Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD series will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for past features here.
We’re back at it again with the #OOTD series here on The Style Guide, and today’s post keeps looking toward spring, ever so slightly. Colors are a bit brighter, textures are lighter and the weather is, well, a heck of a lot better than on any given winter day. Yes, it’s coming! And the sort of items you wear now — like a classic Oxford shirt or slim navy chinos — can pull just as much of their weight stylistically in the (slightly) warmer months as they can when it’s bitterly cold. The great part about using foundational building blocks in an everyday outfit is that you can afford to take some more risks, however small. As you’ll see in the below outfit, that means a slick pair of Chelsea boots where you might reach for some stylish dress shoes normally. That also means some nice color in the form of a patterned pocket square, and an attention-grabbing blue-dial watch. But enough of my rambling! The outfit’s here below.
A straightforward outfit with relatively simple tweaks — like those Chelsea boots and the patterned pocket square — made all the better by a classic blue Oxford.
The Shirt: JackThreads Slim Oxford, $39 — It truly is tough to find a brand producing a better-fitting, more versatile Oxford at such a nice combination of quality and price. This one’s a Style Guide favorite!
The Blazer: H&M Cotton Blazer, $49 — From David Beckham’s newest Modern Essentials collection with H&M, there’s no word on the quality of this blazer, and it’s likely not very high. But hey, think of it as a casual blazer alternative?
The Pocket Square: The Tie Bar Midway Pane Pocket Square, $10 — When you ditch the tie (or maybe go air-tie?), you can afford to toss some pattern into your outfit. The green windowpane pattern stands out just enough on that dark navy cotton.
The Chinos: Bonobos Jet Blue Washed Chinos, $88 — Bonobos has often staked the fate of its reputation on these chinos, and in three fits and versatile colors like this dark navy shade, they’re a very, very solid pickup for the price.
The Boots: Jack Erwin Ellis Chelsea Boot, $220 — These represent the slight style swerve from the norm within this outfit, and they make the ensemble look all the more sharp.
The Belt: Land’s End Distressed Vintage Jean Belt, $39 — A bit less dressy than a standard belt, this piece also represents a style swerve from the norm.
The Socks: Tommy John Performance Dress Socks, $16 — A simply, if slightly pricey, dress sock that wicks moisture and looks pretty crisp up against slim navy trousers.
The Watch: MVMT Watches The 40 in Blue/Brown Leather, $120 — A remarkably crisp and easy-to-wear watch that plays nicely off the dark navy chinos thanks to that brighter blue dial. Full review here.
With the aforementioned outfit in mind, you’ve got yourself the jumping-off point for all sorts of spring layering — and beyond. With pieces like those slick Chelsea boots, you can navigate rainy streets now — and with pieces like navy chinos and a slim blue Oxford, you’re set for dozens of outfit combos in the coming weeks and months.
What’s your favorite way to style a blue Oxford? What small changes would you add to this ensemble?
The Style Guide 