New Styling Tips for Wearing Suits in the New Season

Today I'm going to share some styling tips and ideas for wearing smart in the new season. Before we know it the Autumn months will be upon us. It will be cooler evenings, shorter days and the events will be more indoors or under heated lamps. I've been enjoying a lot of casual suit styling recently. Not every press invite warrants a shirt and tie. 

My favourite go-to right now is wearing a double breasted sport coat or blazer under a solid colour tee, paired with high waist trousers and trainers. The double breasted coat is usually kept back for very formal occasions. I know typically the cloth can be a little heavier which doesn't make it ideal for the summer parties. However, an unlined double breasted coat with the wide lapels (ala seventies Tommy Nutter) will smarten up any look for a casual event. 

To inject some playfulness into this look I often wear a solid white scoop neck tee under the jacket with matching trainers. For this I would definitely recommend peak lapels for the same effect as the double breasted. The peak lapels are more formal than notch lapels and the contrast is more purposeful. For those that have seen The Gray Man with Ryan Gosling, his character Court Gentry wears a wine suit over a solid tee and the looks is even referred to by Ana De Armas. 

Even James Bond himself, Daniel Craig will wear trainers with a suit if the event is casual enough. The press conference for No Time To Die in Jamaica saw him wear a Thom Sweeney hopsack suit paired with Converse All Star trainers. 

A look that has been dominant in the smart casual game these past few years has been the polo shirt under the suit. A polo will often be a heavier knitted fabric than most dress shirts. You can have fun with the pattern also if the suits are a solid colour. For style template references matching polos with suits, watch the movie Tenet. If you want to wear shirts under suits but fancy doing something a bit flashy, simply have the collar pop out from the suit jacket and run over the lapels. It would need to be a lido collar or just a very exaggerated shirt collar ala Brad Pitt's snakeskin shirt at the end of Ocean's Eleven. He also wears the shirts with the cuffs undone, very playboy. Like he has walked out for morning coffee, fresh from the all-night party. 

As we are encroaching on Autumn, you'll do well to also incorporate some seasonal colours. Think earthy hues, moss greens, crisp browns, burnt orange, off whites and camel overcoats. You'll soon need to roll out the knitwear. Layering with knitwear such as a roll neck can add a touch of sophistication and warmth. I love the idea of a mustard coloured toll neck under a brown check sports coat. Ensure you look after your knits these season. Invest in some cedar balls to deter moths. Fold them and place on shelves rather than hanging them. The weight of the garment will cause the shoulders to lose their shape over time.