Nothing says “summer” better than a light coloured blazer with a pair of trainers. Once you get these two items right, what you choose to wear in-between is completely up to you.
Let me get straight into it and list out what I wore on an evening out on my most recent holiday.
Blazer: If you’ve been reading my blog for at least a few months then you would know that I put a lot of emphasis on my blazers. As I mentioned in this piece I did with Mazda last year, a blazer has the potential to transform your entire look. A well cut blazer is that perfect bridge between casual and smart. You can Continue reading That early summer look→
Well look who is here, seems like I got your attention with the article title. You are most welcome and please keep reading. By the way, if you have not subscribed to this blog yet, i encourage you to do so as i have a lot to share in the coming weeks and months which you don’t want to miss. Just in case some of you are wondering what makes a suit a summer or winter or autumn or whatever season suit, let me give you two main pointers before I move on to talking about my super cool suit. But why does summer have to end in the first place? It would save us so much hassle if it was summer all year round right? Anyway, quick back to the suit. Two quick pointers to always check for when determining a seasonal suit are fabric and colour.
Summer suits are generally lightweight with weave that are slightly looser allowing breathability. Remember it is hot during the summer months so breathability is absolutely essential when choosing a fabric or indeed buying a suit for that time of the year. The second pointer is colour. Summer colours for suits are usually either vibrant or light shades and naturals like beige and stone as oppose to charcoal grey, navy and other darker colours suited to the cold seasons. Get these two rules right and the rest will fall into place.
However, I am in the mood to break some rules today. There is no way I am going to spend hundreds of pounds on a beautifully crafted suit and be expected to only wear it during summer. It just does not make financial sense neither would I be doing justice to the suit itself. So guess what, I am going to stretch my money by wearing this suit in all its splendour until that cold wind really start to hit my bones. Besides, who made these colour rules anyway?
As I was saying its rule breaking time so stick with me for a minute or two while I explain myself. Quick word of caution before I proceed. Before you break a rule, make sure you know what the rules are first of all. Going against the grain is sweet but make sure you know the direction of flow before going against it. That way, you can do it like a boss.
The suit I am wearing is made with a linen-wool-silk blend fabric that provides comfort and luxury at the same time. The linen provides strength and breathability to the suit, whiles the wool and silk gives durability and structure. What you basically have is a suit made of fabric that is lightweight and breathable but not saggy or droopy. It maintains it form and structure and with the right cut, can look like you were born with it.
So to stretch my summer suit into autumn, I have done two main things.
Today’s look is all about the denim. I know the red tie on this particular look is the one but forget about it for a minute and focus on the denim shirt. All eyes on denim!
Now that I have your undivided attention, let me start by saying that I am assuming every man reading this post has a denim shirt in their wardrobe. Is that a resounding yeah, or a nah? If you already have one then I guess you are winning, but if you do not have one, then I strongly suggest you go out and get one now.
Denim is a garment that automatically conjures the preceding word “casual” in fashion. The denim shirt itself has re-emerged over the past few years as a strong essential in men’s wardrobe. An essential that has done very well for itself when speaking casual. Because denim is so synonymous to casual wear, people rarely look at ways and means to spruce it up for that extra flair.
Don’t get me wrong, a denim shirt by itself (without blazer) with a pair of contrasting jeans or chinos looks good. When worn correctly, it is the stuff casual wear is made of.
What you may not be aware of is that you can actually build up this strong essential to give you an amazing and relaxed smart casual look. A look that wouldn’t break the bank but still harness the versatility and style required to break the rules on pairing garments. The thing about breaking rules in fashion is that when you get it right, people automatically know that you know what you are doing. You have an edge over others which is what any man with interest in their looks should aim for.
As mentioned, the denim shirt works well as a standalone garment but I personally prefer the idea of using it as a layering garment as I strongly believe that’s when you get the most out of it. You can pair it in many ways appropriate to the season and the occasion.
I have put together a look that showcase my idea of dressing up a denim shirt!
The look:
Blue jeans
Beige blazer
Washed blue denim shirt
Blue jeans
A pair of beige slip-on shoes to match the blazer
Stripped red tie
Red pocket square
If your aim is to have a more quirky and different looks then I suggest you replace the tie with a bow tie. As I have said in previous posts, the bow tie always delivers a look no other garment does.
And if you are wondering just where or what occasion to rock this look to then I strongly suggest you start with your casual Fridays at work. Because it is casual Friday does not mean you have to turn up at work with an AC/DC worn out t-shirt with converse. I mean all that has its place in your dress code cycle but please leave that for the concerts and gigs. Rock this look on a casual Friday and you are guaranteed to still turn heads when you head to the bar after work.
Family is a word that evokes so much feelings and emotions that cannot be summed up in words but rather shown through actions.
The oxford dictionary defines family as “a group consisting of two parents and their children living together” or more aptly “a group of people related by blood or marriage”. The term blood by itself (in the second definition) is enough to conjure a feeling of belonging and one of real connection. A connection even nature itself cannot undo.
Family is the most basic but yet most important unit of any society.
I personally think that family is God’s way of teaching us how to relate to him through service, accountability, challenging each other in love. Love which when nurtured properly within the family can be extended to people outside of it.
A happy celebrant!
As it happens, I was blessed with amazing sisters, one of whom was graduating after completing a degree in Criminology and Criminal justice.
I know right, you can imagine the excitement laced with feelings of accomplishment after all those sleepless nights burning the midnight oil.
Seeing my sister graduate was a moment of pride, joy and absolute pleasure for the entire family and celebrations were in order as we thank God for his mercies.
My Dad, Ed senior and my other sister Jennifer were both in attendance too. Knowing Jennifer, she might try to outshine everyone else in the ceremony including the celebrant. #sideeye
Jennifer trying to outshine her sister #Sideeye
Not that I was competing with them but I wasn’t going to look like a tramp in their midst. So for this reason, I was going to turn up in style.
As you would know by now, I love my suits and always look forward to wearing them at any given opportunity.
I personally think a suit adds an extra dimension to a man’s look no other garment does. A business suit or lounge suit is the most common of suits. Although this kind of suit is common, it doesn’t mean it has to be monotonous and boring.
So in this occasion my style idea was ‘simple with a twist’ or a ‘cool classic’.
I only wanted two colours, well strictly speaking, white does not count as a colour as it is not found on the colour wheel so midnight blue was my colour of choice for the occasion.
Midnight blue is one of those colours that go with almost everything. I say ‘almost’ loosely as from the top of my head I cannot think of any other colour that does not go with it. I think it’s so versatile that you can wear it all year round, day and night, summer or winter.
I recon it’s a good investment so if you do not have a blue suit (especially darker hues), I suggest you go out and get one now. You won’t regret it, ever!
Ok back to the look. As I said above, I was aiming for the ‘simple with a twist’ ‘cool classic’ look, which means one colour only.
With my white shirt providing layering for the suit, there was only going to be two accessories with this look, white pocket square and a watch. No necktie, bow tie, lapel pin or even collar tips.
Ok, in hindsight maybe I could have added a collar tip to give my collars a bit of character but that’s it, nothing else. With my shirt buttoned up and pocket square squared up my idea of simplicity is complete.
Now to add a little twist to the mix, I opted for a pair of white high top leather all-star converse. I could have gone for a pair of brown or black shoes with matching belts but that would make me look just like everyone else. With two folds on my trouser, I made sure the converse was in full view. The reason I chose converse over any other pair of white trainer is that converse in general carries that classic look and they are streamlined and fitted instead of being bulky. This I think goes well with my look. The converse on this occasion is the statement piece.
So next time you put one a suit, think of inventive ways of wearing it. Push fashion boundaries to make a statement.
The look:
Suit – FCUK
Shirt – TM lewin
Pocket Square – M & S
Trainers – Office by Converse
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