If you’re a guy who wears a suit day in, day out for work, you’re probably well over your look by now. After all, when we wear a corporate uniform and don’t like waking up before the sun rises, it can get pretty cbf on the mixing it up front.
But the art of suit dressing doesn’t have to involve a copious amount of time in front of the mirror. You can upgrade your whole vibe with a few little tweaks and a bit of thinking outside the box. And everyone knows looking schmick as hell makes you feel a million bucks and like you can take on the world – that’s why they call it ‘power dressing’, mates.
We hit up fashion blogger Hass Murad of Sydney Men’s Style for his hot take on improving your suit aesthetic.
MIX UP YOUR COLOUR PALETTES
Forget an all-black jacket and pants look. The best way to feel sleeker and like one of those dapper successful dudes is to invest in a suit that’s got a bit more going on.
“Sticking to the aesthetic of the corporate world of suiting is going to get boring. Instead, try experimenting and not being afraid to play with patterns and various colour palettes,” suggests Hass.
Don’t think you have to throw down loads of cash on a beige checkered situation – although that’s an excellent look and if you’ve got the balls to give it a shot, please do. But even opting for a navy or pinstriped suit can make you stand out and look super important.
ADD ACCESSORIES
Yes, accessories are necessary in the quest to look really schmick. Simply throwing your suit over a shirt and maybe adding a tie will not make you stand out. Think silk pocket squares in contrasting shades, cufflinks, and big buckle belts. Oh, and don’t forget your socks – yep, they’re important.
“When it comes to choice of colour always go with either red, white and black. Something to either match the rest of your outfit, or be completely odd,” says Hass.
DON’T BE AFRAID TO BREAK RULES
For years, suit dressing was always so same-same. Always wear certain types of dress shoes, stick to plain shirts, that sort of thing. The rise of fashion influencers and Instagram has completely changed the game, and now almost anything goes. So let your own personal taste shine through and don’t be afraid to try different things. Yes, even wearing a leather sandal with a suit can look unreal if you rep it hard enough.
“Changing up typical shoes and, say, throwing on a pair of RM Williams cuban-heeled boots can really update your suit look. Or, work a tinted optical frame from the 80’s. These are easy ways to follow the new suiting trends,” says Hass.
The top trends of 2017 for suiting, according to Hass? The undone look (think open necked shirts and a looser fitting blazer) seen at Vetements, and over-blown tailoring as seen at Balenciaga. See? Opposite ends of the spectrum, aka. anything goes.
GET YOUR SUIT TAILORED
Seriously, if there’s just one thing you take from this feature, it’s get your damn suit tailored. The improvement will be ten fold, trust us. There is no suit in the world you can buy off the rack and have fit perfectly for your frame. So taking one to the tailors and getting it fitted properly will make it look 50 times more expensive and infinitely slicker. If you’ve got some extra cash to spend, you can even head to a tailor and get them to custom make you a suit.
“A lot of things that I can’t seem to find in stores I will get tailored for me. There’s nothing quite like something being made specifically for you, and having the options of fabrics,” says Hass.
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Image: Getty Images / Timur Emek.
