3 Ways to Wear Your Suit Jacket

I love suits. I wear suits to work even though I don't have to, they just put me in a frame of mind that I am ready to work (really it works, I talk about in in this post: Why Dress Above the Dress Code.) However, there are times when wearing a suit to the office sticks out more than others, mainly casual Friday. Even so, I still like to get a lot of use out of my suits. As such, today I'll show you three ways to wear a suit jacket so you can still show off your well tailored wardrobe without looking out of place.

With Jeans: From 9-to-5 to Night Out

A well tailored suit jacket looks great with jeans and it is a great combination for casual Fridays or less formal offices. The trick here is to pair up your wardrobe correctly so it doesn't look like you just grabbed whatever jacket was in reach as you were walking out the door. First, your jeans should be dark and simple. No tears, patches, rhinestones or bedazzling. Also, I would opt for a straight or slim cut over boot-cut. As with any other time, your jacket should be well tailored. The best part of this outfit is that it works for occasions outside of the office as well, so you don't need to stop home before hitting the bar after work.

Jeans and a Suit Jacket | rachaelshaynestyle.blogspot.com

With a Polo: Not Just for the Country Club

Ok this can be hard to pull off, especially if you don't want to look like this. However, it's all about keeping the rest of your outfit as trim and well fitting as your suit should be. I prefer a contrast brightness, whether dark on the suit or the polo, but the guy below pulls off a full dark hue masterfully. Having a great beard certainly doesn't hurt either.

Polo with a Suit | thesartorialist.com

With a Sweater: The Sophisticate

Tie or not, rocking a 3 layer look with your suit jacket is a huge style upgrade for the fall. It works on so many levels and for so many situations. The biggest thing to remember here is to not try and match colors (i.e. do not wear a navy jacket with a navy sweater.) Go for contrast and inject some bold colors into your wardrobe. This yellow sweater below might be a little too bold alone, but with the tweed jacket over it the whole outfit just works.

Sportcoat and Sweater | omiru.com

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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Polo Perfection: The Shirt You Can Wear (Almost) Anywhere

The polo shirt is just business enough to be business casual and just casual enough to wear to a beach-side bonfire.  The trick is making sure you get one that doesn't make you look like a balloon.  I love wearing polo shirts all the time, in fact I wear them more often than t-shirts.  My wife even comments on how strange it is to see me in anything without a collar anymore.  Don't be afraid, it really is a good thing.  Today I'll show you how to find a polo that you'll look great it and will be as versatile as brown shoes (which you should read about in this blog: Buying Fashionable Men's Shoes.)

Keep it Trim

One day I will write a blog that doesn't include something about fit...actually, probably not.  But in this case, the fit of your polo will be the biggest thing that determines whether you look great or look like another guy wearing a polo 2 sizes two big.  The sleeves should be a little short, just above the biggest part of your bicep.  The sleeves should also be tight, not cutting-off-your-circulation tight but tight enough that they stretch a bit.  Make sure that the fabric around your chest and waist is tailored well and does not bellow out.  Tuck it in and look at the back in a mirror: does it puff out like a marshmallow?  If it does then it's too big, get a size smaller or move on to a brand that knows how to cut a shirt correctly.

Perfectly Fitted Pique Polo | Express

A Logo Does Not A Great Shirt Make

Everyone knows the Lacoste and Polo logos that get slapped onto countless polos, but these logos only mean one thing: you are wearing a billboard for that company.  That's it.  Just because something is made by a certain company does not mean it will fit you well, last long or look good.  Simply, don't be impressed that there is an alligator on your shirt.  And the bigger that logo is, the more you should avoid that polo.  No one is impressed by the dude with the gigantic horse plastered across half his shirt.  And if the polo that looks great doesn't have a logo, who cares?  You certainly shouldn't.

No logo?  No Problem. | GQ

Pop?  You Should Not.

Okay, there is an argument that some would like to make about popping a polo collar coming from a tradition of sailors who wanted to keep the sun off of their necks.  Great, next time you're at sea go ahead and flip your collar up.  Otherwise, do everyone a favor and don't.  It just makes you look like an east coast frat boy who's looking to show off his "killer keg stand."  For an alternative point of view, check out this post from Of Rogues and Gentlemen: To Pop or Stop.  Let me know who you agree with!

Just imagine that collar shooting skywards... | Nordstrom

Thanks for reading.  As always, be dapper.

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