Mats Klingberg’s Menswear 10 Commandments

When I met Trunk Clothiers founder Mats Klingberg at Pitti Uomo a couple of summers ago, I asked the handsome Swede what possessed him to abandon a successful career in finance to become a retailer. 

Establishing Trunk in 2010, Klingberg said, he’d aimed to create a bastion of ‘buy less but better’ good taste — a space where the visitor would discover a cohesive collection of quality men’s apparel and accoutrements, sourced from the finest brands and artisans ’round the world. Each product would be beautifully designed and crafted, and rigorously vetted for authenticity, longevity and sustainability. 

His loftier goal, though, was that clients would come to view Trunk as a place where they’d find reliable guidance on making savvier sartorial decisions… where they could trust staff to counsel, not up-sell. Klingberg wanted this to be a source not only of garments and accessories but of savoir-faire and inspiration.

Essentially, at Trunk, Klingberg aspires to give his customers the tools to construct a better wardrobe, a better image and dammit, maybe even a better life. Here’s his key advice on doing precisely that.


10. “I’m all for keeping things as simple as possible. Too many options in your wardrobe means you have to spend a lot of time to decide what to wear in the morning or what to pack when you’re travelling, so the tighter the edit the better. Build a flexible wardrobe with pieces that can easily be combined with each other, dressed up or dressed down.”

9. “Invest a little bit more on a couple of high quality pieces that will last for several seasons or longer — a nice navy jacket, good grey and navy suits, a pair each of black and brown shoes, a grey or navy overcoat and a really nice watch. Think timeless style, great fit, excellent quality, provenance and sustainability.”

8. “Look after your garments. As much as we need to look after ourselves we also need to look after our well-considered purchases to make sure they will be with us for many seasons or years to come.”

7. “Always strive to dress for the occasion, even if it’s just for yourself when working from home. This does make a difference to the way you approach the task that is ahead of you. To avoid being overdressed for that factory visit or underdressed for that cocktail party later in the same day, aim for a look of effortless elegance.”

6. “Look at Steve McQueen and Paul Newman for inspiration. They always looked great, both when dressed casually and formally. They felt very natural and real, which isn’t always the case with celebrities of today, who in many cases have various sponsors to consider when getting dressed.”

5. “Don’t over-accessorise. Accessories are a great way to personalise an outfit and there are lots of lovely accessories out there to choose from — however, you do not have to wear all of them at once. Go easy on jewellery and don’t wear too many colours or prints at the same time. There’s also a limit to how much you can match shoes, socks, belts, gloves, scarves, hats and so forth, so please bear that in mind. The line is fine when it gets too much, so if in doubt it’s probably best to drop one or two pieces. You shouldn’t look like you’ve given things too much thought.”

4. “Choose fit over brand. Just because you’re spending a lot of money buying something from a big global luxury brand it doesn’t mean it fits, so find the brands that are a good fit for you and also be prepared to spend a bit on alterations.”

3. “Travel light — ideally, only travel with carry-on. Travel needs to be easy and enjoyable, so to avoid queues and lost luggage and to arrive at your destination as swiftly as possible, those extra pairs of shoes or that extra jacket are not worth it.”

2. “Do good. Always be polite and mindful to people around you and where possible also do what you can to offer support to those less fortunate than you.”

1. “Know what works for you and look after yourself. Don’t worry too much about rules and do’s and don’ts. Nor should you concern yourself too much with the latest trends you’ve read about. These are great for inspiration and by all means, it’s always great to try something new. But always trust your own judgement of what you feel comfortable in. To feel good, it’s also very important to remember to look after yourself. Wearing the right clothes can be a great boost to your overall wellbeing, but there are so many other parts to your life to look after to maintain that spring in your step and that twinkle in your eye!”

Mats Klingberg operates two Trunk stores on Chiltern Street in Marylebone, London, and another in the Seefeld quarter of Zurich. Trunk has curated collections for Lane Crawford in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu, and also vends internationally via e-commerce at trunkclothiers.com