EDC (Everyday Carry) clothing is versatile and conducive to your daily lifestyle. Creating a comfortable, durable, and functional wardrobe makes it easier to create daily outfits and enjoy your regular activities.
From assessing stitching and construction to choosing the right colors, check out our six tips for choosing EDC clothing.
Assess Your Lifestyle and Daily Activities
Everyone’s EDC clothing needs will differ, so you must consider your personal lifestyle and daily activities. If you hike after work, shoes that can transition from work to the woods are a must-have.
If you always go to the gym after work, find moisture-wicking shirts that look professional enough for work but transition well to the gym. We recommend writing out what your typical day looks like and what EDC outfits you need for each activity.
Look for overlapping opportunities where one article of clothing could be conducive to multiple activities.
Prioritize Durability and Quality
EDC outfits must be high-quality and long-lasting; otherwise, you’ll head to the mall every other week to buy new clothes.
When shopping, pay special attention to the materials and fabrics of the clothing. Some of the best fabrics to keep an eye out for include:
- Ripstop nylon
- Polyester blends
- High-quality cotton
- Leather
- Linen
- Wool
- Rayon
- Hemp
- Fleece
These fabrics are highly durable and resistant to wear and tear, making them ideal for everyday clothing.
Cheap materials will tear easily and wear down quickly when you wash and dry them, so you’ll spend more on clothes if you don’t invest in quality items now.
Fabrics with high tensile strength are ideal because they are difficult to rip and can handle whatever your life throws at them!
You should also consider the construction and stitching of the clothing. Things like paneled construction and reinforced stitching are signs of high-quality, long-lasting clothing that will last years of consistent use.
Other positive things to look for are bar-tacking and triple stitching, reinforcing seams so that stitches don’t fray or fall apart with everyday wear.
Inspect stitching on clothing to ensure every seam is straight, even, and consistent; if a stitch looks loose or iffy, shop elsewhere.
Look for Multi-Purpose Clothing
Finding an EDC outfit is all about finding useful items and ensuring you always have the essentials without inconveniencing yourself.
You can walk around with a big backpack full of every tank top, pair of shorts, combat shirt, or jacket you could possibly need, but that’s not efficient or comfortable.
Instead of constantly carrying backup clothing items, look for multi-purpose clothing that can transition into something else!
For example, pants that can be zippered off into shorts are a versatile clothing item that can come in handy! Reversible items, like belts, ties, or shirts, are also clever additions to your closet.
However, the definition of multi-purpose clothes can be even simpler. Look for clothing that can transition from day to night and from work to leisure.
A great example is a pair of comfortable boots that look nice enough to wear to work but are durable enough to go hiking in.
Or, you may have stretchy dress pants that you can wear to the office but are comfortable enough to walk your dog in.
Finding multi-purpose clothing can be difficult, so keep an eye out and browse outdoorsy stores like REI.
Focus on Comfort and Movement
When curating an EDC wardrobe, comfort is essential. If your clothing is uncomfortable, you won’t want to wear it daily.
The tips above will guide you toward comfortable clothing anyway, as most materials and styles discussed above are inherently easy to wear.
However, if something is super functional and durable but feels scratchy or harsh on your skin, it’s not a good choice.
Your EDC clothing also needs to be flexible and allow for natural movement. When shopping for EDC clothing, try everything on and do some walking and stretching to ensure you can move comfortably and freely.
If you can’t comfortably squat, run, or sit in a pair of pants, they’re not a good choice for your EDC wardrobe.
It may seem silly but don’t be afraid to do some funny and exaggerated stretches when you try on these clothes so you know you can move and be comfortable in them.
Find a Reliable Brand You Like
When following the tips above, keep an eye out for brands that offer consistent comfort, quality, and functionality.
Brands tend to provide the same quality throughout their products, so if you find a brand you love, explore their clothing options and don’t be afraid to fill your wardrobe with just a handful of brands.
Some common brands that are excellent for EDC include companies like Eddie Bauer and Northface.
Settle on Color Palette
Everyday carry clothing must be versatile enough to create many outfits with every piece. It’s easiest if you settle on a color palette, preferably with neutral tones, so that most of your clothes will work well together.
Blacks, grays, browns, muted blues, muted greens, and whites are excellent colors to focus on, as they can go together quite easily, so creating outfits every morning is effortless.
You can choose more vibrant and distinct colors, but make sure they all complement one another. Otherwise, you may wind up with a bright orange shirt that only matches one pair of pants, limiting your ability to create everyday outfits.
EDC Outfits Work with Your Look and Your Style
Not everyone will have the same EDC gear or wardrobe, so there is no one-size-fits-all answer for this. Hopefully, these tips will help you curate a versatile and comfortable wardrobe that makes creating everyday outfits easy and works well with your lifestyle.