Start building your wardrobe around the following 10 business essentials to get the most out of your investment. With some imagination, you’ll stand out at the office (for the right reasons) while also coping with casual Fridays.

1. Navy Suit

This classic piece of kit is the workhorse of any man’s wardrobe.

It can be worn with plain or pattered shirts for a different look, and it can be dressed up or down accessories, such as braces, tie and pocket square.

For the brave, try a bold pattern or texture, however for the most versatility you cannot go past the classic plain blue in either a single or double breasted jacket.

2. Grey Suit

Grey suits come a close second behind the navy suit. As a general rule, the darker the grey the more formal the occasion.

If you’ve gone with the plain navy option, try being more adventurous and go for a grey chalk stripe or Prince of Wales check.

Lighter grey suits lend themselves to be worn with your navy pants for a more casual yet still office appropriate look.

3. White Cotton Shirt

This is the blue suit equivalent of your shirts - it goes with almost any combination.

Add a tie and you’ll be set for the office - pair it with cream chinos and your linen jacket and you’re all set for brunch on the weekend.

For the really dapper look, consider French cuffs or monogramming.

4. Stripe Shirt

This can add a splash of colour to your blue or grey suit. Consider what colour most of your accessories are and go with that.

5. Linen Shirt

A classic linen shirt can be dressed up with a tie on those hot summer days, or dressed down with chinos for a more casual look.

Once you’ve bought one, I’m sure you’ll be back for more!

6. Denim Shirt

Because of its thickness, this tends to be more of a winter shirt.

Much like it’s linen counterpart it can be dressed up with a tie for the office, or paired with chinos for a more casual look.

Remember that this is a denim product, which means the indigo will fade over time for a completely unique look (no 2 denim shirts ever look the same - trust me!).

7. Long Sleeve Polo

This is the newest addition to my range. These are a premium product, each one is handmade in Italy.

This is not the polo shirt you grew up wearing and is not limited to casual wear.

These polos can be teamed with either a suit or chinos.

This is ideal for occasions when you don’t want to wear a tie.

8. Cream/ Beige Chinos

Any classic casual look would not be complete without a pair of cream chinos.

They will work well with either your blue or grey jacket, for a semi-formal look.

The trend the last few years has been for flat fronted chinos, but the classic look has had 1 to 2 pleats in the front.

9. Linen Jacket (Or Suit)

In the last 12 months I’ve seen an increase in the number of linen suits.

A suit in black or navy can be worn to the office on hot days.

For a classic look and the greatest versatility consider a coloured jacket paired with some black linen pants.

A green or tobacco linen jacket for example could be paired with either your navy or grey suit pants over summer for a professional but cooler look over summer.

For those really hot days wear your linen pants and shirt.

10. Overcoat

An overcoat is a must for those of us in cooler climates.

In my next blog I’ll discuss fabrics, colours and styling options, so look out for that!

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