The first essential jacket is the black leather jacket. I can’t stress how important of a piece this is in your capsule wardrobe. It is a classic for your casual look. Always keep in mind that it should fit well in the shoulders, and there should not be excess room in the sleeves. I would also avoid a ton of zippers as that will take it from timeless to trendy, which is not where you want to go. Leather jackets are expensive. Investing in a top quality one will ensure its durability, which is totally worth it.
3 additional jackets
You’ll need three more jackets that are in line with YOUR personal style. Just make sure (as always) that they are of any of the 6 essential colors (black, white, grey, navy, olive green and baby blue). The following are my choices.
Olive green jacket: Baldwin (www.baldwin.co). It is made of cotton and feels like a sweatshirt. It does casual really well but I can dress it up a teeny bit to business casual when I am feeling like I don’t want to get out of bed but still have to go to work.
Grey blazer: Muji (www.muji.com). This one is also made of cotton. This spans the ground between my black leather jacket (casual) and a formal blazer (business casual) really well.
White denim jacket: Calvin Klein (www.calvinklein.com). Out of all my jackets, it is the least versatile because unlike the rest, it doesn’t go well with my white t-shirt. I have to wear a black or gray t-shirt for this jacket to stand out. But, I just like it and this is where some of “me” comes out.
Blazer
Your last essential piece is a navy blue blazer. This is your go to for business casual and can be formal if needed. Slip it on over your oxford cotton button up and bam- you are the man of the hour. Make sure your blazer has thin lapels, and as always, apply the rules of fit.
Now that you are dancing to your own beat with your personalized jacket collection, next time we will bring it all home with every man’s power piece: the suit.
Remember, fashion trends change, but style is timeless. If you are convinced it is time for you to create your own style through a capsule wardrobe check out my six part YouTube series, “How to Build a Men’s Capsule Wardrobe.” I will thoroughly guide you step by step on how to do just that. And trust me, once you go capsule, you’ll never go back.
Paul Nagaoka is an international actor, tv host, model and entrepreneur. Living a life of simplicity and minimalism frees him to focus on what he loves most- traveling, adventure and finding new reasons to sleep in past noon. Follow him @paulnagaoka on Instagram to see his latest shenanigans.