Three Ways To Wear A Suit (As Separates)

I love having suits I can mix and match different ways.

Contrary to what you may have been told, 1.) suits are extremely versatile, especially for a smart casual or business casual look, and 2.) they can be separated and worn with many other things, from denim jackets to other suits!

In this post, I’m going to give you some examples to try.

If you have similar items in your closet, give them a shot and let me know how it goes.

And if you want to share photos or have questions, I’d love for you to do it in the Effortless Gent community on Facebook. We have a group of a few hundred guys and everyone can benefit from the questions that are asked and answered.

Four outfits from one suit… but not just any suit

Here’s where the big BUT comes in…

You can’t take any suit and wear the trousers and jacket separately. You have to have the right suit, made from the right fabric, designed with the right details.

By the way, thanks to Oliver Wicks for providing the suit I use to illustrate the examples in this article.

First, fabric and weave

My ideal suit for breaking up and wearing separately would be made from a navy hopsack. My friends at Oliver Wicks had this amazing 9 oz. blue hopsack fabric from Angelico.

 

I chose this blue hopsack specifically for its versatility.

The hopsack weave is more “open” and has a coarser texture. So its inherently less formal than a finer, smoother, flatter weave.

In traditionally formal or business formal situations, this suit may not be the best choice. But since I’m never in those situations, this works best for my lifestyle.

Work in a business casual office? Often in situations where you need to dress smart casual or just sharp in general? You’ll get a lot of use from this suit.

The color is only slightly brighter than standard navy. The color and casual detailing (patch pockets, brown buttons, natural shoulder) make it easy to break this suit up and wear it with different pieces.

Here’s the blue hopsack suit I use in the outfits below. My second choice was this grey birdseye. The birdseye weave skews a bit more formal – not as easy to wear separately.

Second, details

I asked for a few customizations…

• ~9.5cm lapels
• single pleats
• 2″ cuffs
• patch pockets
• side tabs
• no belt loops

…and addressed some problem areas:

• wide chest and back
• bigger quads
• slightly larger armhole to avoid divots
• extending the shoulder a bit

The suit came out wonderfully. I’ve ordered quite a number of suits before, so I know exactly what I need (though, to be honest, I’m still learning with each order).

Because you may be unsure of what you need in a custom suit at the beginning, it’s important to work with a company that’s willing to walk you through it, step by step.

Oliver Wicks has been my go-to over the last couple years, mainly because of the attention to detail and the accommodation of my little requests (such as what I listed above).

Once you have the right suit, breaking up is easy to do

My friend Tanner of Masculine Style sums this whole idea up perfectly:

“Texture is key. A worsted wool or a finer weave like a sharkskin or birdseye won’t look right when the jacket is worn as a separate.

[With fabrics such as birdseye that have a slight texture], it makes [separating the suit] easier, but it’s still such a fine weave that it’s tough to make it look right. I’d say that’s fine with odd trousers, but the contrast would be too strong to wear it with jeans or casual chinos.”

Something to keep in mind if you’re in the market for a suit, but want one that you can break up without looking like you’re wearing a suit jacket whose pants have gone missing.

Outfit 1: Full suit

Hopsack blue suit ($579), White dress shirt ($79), Vintage brown pin dot tie (similar), pocket square ($89)

Here is the full suit with a white shirt, brown pin dot tie, complementing square, and brown lace-up bluchers.

When wearing as a full suit, I’d treat it like a standard navy color. Most combinations you’d wear with navy can go with a brighter blue too. Just keep in mind the saturation is bumped up a bit. You don’t want to go too bright.

A white or light blue shirt always works. So does a subtle pin dot, stripe, or solid silk knit tie.

I wouldn’t wear anything too saturated or “loud.” The suit itself is plenty eye-catching on its own.

Outfit 2: Trousers only

Hopsack blue trousers, (part of suit – $579), Oxford cloth button down ($39), Brown herringbone sport coat (similar), Grey driving shoes (similar)

Here I’ve combined the trousers with a brown herringbone sport coat.

The sport coat is a linen-cotton blend. It pairs nicely with a light pink oxford cloth button down. The trousers’ formality matches the jacket’s nicely. I finished it off with a pair of grey driving shoes.

Outfit 3: Trousers only

Hopsack blue trousers, (part of suit – $579), Oxford cloth button down ($39), Denim jacket ($39), White leather sneakers ($280)

I could take the formality down a few more notches. Replace the sport coat with a denim jacket and my drivers for clean, white leather sneakers.

Well-fitting trousers – especially in a blue or grey – can go with plenty of other items. You’re not relegated to only sport coats and ties when you wear them.

Outfit 4: Jacket only

Hopsack blue jacket, (part of suit – $579), Blue gingham dress shirt ($99), Dress chinos ($99), Cognac loafers (similar)

Finally, one of my favorite combinations. I paired the blue jacket with a blue gingham shirt, light khaki dress chinos, and cognac leather loafers.

This is one of my personal uniforms. I’d wear it almost every day — if I only had a handful of outfits to choose from.

The light chinos contrasted with the bright blue jacket is perfect for spring and summer. You can easily swap out the light chinos for denim, mid-grey trousers, or even a different color of chinos (say, British khaki, charcoal, or olive, for starters).

Of course, the light chino + blue jacket combo has the most punch.

Wearing a suit separately is easy

Start with either the jacket or trousers. From there, mix in more casual elements.

The jacket is often easiest to start with. Replace the trousers with dress chinos, regular chinos, or even denim.

Since you normally wear a dress shirt with a suit, try a sport shirt, an Oxford cloth button down, or a polo on hot days.

If you want to wear the trousers, swap out the suit jacket for a sport coat.

Try a linen dress shirt or Oxford cloth button down instead of your dress shirt. Go with loafers or driving shoes instead of lace-ups.

If you know the formality scale and where certain items fall on it, it’s easy to mix and match different #menswear favorites.

I hope this gave you some ideas!

How would you break up a blue or grey suit? Let me know in the comments, or better yet, join the Effortless Gent community on Facebook and upload some photos in a private group setting.