The art of clothing for men is lost on many of us. Luckily, there are only a few things that are needed to turn it around. Those wondering what should every man have in his wardrobe need only concern themselves with a few items.

Every man should have at least one quality dress suit. This has only three specifics: it must fit perfectly, it must have the timeless professional look, and it must be dark in color. You do not need to visit a tailor, but spend an hour or so at a men’s clothing store to ensure that it is neither too loose nor too tight. Blacks, dark browns, and navy blues should be the only acceptable colors: light colors can look strong, but are less than ideal for novices. There should be no more than three buttons.

With the suit comes good dress shirts. At minimum, a man should have three. Solid colors are best: darker is more formal, lighter is more casual, and one should be white. Single barrel cuffs are ideal: you do not want complexity if you do not know how to wear them. The shoulders and neck should be air-tight.

Black dress shoes can be the only formal shoes you will ever need. If you would like to wear Oxfords, that is fine, but in an ultra-professional setting they are not ideal.

Try three different neckties for every suit you own. Contrast the dark of your jacket and the white of your shirt with a deep color: blue or red are most typical. Stripes and dots are best for starting out.

Denim jeans are a man’s answer to any casual or semi-casual event. Dark denim is semi-formal and can be combined with a sport jacket or dress shirt, light denim is everything else and can be worn with T-shirts or sweaters.