The holiday season has come and gone, and now you have some new threads you bought for those parties that will most likely get sent to the back on the closet until next year. Wrong! Whether it’s a new suit, a festive tie, dress shirt, or sweater, there are many ways to get yearlong use out of your new purchases. Here’s how:

A new suit.
If your day job doesn’t require you to wear a suit, there are still many ways you can put a new suit to good use. Start by breaking up the pieces. A suit jacket can work well as a blazer worn over jeans and a dress shirt for dinner at a nice restaurant. Similarly, a pair of dress pants can be paired with a great sweater for other dressy casual occasions.

A festive tie.
Unless you picked up a tie adorned with reindeer and candy canes, you can re-wear your holiday tie for other events; it’s just a matter of colour coordination. A silver tie for example can be worn year-round with purple, black, or even teal dress shirts. Afraid there’s too much sheen to the tie? Don’t be. Just as women wear shiny accessories, men wear ties, and there is not shame in adding some glitz to an outfit for an occasion such as a wedding or other party.

A dress shirt.
Many men think that dress shirts should and can only be worn with dress pants. False. In fact, dress shirts are more than appropriate for a multitude of occasions with various bottoms. A pair of dark denim jeans, a clean pair of chinos, or a even a pair of neutral coloured chords will give new life to your dress shirt and a whole range of new outfits. Try wearing the shirt un-tucked or open with a plain tee underneath for a fresh look.

A sweater.
Sweaters in general have a shorter shelf life than a plain t-shirt, but that doesn’t mean the one you bought to go to that holiday party couldn’t be worn again. If it’s a thinner material, feel free to wear it over a dress shirt next time you’re out of dinner or even as a light cover up over nice shorts in the summer. A sweater is one of the most interchangeable pieces you will ever own, so switch it up, and you’ll get much more life out of it.

The above are just a few ideas on how you give those items your dreaded buying for fear they would be worn just once, a new purpose and life. The key is looking at the colour and fabric of the piece and seeing how it compliments other items you already have in your wardrobe. Neutrals such as denim, black, brown, and khakis go with just about everything, so experiment and see how many more times you can wear your holiday piece before the end of the year!

 

by Tanya Colledge
Stimuli Magazine Contributor
email: tanya@stimulimag.ca
twitter: @tanyafanya

All images from bananarepublic.ca