I have no idea what my budget is. I just make sure to have the following:
At least one nice pair of casual pants. Right now it's a pair of black jeans. I bought them for less than $50 a year and a half ago, and wear all the time.
At least one nice pair of casual shoes. The other day I went to a shoe store and they had blue suede shoes on sale for $50. I've never owned a pair but they looked cool, so I picked them up. Decent shoes are made out of leather and usually cost $60-$70.
2 or 3 pairs of socks that match your nice pair of casual pants. This shouldn't be more than $20-$30.
A belt that matches your nice pair of casual shoes. $30. Nice shoes come in three colors, black, brown, and burgandy. Notice that belts come in the same colors. There's a reason for that. Don't be a fool and wear a brown belt with black shoes. Just don't do it, you'll look like an ass.
Two or three nice warm weather shirts. $30-$50 each. Less if you can get them on sale. They can have 2-3 buttons at the top (polo shirt) but they don't have to. They should have no printing on them, they should fit you really well and look clean. They should not be the same color as your pants, but they should match. To match colors just keep earthy colors (brown, green, tan, yellow, etc.) separate from mineral type colors (blues, blacks, grays, reds, etc.). There are some exceptions. Blue and yellow go together just fine. But it's a good rule of thumb to use.
At least one nice sweater. I don't know if you need this in Texas, but you should not be pulling on a hoodie or some kind of performance wear if you're trying to dress nicely. Spend some money, get a really nice wool, or even cashmere sweater. It will be lightweight, it will be warm, and it will look fantastic. Take care of it. It will last you a long time. (And for god's sake make sure it matches your pants) $50-$100.
One really nice wool coat. Again, not sure if you need this in Texas. This is expensive, but definitely worth it. I got my peacoat for $350, but I've had it for 10 years. It keeps me warm in the winter and makes me look like an adult when others are wearing nylonish team apparel or Carhartt or something.
I'd say this is the minimum. I think when you start wearing nice clothes and see how other people respond and how good it feels, you'll add other stuff. Maybe a nice pair of boots, a linen shirt (the black belt of warm-weather classy if done right), a nice pair of leather gloves. The nice thing is that us guys have it a million times easier than women who must constantly keep up with fashion changes and have a million accessories to worry about. Men's fashion stays pretty stable.
