When a man walks into a room with a well-tailored suit, he holds the power to communicate his presence without saying a word. To take his look up a few notches, style matters. If you’re looking to add some power to your workplace wardrobe, implement the following tips to style a suit well.
1. Accessorize With Watches
Watches are classic and functional accessories. Especially when you’re getting dressed to work in a professional setting, timeliness is paramount. A stylish timepiece is one of the best accessories to help you dress for success. When you’re looking for the best watch to wear, consider a classic piece like a Cartier watch.
Gold and silver watches tend to universally work with a range of suit options. However, if you’d like to choose a watch with a leather finish, choose a darker color like black or navy blue. If maintained well, high-quality watches can last a lifetime as they maintain their classic appeal. Aim to build a collection that features a range of eye-catching watches in order to build an iconic yet professional fashion sense.
2. Match Belts With Shoes
Even if you don’t have the best eye for color coordination, one of the cardinal rules you can stick to involves matching the color of your belts and shoes. For a complete look, never wear a suit without a belt. You’d also never leave the house without a pair of shoes. To maintain cohesion, make sure the belt and shoes are the same color.
It’s important to emphasize the exact same color versus a variation. Though they are in the same family, dark brown and light brown are different. If you’re wearing a navy-blue pair of shoes, always add a navy-blue belt. If you’re wearing an olive-green belt, always pair it with an olive-green pair of dress shoes. As long as you have a pair of matching shoes and belts in dark colors like cognac, navy blue, and black, it’ll be easy to get this styling tip right.
3. Balance the Jewelry
A well-tailored suit makes a fashion statement on its own. To continue the styling process, maintain a mindset of simplicity. Always follow the rule of “less is more” when adding accessories like bracelets, pocket squares and pins.
Pay attention to the threading in your suit. This seemingly minor detail can set the tone for the rest of the outfit. Highlight that detail by adding gold accessories to the mix. Wear some gold cufflinks and a gold tie pin. If you’re wearing a navy-blue suit, pair it with silver accessories like a silver pre-owned Rolex watch and a silver shirt collar clip.
4. Good Tailoring Is Paramount
Unless you’ve invested in a custom-tailored suit, you’ll need to visit the tailor to make sure your suit fits your body perfectly. There are a few details to remember when you’re customizing your suit to your body.
Consider the display of your cufflinks. Even if you don’t wear cufflinks yet, it’s wise to make sure your shirt cuff is a bit longer than your jacket cuff. Typically, it should stick out a half-inch. If the sleeves are too long, this is one of the best areas to focus on tailoring.
When you’re curating the perfect look, the length of your jacket matters. If your suit jacket isn’t a little longer than your zipper, it’s too short. It’s better to pick out a slightly longer jacket and get it tailored to the right spot.
5. Socks vs. Sockless
Unless you’re headed to a Michael Jackson costume party, leave the white socks alone. Additionally, some stylists suggest leaving the black socks alone unless you’re trying to achieve an all-black look. While your suit pants should be long enough to conceal your socks, it’s okay for a pop of color to show once you’re seated.
In fact, add interest to your look by wearing dress socks that provide an unexpected print or pop of color. If you’d like to lean on the side of formality, dark-gray and navy-blue socks tend to be the most neutral options.
On the other hand, the sockless trend is particularly popular with millennial and Gen Z grooms. A tuxedo with a pair of loafers works well with the sockless trend.
When you’re going for a professional look, there’s nothing wrong with the sockless trend. The key is to know when and where it’s appropriate. For the best results, leave the sockless trend to the more casual workdays. If you have casual Fridays, wear a suit with a pair of casual sneakers.
For many men, the appeal of the sockless trend is the ability to show skin. You can achieve the sockless appeal by wearing ankle socks with sneakers.
6. Vests for Formality
Suits provide their own sense of formality. Still, it’s possible to dress a suit up or down. If you want to style a suit to make it look more formal, wear a vest underneath the suit jacket. When you opt to wear a vest, fasten all of the buttons. Whether the suit jacket is open or closed, the vest provides polished appeal. When choosing vests, look for vests that closely match the color of the suit you’re wearing. If you’re choosing a different color or print, make sure it complements the suit well.
Because vests provide a distinct appeal, it’s not always necessary to wear a tie with the look. A vest with a button-up shirt and a suit jacket offers a trendy spin on formal business attire. If you opt for additional accessories, always remember that less is more. A great Jaeger LeCoultre watch and a subtle pocket square are great additions to the formal aesthetic of a vest
Executing the Vision
Curate a vision board of watches, suits and inspirational photos of men in workplace attire. This will help you execute these tips in a practical manner that works for your aesthetic. Before long, you’ll create a wardrobe that’s conducive to styling suits with ease.
