5 Suits that aren’t Navy or Charcoal (to welcome back dressing well)

Suit up! Because, why not? It’s been a while for many. And I swear it’ll inject a little positivity into your world. I wore a suit the other day and people were literally smiling and asking for my name out of nowhere. And while wearing a suit is hardly achieving Mother Teresa levels of altruism, people want to believe in something. And that goes for all of us wanting to believe in ourselves.

With the warmer weather arriving, it’s a great time to try something a little less serious/conservative than the usual charcoal and navy options. Here are five suits to take for a spin for no reason other than dressing well is making a comeback. Don’t forget the mask. And yes, one can still look really really good wearing a mask with a suit. For some of us, we look even better!

 

Slate Blue

• Spier and Mackay Blue Birdseye Suit – $278 ($348)
• Suitsupply Light Blue Napoli Fit Suit – $359
• Banana Republic Slim Italian Sharkskin Suit Jacket & Trouser in Bel Air Blue – $306.72 w/ BRTHX ($568)
• Spier and Mackay Slate Blue Check – $278 ($348)
• Black Lapel Online Custom Traveler Suit in Slate Blue – $799
• Black Lapel Online Custom Baltic Blue Fresco Suit – $599
• J. Crew Italian Stretch Wool Slim Fit Ludlow Suit Jacket & Trouser in Harbor Blue – $399 ($650)

Not quite light blue. Not gray either. Mix the two together, desaturate it a bit, and bang. There you have it. Slate blue. Interesting, but the cooler tones keep it looking (wait for it) cool, and NOT powder-blue silly. More sehxzy, less cutesy. A slate blue suit looks particularly good in the spring, summer, and fall, but can also inject a bit of needed color into the dark doldrums of winter.

 

Light Gray

• J. Crew Italian Wool Slim Fit Ludlow Suit Jacket & Trouser in Geyser Grey – $489 ($650)
• Spier & Mackay Light Heather Gray Wool Suit – $348
• Bonobos Jetsetter Stretch Wool Suit Separates – $550
• Suitsupply Light Gray Lazio Fit Tropical Wool Suit – $359
• Suitsupply Light Gray Havana Fit Super 120s Tropical Wool Suit Separates – $598

Nothing says “winter is over” like a truly light gray suit. Looks awesome with a dress shirt and tie, but the pale shade of gray also makes it easy to dress down with tie-free checks, ginghams, or even polos. Dashing for sure, especially in the warmer months.

 

The Blue Subtle Dark Pattern Suit

• Suitsupply Mid Blue Check Napoli Fit Tropical Wool Suit – $359
• J. Crew Stretch Navy/Black Seersucker Ludlow Slim-fit Unstructured Blazer & Trouser – $249 ($356)
• Bonobos Jetsetter Stretch Wool Suit in Navy Mini Check – $650
• Black Lapel Online Custom Blue Fresco Windowpane Suit – $599
• Brooks Brothers Made in the USA Regent Fit Charcoal-Blue Plaid 1818 Suit – $599 ($1198)

A shade of blue with a darker pattern layered underneath = all sorts of right. It’s interesting but still subtle. Looks terrific with a solid shirt. Tie or no tie, it’s up to you, but keep everything else pretty basic and let the subtle pattern do the (quiet) talking. Pro move = dark seersucker on a late spring day or warm summer night. That’s the real deal right there.

 

Green

• Spier & Mackay Bottle Green Fresco Wool Jacket & Trouser – $606
• Todd Snyder Garment Dyed Made in Portugal Italian Cotton Traveler Suit – $526
• Suitsupply Mid Green Lazio Suit Separates in Stretch Cotton – $408
• J. Crew Italian Chino Ludlow Slim-fit Suit Jacket & Trouser in Deep Sage – $339 ($456)

Well that’s different. The great thing about green is that while it is different, it doesn’t shout like reds and purples can. It’s still earthy. Certainly a step away from the center, but once an observer absorbs the fact that your suit is green (or a shade thereof) their eyes and brains accept it. It doesn’t constantly demand attention like some other colors.

 

Stone/Wheat/Cream

• J. Crew Ludlow Slim-fit Stretch Cotton-Linen Jacket & Matching Trouser in Cream – $319 ($456)
• Suitsupply Unconstructed Stretch Cotton Suit in Light Brown – $408
• Suitsupply Linen Cotton Light Brown Havana Suit – $598

Granted, this doesn’t always go over well. It is inherently dressed down. And if you lean too khaki… then you look, well, like your suit has been made out of GAP clearance rack leftovers. Look for less structure (unless you’re going all out like Gatsby), and lean towards summery fabrics like linen or linen/cotton blends. If you’re not sure about a tan/wheat/cream colored suit… go with light gray instead. Light gray almost always looks better.

Also receiving votes: Medium blue. Rich brown. Whatever this is. (Okay, not really the last one… wait how many drinks have I had? Zero? Ah. Okay then. I think I’ll stick with the light gray or slate blue.)