19 Apr 2018

Lately, men have taken a keen interest in fashionable menswear collection with a specific liking on suits. Constantly trying to maintain the latest fashion collections has become a full-time job as the seemingly never ending fashion trends evolving time and again have forced many to keep up with the “new-ins and new-outs” of these trends.

In order to break down what is needed to nail the look, BOPA caught up with fashion artist and blogger Tsholofelo Dikobe to get the styling tips on this trend.

Dikobe said if one was a new-comer to this trend and wants to rock it to perfection, it must be noted that one does not just show up in a store and purchase the suit but rather, the planning all starts in the head.

“It is very important to understand what occasion you need to wear your suit for. Have you been invited to a wedding? Date night? Is the suit for work? Also ask yourself, is the suit your first or your 10th buy, is it intended for a special occasion? Once you know the answers to all these questions, only then you can make the right choices.”

Dikobe noted that suits could be worn for their specifications and cuts, citing tuxedos as the best option for any special event such as an invitation to a wedding, while for a date night one could always play with a casual side of the suit and don the jacket, opting for a more casual shirt- unbuttoned.

She explained that the right way to execute the suit trend was to always go for the fit.

Dikobe could not emphasise this more, saying the art and science of getting that dapper look was all in the right cut and size which made all the difference.

“Fit is everything! It does not matter if the suit cost over a thousand bucks, or even less. If it looks like you are wearing a garbage bag or worse, if it’s so tight that you can’t move an inch, it won’t look good.”

She noted that if one could not buy a bespoke suit (a suit traditionally cut from a pattern drafted from scratch), get it tailored.

 “To give your tailoring a stylish spin, go sockless with cropped-leg trousers and let your ankles breathe while showing off a killer pair of shoes.”

She continued to advice that if one was not that bold enough, or don’t fancy the ankle style, they may opt for interesting textured or colourful socks to give that edge which was now trendy.

“Speaking of ‘showing off killer shoes,’ bear in mind that both shoes, belts and socks play a major role on the type of suit you wear in terms of colour. You do not just throw in the nearest shoe in your rack to go with your suit; that will be a massive failure.”

She advised that black dressier shoes worked well with black shoes, while chocolate brown shoes worked well with navy and grey suit staples.

“Deep, dark claret shoes work well across a range of suit colours, from black and navy to dark brown and grey. A point to note; the colour of the shoe and of the belt must always match, always!”

She said like any other outfit, suits can be accessorised to make the wearer stand out and compliment their look.

These accessories can be a lapel pin, cuff links, a handkerchief, a textured tie, shades, a statement watch or a loud punchy/geometric shirt.

However, these should not be donned all at once, but can be alternated according to the occasion.

The other important factor that also plays a huge role in getting a suit is the colour.

Dikobe said the best bet was to opt for one in a solid navy blue or charcoal gray colours that are considered neutral.

“If you are dark skinned go for warm colours like the browns, deep oranges, maroon and burnt reds to complement your skin, and if you are light skinned you can always gravitate towards cool colours like the blues. If you are colour shy, start off by introducing colour to your suit staples through your accessories, the lapel pin, happy socks for that pop of colour and work your way up to the actual suit,” Dikobe advised.

As people say, ‘Every man needs a suit in his wardrobe as they have proved to be timeless,’ similarly is the attractiveness of any suits which will bring one the desired results at those business meetings or social events.” ENDS