Excellent advice below from Ethan Desu. Although Ethan noted it, it’s worth emphasizing that grey trousers, blue jackets, and brown suede shoes don’t have to be reduced to a uniform. There are a near infinite number of possibilities once you consider the different shades of blue, grey, and brown; the different weaves fabrics come in (e.g. flannel, nailhead, tropical wool); and the various styles clothes can be made into (e.g. single vs. double breasted, oxford shoes vs. derbies, pleated vs. plain front, etc).
Add in the task of buying things in the best materials and construction you can afford, and focusing on fit (can’t be emphasized enough), and you have at least one sure-fire way of looking smart.
Classic Combination
Alan and I have a long running joke – and like most jokes it is firmly rooted in a real desire to do so – that we should open a new store where we only sell variations of grey trousers, blue jackets and brown suede shoes.
I am, as I write this, in light grey Crispaire trousers from Ambrosi, a Dormeuil Tonik jacket in a vibrant junior navy, made by Liverano, and rich mid brown suede oxfords from Saint Crispin’s. While for many, a grey suit is their comfort clothes to face any situation in, for me this is it.
The beauty of this combination for me is that it can be a louche and effortless as jeans and a white tee, or as proper as a double breasted. With dark flannels and a rich navy twill, it has stroller like formality, but in a light grey fresco, blue linen and snuff suede sans socks it is perfect weekend dinner attire in the summer. The number of variations I have of this very combo is telling.
Who knows, maybe there is a pop-up concept in there – a new uniform for The Armoury.
Brown Suede Split Toes by Koji Suzuki for Spigola
Snuff Suede Single Monks by Carmina