model is an icon, beloved for its rounded toe and overall “lifted” shape that makes them particularly adaptable to everything from proper tailoring to faded jeans. It’s also adored because the quality hasn’t dropped: Founded in 1891, the company still produces its shoes in its factory in central France, using traditional tanning methods. The leather is serious, and the overall construction and craftsmanship is here for the long haul. Yes, the price is steep, but these can be resoled and repaired for years—decades, even—which you’ll never be able to say for glued-together cheaper loafers. Liberté, Égalité, Longévité.
Wear It With
