Style Tips For Dressing Well this Autumn / Fall Season
While we eagerly anticipate Spring and the promise of warmth, approach Summer like we are filming for Baywatch, and appreciate the Winter for season’s greetings and the turn of a new chapter and year. The Fall / Autumn season provides us with an opportunity to refresh our wardrobes, experiment with our style and compliment and contrast different layers of clothing in ways that other seasons could only dream of providing.
The evolution of trends in men’s formal wear fashion as of late has provided us with many a canvas upon which to apply pickings from our own palettes of colours. While spring and summer have allowed us to embrace variations across both style (seersuckers to name a few) and colours (lilac and pink). Winter has allowed us to dress up in more layers than a heavily ornamented Christmas tree. The Autumn / Fall season provides that perfect balance in between in which we can layer up, reveal our sense of style and yet not look either over or underdressed. Splendid indeed.
So which historical staples of men’s fashion that have been undergoing their own evolution in recent years should we embrace. How should we entertain them during the fall to accentuate our look? Here goes:
The Vest
The Vest, while a historical staple, has started making more of a revival this year. As men have trended towards layering, the vest provides ample opportunity for this. When wearing a suit, it is imperative that the vest matches the fabric of your suit. If dressing casually, a vest with trousers and an unbuttoned / rolled up dress shirt is absolutely fine. With a suit, however, wear the vest if you intend on donning one of your ties. So what do we look out for in a well-fitted vest?
- Long enough in the front to cover the man’s waist, with no dress shirt showing between the belt and the waist. The sides and the back will be cut a little higher, and may show some shirt.
- If you have an athletic or heavy build, vests work best if they are the same dark colour (increases perceived slimness) as your suit. If you are thinner, contrasting vest and suit colours will increase your perceived width. Keep in mind that darker colours such as rust or burgundy tend to fare better in the fall than summery pastel colours.
- The shoulders of the vest should always lie flat against your body and below any collar point. If you’re wearing the vest with a suit coat, the V-shape of the vest should be narrow enough that the suit doesn’t hide it in its entirety.
- With a tuxedo, you’ll either be wearing a vest or a cummerband. With a tuxedo vest, they also have lapels, which makes the vest more formal, and are typically made of the same facing as the jacket lapels – grosgrain.
The Tie
Neckties allow us to express our preference for colour within the confines of traditional suits. While colours such as lilac and pink have burst onto the scene in recent seasons, it is the understated colours of rust, burgundy and olive greens that can really make an impression during the fall season. In order to really make an impression, try wearing a knitted tie during the fall season in one of these colours, thereby accentuating contrast in both fabric and colour!
Socks
With men’s colorful socks having burst onto the fashion scene in 2013, they provide the perfect subtle yet wild compliment to your otherwise traditional fall wear! Orange and blue socks with a burgundy vest, checkered green rolled up shirt sleeves and dark trousers?!? Check!
And that’s a wrap! Comments and suggestions are welcome!
