What are you going to wear? Sometimes it’s good to look at a few suggestions then add your own tweaks and ideas. That’s what these are for. Welcome to three style scenarios singing the praises of the medium gray suit. Not super dark charcoal. Not pale dove-gray either. Like these:
- Spier & Mackay Medium Gray Half Canvas Wool Suit – $328
- Suitsupply Lazio Fit Gray Half Canvas Wool Suit Separates – $569
- J. Crew Factory Worsted Wool Suit Separates – $250 – $299 when on sale
A gray that’s somewhere in-between. And in this series, you’ll find out just how far that investment can go.
The Suit: Suitsupply Lazio Fit Gray Half Canvas Wool Suit Separates – $569. Not cheap, but really good… as long as you can stomach their lame attempts at “shock” marketing. Nice fabrics, half canvas construction AND they ship and return for free. Suit separates here, so you can mix and match jacket and trousers sizes, which is a big deal for a lot of us who don’t fall into SuSu’s pretty slim fits and drop zones.
The Shirt: Ledbury White Astor Poplin Dress Shirt – $98. The slightly lowered 2nd button on Ledbury shirts make them perfect for going tieless. We’ll anchor the look with a pocket square instead. Too spendy? Wear whatever your favorite crisp white dress shirt happens to be. Reminder: Get some alloy collar stays, then put a slight bend in them for a perfect collar that’ll frame your face.
The Pocket Square: Banana Republic Navy Silk Pocket Square – $20.70 w/ BRPLUS10 ($29.50). Usually you see white pocket squares with colorful borders. But we’ve got a solid, bright white shirt here. So let’s flip the script for a bit of contrast.
The Watch: Invicta Pro Diver Automatic – $80 w/ Crown & Buckle Supreme Nato – $34. The dirt cheap, gateway automatic diver on the best NATO strap in the business. All for $110 total. Going tieless often means you can add a bit “more” in other places. Like on your wrist. So instead of a super slim dress watch, maybe consider that chunkier diver you like to wear.
The Belt: Marino Ratchet Belt in Amber – $18.99. Yes. These again. Because they’re as comfortable as a belt gets. Ratchet system leads to super precise, easy to adjust fit. And unlike a lot of other ratchet belts, which can look clunky as heck, these look like a regular belt.
The Shoes: Allen Edmonds Weatherproof Park Avenue Oxford in Brown – $209.97 ($445). UPDATE: These are now on sale for an extra 30% off through 8/23. Drops them to $209.97. Terrific price. Really playing the hits here. Yes, you can wear brown shoes with a gray suit. That “you have to wear black shoes with a gray suit” thing is an old myth. Look around at a bunch of suit companies and their models. They often pair dark brown shoes with gray trousers. And it looks great! These weatherproof, dainite sole equipped Park Avenues are the bee’s knees. Super soft, flexible leather. Comfortable. Classic. Perfect for the upcoming “weathery” seasons. Too spendy? Try the Williamsburg Chukka for $199. Although you don’t get the rubber studded sole there, and to some, the “coffee” shade might be getting a touch light to wear with this shade of gray.
The Socks: Made in the USA Allen Edmonds Merino Cool Navy Windowpane Socks – $19.50. Something to throw in the cart along with the shoes. Doesn’t get better than these. Perfect amount of cushioning, but still a dress sock. USA made and merino wool helps keep your feet cool and comfortable. Going for more contrast here, like the pocket square.