Great. You got some suits. You didn’t make some classic mistakes many of us have made. You got them tailored. You love the way they look and feel. But what happens when you don’t work in a suit & tie office? Or, what if you do, and still want to get some use out of those investments off the clock? It’s actually not that hard to take the stuffiness out of a suit. To dress it down. To wear it a bit more casually. Here are tips to do just that.
#1. Lose the Tie, and make sure your collar is great
- Alloy Collar Stays – $9.95 (for a box of 36)
- Ledbury The White Fine Twill Mid Spread Dress Shirt – $145
- The Tie Bar Pinpoint Dress Shirt – $55
- Nordstrom Trim Fit Non Iron Dress Shirt – $39.00
Wearing a suit, sans tie, can be a bit more complicated than simply unbuttoning the top button of your shirt and skipping the neck-wear. You’ll want some alloy collar stays instead of the cheap plastic ones your shirt came with. Put a bit of a bend in them. That should keep your collar at attention instead of pancaking out. Also, button placement on the shirt can be key for some (see the slightly lowered, 2nd button on the Ledbury shirt above).
#2. Mix up your footwear
- Allen Edmonds Liverpool Chelsea – $495
- Charles Tyrwhitt Compton Single Monk – $199 (shown above in a pronounced grain)
- John W. Nordstrom Made in Italy Double Monk – $195
- J. Crew Goodyear Welted Ludlow Longwings – $298
- Jack Erwin Goodyear Welted Hubert Long Wings – $195
Conservative dress oxfords, like the Allen Edmonds Park Avenue, are timeless. But they won’t help you dress down your suits. Put on a pair of chelsea boots. Or some monk straps. Or hell, if it’s an unconstructed, summery suit, why not some clean white sneakers? Have a bit more fun with your footwear here.
#3. Favor Blue Shirts instead of White w/ Dark Suits
- Charles Tyrwhitt Slim Fit Non-Iron Step Weave Sky Blue Dress Shirt – $69 (often on sale for less)
- Nordstrom Smartcare Trim Fit Herringbone Dress Shirt – $69.00
- The Tie Bar Pinpoint Dress Shirt – $55
- Ledbury The Blue Fine Twill Mid Spread Dress Shirt – $145
White can be a little stark up against charcoal or dark navy. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But if you’re going to dress down a normally sober, dark suit, wearing a bright white shirt can look a little like you’re multiple hours (and drinks) into a wedding reception, and you just lost the tie so you could really get down on the dance floor. That’s probably not a good situation for anyone.
#4. Skip the shave, or keep the beard.
Sure, it can look a little… playboy? Too cool for the room? But it helps. A clean shave can look a little too clean if you’re looking to wear a suit more casually. So? Skip the razor that day (or heck for a few days).
#5. Wear a less subtle watch
- Orient Mako USA II – $262.50 w/ DAPPERED30 ($375)
- Hamilton Automatic Maestro Chronograph – $1000ish
- Seiko 44mm Samurai – $315 w/ VIP ($400)
- Seiko Solar SSC569 Chronograph – $172.98
- Armogan Le Mans Chrono – $164.98
Leave the slim, simple dress watch on the dresser, and instead go for something with a bit more visual weight to it. That’ll help balance out that lack of tie, and also will look on point with the more interesting/less conservative shoes.
BONUS: Wear a colorful/patterned pocket square
- The Tie Bar, White Linen with Navy Border – $11.99
- Suitsupply Burgundy Silk Pocket Square – $49
- TheTieBar “Owen” Wool Plaid Pocket Square – $10
- J. Crew Italian Silk Tipped Pocket Square in Deep Alpine – $24.99 ($45)
- The Tie Bar, Cotton Gingham in Sky or Royal Blue – $10
- Kent Wang Lindisfarne Gospels in Silk – $45
- TheTieBar Green Tipped Cotton or Linen Pocket Square – $10.00
Doesn’t have to be super flashy. It can be a white pocket square with a forest green or navy border. Or maybe a true blue gingham. Rule of thirds is almost always a good thing visually, no? The tie is gone here, so three things that jump out visually (pocket square, shoes, watch) a bit more than normal can really work.