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Capsule wardrobe · men

Men's Capsule Wardrobe: 14 Pieces, 180 Outfits

14 pieces that all work together make 180 complete outfits across the year. Every colour in it is a neutral, so any top goes with any bottom. Tick what you already own to see what to buy first.

14
pieces
180
outfits
12.9
outfits per piece
  • navy field jacket
  • dark brown lace-up boots
  • grey overshirt
  • white jeans
  • black overshirt
  • cream sneakers
  • blue jeans
  • olive quarter-zip sweater
  • tan leather jacket
  • beige sandals
  • white linen pants
  • brown quarter-zip sweater
  • navy linen pants
  • navy polo shirt

The checklist

Every piece, and which you already own

Tick a piece to add it to My wardrobe in this browser. The count shows how many of the capsule's outfits you can already wear.

You own 0 of 14 · tick the pieces you already have

Tops · 5

Bottoms · 4

Layers · 2

Shoes · 3

The reasoning

Why each piece is here

  • field jacket in navy

    A men's capsule's practical spring and autumn jacket.

    Look for: Waxed or heavy cotton in olive, khaki or navy.

  • lace-up boots in dark brown

    The rugged cold-weather shoe of a men's casual capsule.

    Look for: Leather or suede with a commando or rubber sole.

  • overshirt in grey and black

    A men's capsule's in-between layer for spring and autumn.

    Look for: Heavy cotton twill, wool or corduroy; thin shirting isn't an overshirt.

  • jeans in white and denim blue

    Earns its place because everything casual in a capsule goes with dark denim, from tees to blazers.

    Look for: Raw or dark indigo is the most versatile wash; black is the second pair, light blue the third.

  • sneakers in cream

    The most-worn shoe in a casual capsule.

    Look for: Plain leather uppers without big logos look smartest.

  • quarter-zip sweater in olive and brown

    A men's capsule's easy smart-casual layer.

    Look for: Merino or cotton knit; a metal zip looks better than plastic.

  • leather jacket in tan

    A capsule's statement layer that still works with everything.

    Look for: Real leather softens and moulds; lambskin is soft, cowhide tougher.

  • sandals in beige

    Summer capsule only.

    Look for: Leather straps that don't cut in.

  • linen pants in white and navy

    A summer capsule's key bottom; outside warm months it's a spare.

    Look for: Pure linen breathes best; a linen-cotton blend creases a little less.

  • polo shirt in navy

    A summer capsule's smart-casual top.

    Look for: Piqué or fine knit cotton; knitted polos look dressier than piqué ones.

What it makes

8 of the 180 outfits

Picked so that between them they use every piece. Tap a colour dot to swap a piece for another colour that still works.

· All-neutral

  • tan leather jacketShop
  • olive quarter-zip sweaterShop
  • navy linen pantsShop
  • dark brown lace-up bootsShop

Two neutrals with clear contrast: tan and olive always sit well together.

· All-neutral

  • navy field jacketShop
  • brown quarter-zip sweaterShop
  • blue jeansShop
  • cream sneakersShop

Navy and brown is the classic pairing: warm against cool, clearly different in depth.

· All-neutral

Navy and white is the crispest pairing there is: maximum contrast, zero risk.

· All-neutral

  • grey overshirtShop
  • white linen pantsShop
  • dark brown lace-up bootsShop

Two neutrals with clear contrast: grey and white always sit well together.

· All-neutral

Two neutrals with clear contrast: black and denim blue always sit well together.

· All-neutral

  • grey overshirtShop
  • navy linen pantsShop
  • dark brown lace-up bootsShop

Grey and navy are both cool and quiet, a safe office pairing.

· All-neutral

  • olive quarter-zip sweaterShop
  • navy linen pantsShop
  • dark brown lace-up bootsShop

Olive and navy are both muted, so they sit together without competing.

· All-neutral

  • olive quarter-zip sweaterShop
  • white linen pantsShop
  • dark brown lace-up bootsShop

Two neutrals with clear contrast: olive and white always sit well together.

Plan the week

Seven days from this capsule

No shoes or top two days in a row, and as many different pieces as possible.

  1. Mon

    grey overshirt, navy linen pants, dark brown lace-up boots

  2. Tue

    black overshirt, blue jeans, cream sneakers

  3. Wed

    navy field jacket, brown quarter-zip sweater, white jeans, beige sandals

  4. Thu

    olive quarter-zip sweater, white linen pants, dark brown lace-up boots

  5. Fri

    tan leather jacket, navy polo shirt, blue jeans, cream sneakers

  6. Sat

    brown quarter-zip sweater, navy linen pants, beige sandals

  7. Sun

    grey overshirt, white linen pants, dark brown lace-up boots

Buy these first

The hardest-working pieces

Starting from scratch? These appear in the most outfits.

  1. 1navy field jacketin 60 outfits
  2. 2dark brown lace-up bootsin 60 outfits
  3. 3cream sneakersin 60 outfits

When you're ready for more

The next three buys

Each one adds the most new outfits to this capsule.

Make it yours

The same capsule in your colours

Want it in colours that suit you? Take the 30-second colour test, then come back: this capsule rebuilds itself from your palette.

Find my colours

Questions

Quick answers

What should be in a capsule wardrobe for men?

Tops: grey overshirt, black overshirt, olive quarter-zip sweater, brown quarter-zip sweater, navy polo shirt. Bottoms: white jeans, blue jeans, white linen pants, navy linen pants. Layers: navy field jacket, tan leather jacket. Shoes: dark brown lace-up boots, cream sneakers, beige sandals.

How many pieces should a capsule wardrobe have?

Most capsules have 12 to 35 pieces. This one keeps 14, the point where every new piece still adds many outfits: the next best buy (black trench coat) would add 60 more.

How many outfits can you make from 14 pieces?

180 here, counting only combinations where every pair of pieces works together in colour and formality, and where all pieces share a season. The hardest-working piece, the navy field jacket, is in 60 of them.

Why is the navy field jacket in this capsule?

It appears in 60 of the 180 outfits, more than any other piece. A men's capsule's practical spring and autumn jacket.

What is a capsule wardrobe?

A small set of clothes chosen so nearly everything goes with everything else. Neutrals do most of the work and a few colours add interest, so you get more outfits from fewer pieces.

Keep going

Other capsules

Verdicts and outfits come from published colour and dress-code rules, not paid placement; garment images are AI-generated illustrations of generic pieces. How we decide