Distingué in all the right ways

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Formal season is right around the corner for many of us, so with this post, we’re going to be talking about how to put an attention-grabbing ensemble together, whilst saving some room to show a little you while you’re at it. I wanted to shift pace here by shedding light on one of the lesser explored corners of our wardrobes; formal wear.

I’m sure by now all of those who’ve kept up with what we’ve put out here have joined us in promising ourselves to ALWAYS present the most polished version of us to the world, or have at least contemplated the notion. So if you play your cards right, the way you’d pull off the soirée suit up will show those around you that your recent style shifts and picks aren’t just a fluke, but rather this is the new and refined you. Ultimately, we’re on a quest to prove that the dramatic (yet marked) transition from a John Doe to a tall glass of God dyamnn and halleluiah is a PERMANENT one.

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So just to start off, I opted to combine dark blue with black and white (even though it’s not a classic combination). When spending a nice evening out on the town, opt for darker colors, that’s the convention. I’m not saying don’t ever venture outside of that, but those are murky waters and going too bright or mixing the wrong pieces and color profiles might throw the whole look off and you’d be standing out for all the wrong reasons. Hence, BLUE AND BLACK!  I went with a smoother sock tie etched out with finer material than the usual sock tie (the one that feels like a full on sock), and capped the tie with a subtle tie bar. The tie bar is a nice addition to your accessories, so if you find one, buy it, you can never go wrong with a tie bar. (A quick tid bit here is when you apply your tie bar, don’t push too hard against the seam of your dress shirt. It’ll give your tie an unflattering crease and it’ll look bad). As you walk in, I would recommend that you keep your tuxedo jacket on during the first hour or so while you’re still taking your pictures and doing your hellos, take the jacket off as the evening progresses and you want to reveal another dimension of your outfit. Whatever might be there underneath the jacket (e.g. a set of awesome suspenders, etc.), you want to inspire shock and awe! You want to show that there was a lot of thought and care put into this ensemble. You want to give the gents around you a telepathic nudge to up their game whenever you’re both out at the same “thing”.

I played around with the navy and black profile in the whole outfit, which is why I added the flower pin at the top of my jacket. It’s a little me on the tux jacket and it’s not played out, so that might be something you’re interested in. If that’s not really your thing or you haven’t found a pin you’re like, add a pocket square, BUT NEVER BOTH. I personally wouldn’t because I feel like there would be too much noise coming from that particular part of the jacket, and having them both on may have the two pieces clash. I would also go for a pocket square that stays true to the blue-black-white motive.

Instead of the usual/predictable use of a belt to hold up them dress pants, try going for suspenders (let’s bring them all the way back y’all!!) or no belt at all. Both are bold and daring, and both have their perks to them. The suspenders may help accentuate what you’d like to accentuate and going beltless will show off the tailor work/detailing in your suit.

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And last (and certainly not least), let’s take a look at the shoe + sock game. I decided to step outside my comfort zone and try something new with tasselled loafers. To add a pop, I went with white polka dot and navy socks. The reason this worked nicely was because of the cut of the pants, they had no break in the hem, thus allowing you to showcase that shoe + sock game. That way, you really can “put your best foot forward” (see what I did there? 😉

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I hope this finds well! If you gents (or ladies) have any questions, feel free to email either of us. In the meantime, kill em softly! 😉

  • Pharaoh of Thebes.

P.S. TOP SZN Y’ALL!!

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