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What’s This About
To look polished every day on a budget, wear classic Old Money garments that fit well, in quiet colours, and look after them.
This guide gives practical steps and outfits, such as
Where to buy classic garments for less, including second-hand
Six complete everyday outfits inspired by four national styles
Optional body-shape and seasonal colour frameworks
What to wear for business, smart casual and black tie
How to adjust your outfits to the weather and the city
and many more!
The aim is clothes that suit your life, not a promise about what others will assume.
Key Points
01Clothes cannot show how much money anyone has, but fit, care and quiet colours make any outfit look polished.
02Outlets, high-street chains and second-hand shops all stock classic garments; check fabric and stitching at every price.
03Body-shape and colour frameworks are optional tools, and fit comes first whatever your shape.
04Dress to the occasion and the weather rather than to city clichés.
When people talk about dressing “rich”, they usually mean the Old Money aesthetic of quiet, classic clothes that fit well and are looked after.
Versions of the look include American Preppy, the British Sloane Ranger look, French BCBG and Italian Alta Borghesia style.
Clothes cannot show how much money anyone has, and this guide does not promise that anyone will think you are wealthy.
What it offers is a practical way to look polished every day on a moderate budget, without buying from luxury brands for the ultra-rich.
It covers where to buy, six everyday outfits, two optional frameworks for body shape and seasonal colours, and how to dress for the occasion and the place.
How to get the look on a budget
Buying a whole wardrobe from expensive labels at once costs a great deal, especially if you are not yet sure what a capsule wardrobe is or how to build one.
Instead, follow the principles of the Old Money style, namely classic shapes, good fit, quiet colours and small logos.
Start with a tailored navy blazer, Oxford shirts, chinos, grey trousers, a plain knit and leather shoes, versatile garments that combine easily.
You can achieve the Old Money look affordably with brands that cost far less than luxury labels such as Kiton, and our list of affordable Old Money clothing brands gives more names.
Places to look include the following.
Outlet and factory stores of classic brands, such as J.Crew Factory, Banana Republic Factory, Brooks Brothers outlets and Ralph Lauren factory stores.
Off-price stores such as Nordstrom Rack.
Basics retailers such as Uniqlo, for chinos, Oxford shirts and knitwear.
High-street chains such as H&M, Zara and ASOS, where it pays to check the fabric and the stitching closely.
Thrift stores, charity shops and resale sites such as The RealReal, for second-hand tailoring, shoes and knitwear.
Price does not tell you how well a garment is made, so check the fabric label, the seams, the buttons and the fit at every price.
Natural fibres such as wool, cotton and linen, in classic Old Money colours such as navy, grey, cream and brown, make the outfits below easy to combine.
Small alterations, polished shoes and pressed shirts often make more difference than a bigger budget.
Six everyday outfits
Each outfit uses garments you can find at mid-range and high-street prices.
1. American Preppy
Wear a white Oxford button-down shirt, khaki chinos, a navy blazer and brown penny loafers, with a brown leather belt and a simple silver-toned watch.
2. British Sloane Ranger
Choose a tailored navy blazer, a white shirt, cream pleated trousers and brown brogues, with a paisley silk scarf and a tan leather briefcase.
3. French BCBG
For a related, more relaxed French look, see our guide to Parisian chic style.
Go for a camel crew-neck jumper, dove grey trousers and chestnut leather loafers, with a beige trench coat on top.
4. Italian Alta Borghesia
Wear a navy blazer, a pressed white shirt, light grey wool trousers and cognac leather Oxfords, with a dark brown belt and a burgundy silk pocket square.
5. Modern Old Money
This outfit mixes classic and casual garments for a contemporary Old Money look.
Try dark indigo jeans, a light blue Oxford shirt, a navy merino crew-neck and white leather trainers, with a navy cotton Harrington jacket and a plain watch with a white dial.
6. Country club casual
The country club look mixes relaxed tailoring with sportswear.
Put on stone cotton shorts, a pale pink polo shirt and white leather trainers, with a navy cable-knit jumper over the shoulders, a navy and white braided belt and a watch on a navy fabric strap.
Dressing for your body shape (optional)
Some readers find a body-shape framework useful when choosing cuts, and our guide to dressing for your body shape explains the approach in full.
If you are curious which shape the framework would suggest for you, you can take the body shape quiz.
Whatever your shape, fit comes first, which means jacket shoulders that end at your shoulders, trousers that sit comfortably at the waist and sleeves that end at the wrist.
The ideas below are options, not rules, and the silhouette you prefer matters as much as any framework.
Triangle body shape
For men with a triangle body shape, whose shoulders are narrower than their hips, the framework suggests structured jacket shoulders, lighter colours on top and straight-leg trousers.
Inverted triangle body shape
For an inverted triangle shape, with broad shoulders and a narrower waist, it suggests softer, unstructured jackets and straight trousers with some room in the leg.
Rectangle body shape
For a rectangle body shape, with similar shoulder, waist and hip measurements, it suggests layering, jackets with some shaping at the waist, and texture.
Oval body shape
For an oval body shape, where weight sits around the middle, it suggests clothes that skim rather than cling, jackets that end below the widest point and a single colour from top to bottom.
Trapezoid body shape
For a trapezoid body shape, with shoulders a little broader than the waist and hips, it suggests well-fitted clothes in most cuts.
Hourglass body shape
For men with an hourglass body shape, with a defined waist and balanced shoulders and hips, it suggests garments with some shape at the waist and trousers with a higher rise.
Seasonal colours (optional)
Seasonal colour analysis is one way of grouping colours by how warm, deep and clear they are, and some readers use it to choose shades.
You do not need it to wear the outfits above, and the seasonal colour quiz gives a starting point rather than a final answer.
Each of our season guides explains its own palette and how to wear it.
The Spring colour guide covers warm, clear colours such as coral and golden yellow.
The Summer colour guide covers soft, cool colours such as powder blue and dusty rose.
The Autumn colour guide covers warm, rich colours such as rust and olive.
The Winter colour guide covers cool, clear colours such as true blue and emerald.
A simple test needs no framework. Hold two shirts in different colours, or two shades of one colour, near your face in daylight and keep the one you prefer.
Dressing for the occasion
Check the dress code when there is one, and when in doubt, dress slightly smarter rather than more casually.
Business formal
Business formal suits important meetings, interviews and formal corporate events.
Wear a well-fitted navy or charcoal suit, a white or light blue shirt, a plain or quietly patterned tie, polished black Oxfords and a simple watch.
Business casual
Business casual suits most offices and less formal work events.
Choose wool trousers or chinos, a button-down shirt, a blazer or sports jacket and leather loafers or brogues, with or without a tie.
Smart casual
Smart casual suits dinners, the theatre and good restaurants.
Go for dark jeans or chinos, a collared shirt, a blazer, cardigan or fine-knit jumper, and leather shoes or clean, plain trainers.
Casual
Casual suits weekends and relaxed meetings with friends.
Wear well-fitted jeans or casual trousers, a polo shirt, T-shirt or casual button-down, trainers or boat shoes, and a casual jacket if needed.
Black tie
Black tie is for formal evening events.
The outfit is a black or midnight blue dinner suit with silk lapels, a white dress shirt with a turndown collar, a black bow tie, a cummerbund or waistcoat, and black patent or highly polished Oxfords, with cufflinks and shirt studs.
Dressing for the climate and the city
Weather and local dress codes matter more than any city cliché, so check both before you travel and keep your own style.
London
London’s weather changes quickly, so layers, a trench coat and wool or tweed jackets are practical.
The city is also home to Savile Row tailoring, and classic dark suits suit its financial district.
Milan
Milanese tailoring is traditionally more structured than the soft Neapolitan style, and a touch of sprezzatura, such as a loosely knotted tie or a casual pocket square, fits the wider Italian menswear tradition.
New York
New York days are often long, so plain clothes in muted colours that work from the office to dinner, like the minimalist designs of the New York label Stoffa, are useful.
Some offices accept a little streetwear, such as plain trainers, with business casual outfits, so check your workplace first.
Tokyo
Tokyo has a strong interest in fabric and craftsmanship, and layered outfits or relaxed silhouettes sit comfortably there.
Plain, carefully made clothes in muted colours suit that interest.
Hot and cold cities
In hot, humid cities, choose linen, cotton and lightweight wool in lighter colours, with breathable shoes for walking.
In cold cities, invest in a warm wool or down coat, a scarf, gloves and boots with a good grip, and keep dark, rich colours for the winter months.
The final word
Looking polished every day depends far more on fit, care and sensible combinations than on what you spend.
Build a small wardrobe of classic garments, use the optional frameworks only if they help you, and adapt your outfits to the occasion and the weather.
Most of all, wear what you feel comfortable in, because confidence comes from clothes that suit your life.
Quizzes and personal help from The VOU
None of these tools is needed to wear the outfits above, but some readers like extra help when choosing clothes.
Our guides to dressing for your body shape, seasonal colour palettes and styling by occasion, location, season and time of day go into more detail.
For the vocabulary behind this guide, see our explainers on garments and accessories, our guide to heritage fashion brands and our overview of the Old Money style.
1. Check your body shape
Check your body shape with the body shape quiz for men.
2. Find your seasonal colours
Find your seasonal colours with the seasonal colour quiz for men.
3. Take the fashion style quiz
Take the fashion style quiz for men to see which personal fashion styles and outfit ideas match what you like wearing.
Book a consultation for personal help
Our styling services for men are paid consultations; the shop page lists what each one includes.
You can read about The VOU’s image consultants and stylists, or contact us with questions.