Don’t be scared of the suit this summer
Three surefire ways to style the suit for this summer and beyond
Sir Paul Smith is a good follow on Instagram. He takes nice photos of obscure New York street signs, vintage record sleeves, and Parisian architecture, as well as bikes, boats and cars (mostly Minis). He also might post something about clothes from time to time.
A recent post of his featured the legendary fashion designer looking smart in a roll neck and windowpane check navy suit. He expanded on his daily dressing philosophy: ‘I wear a suit every day for a really simple reason: it’s practical. It helps if you think of a suit like a picture frame: it’s the base structure but you can put what you like on the inside. Depending on my plans for the day, I can wear it with a shirt or roll neck, trainers or smarter shoes and with or without accessories. And I know I’ll always look put together.’
The suit has been going through a bit of an existential crisis of late but, much as Sir Paul comments, it can still be a reliable, stylish and – most importantly – comfortable ‘picture frame.’ A suit can be easy to wear! A suit doesn’t have to be boring! Suits are good!
With all of that in mind, here are three approachable and versatile ways to wear a suit today.
The navy twist
The navy suit. The suit. The big one. A million and two iterations. While it might sound slightly oxymoronic, the navy suit is so simple that it can be almost… daunting. What to do with that blank canvas? Well, linen is a good start for summer. A fabric that was so valued in ancient civilisations that it was used as a currency. Fortunately for us, linen is a little bit more approachable today. A material that is light, breathable and almost lends itself to a slight studious rumple.
In a slightly less heavy tone than full navy, there’s a bit of complexity in the depth of a lighter blue linen. When paired with a simple and smart Breton T-shirt and grey New Balance trainers (the original and best), this is a classic example of a ‘framework’ suit that can be swapped in with a white shirt and smarter Derby shoes if the situation calls for it. One suit, lots of options, which is exactly how it should be.
The break it up
Workwear suits have been a growing trend for a few years now. A chore coat with loads of pockets, or a relaxed blazer in a twill cotton (also with loads of pockets) has the benefit of feeling like you’re putting on something with a bit of substance and intent, without feeling like you’re playing fancy dress on a Friday – appropriate for a meeting, but able to transition to the pub or coffee shop afterwards.
Matching sets are a great option, as is the broken-up approach. An olive or khaki unstructured jacket paired with a charcoal or navy trouser with a bit of room in the leg and a shoe with a lug soul, or a chunkier trainer. This is a boxier silhouette, so you don’t want anything too delicate or thin-soled on your feet.
The easy evening
If you’re having a small-to-medium meltdown about a formal dress code, or about an evening soirée that calls for a suit, don’t! First of all, how lovely to be invited to a soirée. Second of all: monochromatic tailoring is your best friend.
I’ve been quite into the notion of a slim, but not tight, suit in either black (it doesn’t have to look like you stepped out of a bad 1990s corrupt cop film), or a dark, dark shade of navy, with a simple crewneck T-shirt of the same colour and a dark leather loafer with a little bit of a step. In terms of socks, I prefer to wear one when it’s an ‘event’.
The suit: evening appropriate. The feeling: surprisingly comfortable. The soirée: a great success.
