For me, this seasons has been all about the combination of knitwear and tailoring to create outfits. The idea of having something as smart as a suited look with the added texture and warmth of knitted items is both extremely stylish and very practical during these Winter/Spring transitional periods. Recently, I decided to put together a combination outfit that would work equally well with two different types of accessories allowing for slightly different looks that would work well for different tastes and occasions.
So with the morning sun cracking and the remains of an early day’s fog settling on my lapel (you’ll notice a few water droplets) I put together these two subtly different outfits. Let me know which one you prefer in the comments section.
Photography Credit: Sarah Anne Choa
The basic elements I used for this look were as follows:
Suit – T.M. Lewin
Knitted Waistcoat – T.M. Lewin
Shirt – Vivienne Westwood
Cufflinks – Alice Made This
Tie – T.M. Lewin
Pocket Square – Pocket & Fold
Umbrella – Hackett
I really like the base look, even before I’ve added in the details. It’s a classic navy design that is given a contemporary twist with a knitted waistcoat and red silk, knitted tie. The grey of the waistcoat is complimented by the grey detailing on the pocket square and the umbrella really finishes off the piece in a simple way. In the past, I’ve been a tad shy of wearing navy as I didn’t think it suited my frame or personal style. However, this suit from T.M. Lewin’s newest collection (The Islington) has really swayed me back to loving blue tailoring.
Styled with Black Details
The black leather accessories here work fantastically with the blue as well as the black umbrella, it gives a modern theme to the whole style. A great business look that would also be suited to cold mornings in the sun or an early Spring wedding. The half-rim glasses add a dash of eccentricity to the outfit while the slim, black leather watch works beautifully with the whole ensemble. It’s style through subtlety and an excellent demonstration of how small elements of black contrast work well with this palette of colors.
Watch – Daniel Wellington from WatchShop.com
Sunglasses – Bailey Nelson
Belt – Elliot Rhodes
Shoes – Voeut
Styled with Tan Details
This look is much more focused on using softer contrasts and more classic shapes to create a look harking back to similar looks from Michael Caine and Steve McQueen. The square shape of the tortoise/navy sunglasses is a typical look from the 60s era that manages to work with the suit and the other brown accessories at the same time. The watch is another slim designed timepiece but with a larger face and simpler detailing to add to that feeling of retro-styling. Finally the detailing of the brogues and light tan leather belt add a brighter contrast against the navy and really bring the whole piece together. It’s an homage to the Thomas Crown affair and Charlie Croker and Alfie in one outfit…
Watch – Daniel Wellington from WatchShop.com
Sunglasses – Lacoste
Belt – Mantaray
Shoes – Last Shoe
This was a really interesting challenge and one that introduced me to a whole new way of thinking in terms of details when styling an outfit. It acts as almost concrete evidence that the smallest elements can have the biggest impact, so make sure to include them when you do suit up. Ultimately, it shows that a simple blue suit can be given two different characters without changing the core elements, so it will hopefully keep your luggage light.
Thanks for checking out the post and make sure to let me know what you think of my outfits in the comments section. You can also sign-up to be notified of new posts and follow The Male Stylist activity. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or Instagram for style inspiration, gentleman’s musings and general fun.
