#OOTD: How to Wear a Suit This Spring

Editor’s note: You’ve surely seen this hashtag lots of different places, including on Instagram. But how does that carry over to real life? The #OOTD series will take one great item and put together a versatile, stylish outfit around it. Look for past features here.

For every situation that calls for more casual, rugged wear — like how to dress for a spring bar crawl, for instance — there are situations that call for a bit something more: Say, a big presentation at the office, or a (very) fancy dinner date. That’s what we’re tackling today on The Style Guide, with an eye specifically toward how to do it right — after all, rocking a shirt and tie sans jacket just isn’t something that’s going to leave most of us looking our best. The thing with investing in a suit — even a budget-friendly option like the below — is that you can get a lot of wear out of it (yes, even casually).  But today’s post goes for a full-on, suited look. Shop away! And if you have suggestions for an #OOTD scenario you’d like covered, let me know on Facebook!
Shop the latest in Men's styles Under $50 + get FREE Shipping on orders over $100 at Frank & Oak!

Taking a few classics -- like the worsted wool suit -- and flipping them by incorporating unique texture and color.

Taking a few classics — like the worsted wool suit — and flipping them by incorporating unique texture and color.

The Suit: J. Crew Ludlow Harbor Blue Suit Jacket in Italian Worsted Wool, $425 — J. Crew just absolutely knows what works in terms of classic, affordable suiting — and the Harbor Blue color of this jacket is a terrific change of pace if you’ve already got a navy suit in your closet. As always, don’t forget the Ludlow suit pants (which should fit relatively slim and modern).

The Shirt: Taylor Stitch White Royal Oxford, $98 — Who knew that Taylor Stitch made dress shirts? This guy sure didn’t. You’re getting exceptional quality for an exceptionally classic piece that can go anywhere. If you want something more price-conscious, head this way.

The Pocket Square: SprezzaBox White & Tan Pocket Square, $16 — In addition to a neat monthly subscription service, SprezzaBox also makes its own line of essential ties & accessories — slightly more expensive than The Tie Bar, but with great styling potential.

The Tie: SprezzaBox Knit Charcoal Shifting Tie, $25 — A charcoal knit tie is virtually foolproof when it comes to rocking with all manner of suits across all seasons — that holds true for spring, as well.

The Shoes: Thursday Boots Brown Scout Boot, $149 –A pair of leather chukka boots with a suit? Heck yes. The heightened blue color of this suit, along with the more textured charcoal knit tie, pushes this look into more casual territory, so the boots just work.

The Belt: J. Crew Factory Reversible Brown Leather Belt, $27.50 — A tried-and-true leather belt that serves a double function is the way to go here — you get J. Crew quality for less, too.

The Socks: Mack Weldon Total Eclipse Blue Socks, $12.50 — For a brand that does basics like its slim merino long-sleeve tee so well, they sure do know how to make comfortable socks that are still slightly cheaper than what you’d find  at other retailers.

The Watch: Daniel Wellington Classic Bristol Silver Watch, $229 — A timeless watch from a brand that just gets how to do things right; it’s slim, minimal and tremendously stylish!

That brings us, once again, to the end of another #OOTD — taking pieces that you should probably already have in your wardrobe (the classic, four-season worsted wool suit, for one) and injecting some new color and texture helps shake things up nicely. The color combination of the tan tipped pocket square and the charcoal knit tie is another variation on the traditional silk tie, and the brown leather chukka boots are a heck of a deal for the quality. Other hardworking pieces, like breathable socks and a slim dress watch, just work regardless of the season. This ensemble will hopefully work for all kinds of dressy scenarios — be it a dressy summer wedding or a dressy day at the office. And on a more casual front: Coming up tomorrow, we’ll be tackling the best short-sleeve shirts to rock this summer.

Thanks for reading, and stay stylish!

Florsheim

Reader Giveaway Opportunity: SprezzaBox Subscription

Editor’s note: For more great style content, check out our Spring Style Online Shopping Picks. Thanks to everyone who entered!

All of this gear could be yours -- for months on end -- if you enter the giveaway below!

All of this gear could be yours — for months on end — if you enter the giveaway below!

As guys have grown more and more interested in all things #menswear, we’ve seen an explosion in the rise of digital services geared to help guys (like yourself) become more stylish. Be it the Frank & Oak Elevate program (formerly the Hunt Club), or great blogs like Effortless Gent, resources abound for the guy looking to become more stylish on a daily basis. Subscription-based programs that package up stylish gear and deliver it right to your doorstep are also becoming more and more popular (including lifestyle boxes like Bespoke Post). And the folks at SprezzaBox are innovating in this space, too — particularly when it comes to sharp, stylish accessories for those occasions when you need to suit up.

The name plays off the concept of “sprezzatura,” or the art of a carefully nonchalant approach to style (you’ve probably seen this on display in the streets surrounding Pitti Uomo). So, they’ve got a lot to live up to, namewise. And their stylish assortment certainly does that! Although they also offer an online store with everything from ties to pocket squares, they’ve also got a neat program with options to sign up month-by-month (or yearly), and have all the menswear goodness you could possibly want shipped to wherever you choose (your house, your man-cave, the Bat Den, etc.). It’s a great value for the product, too — finishing touches like a simple pocket square  can definitely up your game if you’re not used to trying those sorts of things out. How it works? Their stylists hand-select a mix of product each month (all of which could feasibly be incorporated into one sharp outfit), and then it ships right on out. They’ve got everything covered, right down to the cufflinks. For those of us who need to throw on a tie or a sharp blazer from time to time, it makes getting dressed quite easy. If you find yourself needing to do that on the regular, then you’ll like what we’re giving away: a FREE (yes, FREE) six-month subscription to SprezzaBox. This would normally run you $28/month, but it’s coming to ya at a low cost of … $0 through this giveaway!

But how to win, you say? Simply click on this link and follow the instructions!

Editor’s note: This contest ends at 12 a.m. on April 14.

Thanks as always for reading, and good luck to those entering!

-Beau


Style Pick of the Week: The Hill-Side Striped Tie

Ben Sherman US
Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

Japanese navy fabric and white stripes make for one sharp tie.

Japanese navy fabric and white stripes make for one sharp tie.

Out of all the Style Picks featured on this site, from Oxford shirts to slim shorts and tailored trousers, not one tie has made this category yet. That changes this week, with a striped cotton-linen number from The Hill-Side. You might recognize the brand’s name from this very blog (or, more likely, from their recent arrival as one of GQ’s Best New Menswear Designers in America). In short, the brand stocks essentials that have a modern-yet-quirky tilt, and they do so using lots of beautiful fabrics and textures (they even have a fabric shop, and its physical retail space, Hickorees, stocks that as well). But onto the tie itself — as the weather gets warmer, attire from head-to-toe should lighten up and help you beat the heat, including your neckwear.

Collect them all: available in a very narrow square-ended version or two progressively wider pointed versions.

Collect them all: available in a very narrow square-ended version or two progressively wider pointed versions.

The cotton-linen blend, narrow width and diagonal stripes convey a preppy yet modern style — thanks to the Japanese fabric — that would be ideal for wearing to, say, a summer wedding, or to the office. It’s available in a narrow or slightly wider pointed version (either 2 5/8″ or 3 1/4″), along with a square-ended variation that the brand is perhaps most known for. With Father’s Day quickly approaching, don’t forget about this as a (very) last-minute splurge gift for Dad, either, because at $85, that’s exactly what this tie is. But given The Hill-Side’s knack for pumping out quality pieces in stellar fabrics, it’s a tie that should wear well through many seasons to come.

Do you own any product from The Hill-Side? What’s your take on this tie?

(Editor’s note: If you want to knock a discount off some similarly luxurious #menswear, check out  the below promo — running through July 31 — with Ernest Alexander!)

$10 Off a purchase of $100 or more; Free Shipping on orders over $200 at Ernest Alexander Enter promo code: STYLEGUIDE10 at checkout. Valid 06-12-2015 through 07-31-2015

Florsheim