The Essentials
The Twelve Items Every Man Should Own
by Shawn Rahman and Peter Carbonaro

What matters most about style is not high fashion, but that you carry yourself with the confidence and strength to look and feel good in every situation. This kind of self-esteem comes with constant assessment about who you are and how you appear to be to others -- rarely ever the same thing. Self-awareness of this type can come naturally - in itself becoming part of the natural you. Continuous evaluation of yourself and what's important to you will instill in you a sense of style like nothing else can, and self-discovery of this type is extremely rewarding. You owe it to yourself.

To help you along in the evaluation process, we've compiled a list of the essentials -- the twelve items that will be the foundation of your wardrobe for years to come. And, like the foundation of a building, quality is key. With a weak foundation, the rest of your attire will crumble. A thousand-dollar suit placed atop second-rate shoes will only draw attention to your questionable footwear. We're here to prevent that kind of sartorial holocaust, because we at Fast Forward are your friends.

The Essentials, In Order:

• Black cap-toe oxfords. The one shoe that can take you everywhere. Elegant, dressy, and enduring. Equally at home with tuxedos, suits, and khakis. You can even pair them with jeans if your shoes are a bit on the solid side.
• A great white shirt. Plain, elegant, and the most versatile item in your wardrobe. Own several. Start collecting now.
• A single-breasted black suit, preferably in wool crepe. Next to the white shirt, this WILL be the most versatile thing in your closet. Anything you can wear to a funeral and then to a night out afterwards gets our vote. It's also one of the very few things you can wear almost every day and get away with: instead of looking like you don't own another suit, people will think it's your trademark. You'll come across as a movie star, spy, or assassin -- none of which are an unappealing option.
• A good pair of khakis. As timeless as anything you can own. Some men wear them everyday - we practically live in them. They work hard, and work with everything. Besides, if they were good enough to wear when invading Normandy, they'll suit your weekend adventures just fine.
• A special pair of well-fitting blue jeans. Do we even need to tell you that these should be Levi's? For baggy, buttock-exposing jeans, please check back for our forthcoming article "Why God Will Smite Us All On Judgment Day".
• A pair of plain gray flannel trousers. These should be in a medium to light weight so that they can be worn in warmer weather. Perfect for casual Fridays, meeting your significant other's parents, or a night on the town. As an added bonus, the wrinkle-resistant qualities of wool flannel are legendary in combating the phenomenon known as "accordion crotch".
• A dark-colored, high-quality turtleneck. Ribbed or plain, either in merino wool or high quality cotton. The look is simple, eternally elegant, and makes the meekest of men feel like Sean Connery circa 1963. And when we say turtlenecks, we mean real turtlenecks - the mock variety just do not cut it.
• A fine, plain, black leather belt, to wear with the black suit, the gray flannel pants, the jeans, the khaki's … you get the idea.
• A good watch. Nothing in plastic, PLEASE. With real hands, not digital numbers. Because there is no such thing as fashionably late.
• A high quality, full-sized umbrella, because showing up wet has nothing to do with style and elegance.
• A good pair of sunglasses. Because, besides being the windows to the soul, two functioning eyes will enable you to see the fine wardrobe we're helping you build. Avoid purchasing them at convenience stores, highway rest stops, street vendors, or while under the influence of alcohol. And, as a final note, ergonomically shaped, brightly colored frames only look good on Ken Griffey Jr., so purchase them only when offered a multimillion dollar deal by Cincinnati.
• A good razor (dispose of your disposables). Because all of these other things mean nothing if you aren't well-groomed. And because a good shave is where it all begins.

Peter Carbonaro and Shawn Rahman, in addition to being the editors of this fine magazine, have been known to stare into their closets for hours on end.