Style Scenario: All Blues… but no navy

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. Ditch the sweatpants and un-slump your shoulders. Look good, feel good. Sun’s out, suit’s out. Navy is one of those colors in men’s style that gets used over and over again. From wardrobe-foundation-suits, to dark wash denim. But what if we went blue(s), without navy? Because blue in all its handsome shades can play really well with each other when paired up. Here’s one, dressed-up example of just that. Blues but no navy. It’s possible.

The Suit: Spier and Mackay Heather Blue Suit – $398. Tropical weight, super 100s wool. A not-so-normal shade, but nothing electric or loud. The More Affordable Alternative: Don’t have a blue suit in this shade, and don’t want to splurge on another? Forget the “no navy” parameters and just wear your navy suit. Don’t have a navy suit? This look would do great with jeans and a blazer. Don’t have a navy blazer? Try a lightweight merino cardigan as your top layer. This one from Amazon’s Goodthreads brand is $40.

The Shirt: Old Navy Light Blue Slim-Fit Pro Signature Performance Dress Shirt – $30ish. Shirt at the very top of the post is actually a Ledbury MID spread, but those are still out of stock. Will do a deeper dive into the Old Navy in an upcoming Best Bets for $75 or less. Got a white one from Old Navy, not light blue. And thus, the Ledbury in the image. But here’s a few quick in person thoughts of the Old Navy: It’s weirdly good for how cheap it is. 67% cotton, 30% poly, and 3% stretch. Smooth poplin fabric that has real stretch and does seem to help keep you cooler than all cotton dress shirts. Collar is decent too, especially for going tieless. There is one catch: Sizing is a bit weird. The ON size chart doesn’t seem to reconcile with these particular shirts. Usually a medium should work for a 16.5″ – 17.5″ neck (the ON chart has it listed for 15-15.5″). I got the medium and it fit my neck and 5’10″/185 body pretty well too. No idea why the size chart on OldNavy.com is so off. So maybe consider sizing down as well as ordering your normal size and send one of them back.

The Pocket Square: The Tie Bar Line Art Floral Jade Pocket Square – $15. Cheap and effective. A splash of color that’s still muted. Floral print and lighter green border adds some visual texture, while still being 100% silk.

The Watch: Orient Ray Automatic – $140 on a Crown & Buckle Supreme Nato – $34. Now’s a great time to wear a diver on a striped watch band. Just like skipping a tie, it helps dress the suit down a little. Going tieless also 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. Or stick with the slim dress watch. Can’t lose here.

The Belt: Nordstrom Newman Reversible Leather Belt – $49.50. A reversible brown to black. “Two belts” for the price of one. Sleek and dressy. Ships and returns for free.

The Shoes: Nordstrom Dane Cap Toe Oxford – $99.95. Cheap. Ships and returns for free. Simple, warm brown cap toe. Full review can be found here. Want to invest? Hit up the Allen Edmonds Anniversary Sale.

The Socks: Made in Italy Taylor Stitch Merino Socks in Maroon – $22.50. They say match your socks to your trousers. Whatever. These are “fun” socks without having a loud pattern. They’re maroon. Which is unexpected, but not “wacky.” That and they’ve got more cushioning to them than standard paper thin dress socks. And that can mean more comfort. Especially if you’re wearing cheaper shoes like those Nordy cap toes.