×

How to: Spice up your suit

Every man over the age of 20 should own a quality suit. A suit that you can wear to a wedding, a funeral, a black tie event, a job interview, or to work for years to come. And most men know the basics of putting a suit together. It has to fit well. You get the shirt, tie, belt, socks, and shoes. Sounds simple enough. But you don’t have to look like just another corporate clone. Here are 5 of the easiest (and cheapest) ways to change up your business casual look and highlight your sense of personal style:

1. UNCONVENTIONAL TIE: A cool patterned tie or a striped bowtie can seriously change up your whole suit game. Have you ever heard of The Tie Bar? Check out their website to find some awesome ties as well as pocket squares, scarves, cufflinks, and other accessories.

2. FUN SOCKS: If you want to get more creative with your style but aren’t exactly ready to don a floral tie, try sporting some funky socks. This is the easiest and most subtle way to have fun with a formal suit. They keep you looking sharp and appropriate for business settings but let some of your bold and imaginative side out as well.

3. POCKET SQUARES: The smallest thing makes the biggest difference. According to GQ, the pocket square is the single most indispensable tool for defining a man of style these days. Make sure it coordinates with your tie and watch some YouTube videos to fold it like a pro.

4. MIXING PATTERNS: Mixing patterns is super trendy right now but can take a little practice. Here’s a couple of guidelines to help you get started: Make sure you wear at least one solid. For example, stick with a solid suit and introduce pattern in your shirt, tie, or pocket square. Pay attention to the size of the pattern. If you’re wearing two patterned items, the patterns should be of contrasting size (a shirt with large plaid pattern looks good with a tie with a small stripe pattern).

5. COOL COLOR COMBINATIONS: There are a few ways to approach mixing up your colors in your wardrobe. You can wear monochromatic colors, which are perhaps the easiest to pull off. Everything should be a different shade of the same color. This means you can wear a navy blue suit, a cornflower blue plaid shirt, and a textured, medium blue tie. You can also wear complementary colors. These are colors that are directly the opposite of each other on the color wheel. Try shades of blue or purple with yellows, reds, and oranges.

Here are some fashionable guys we found on Instagram you can use as your suit style muses. We love the way they incorporated colorful and fun accessories into their everyday look.

@themetroman | @gentsplaybook | @nordstrommen | @ejsamson | @onedapperstreet | @teachingmensfashion | @shibumiberlin | @geezermelbourne | @gentlemenwear

Tag your own outfit on Instagram with #225style and show us how you’re spicing up your suit, and follow us @225GirlsCanTell!

S+C