There’s literally nothing that says I’m comfortably in my lane more than a suit paired with a t-shirt and tennis shoes. This look is one for all ages, and it’s super versatile, simple, yet chic.
However, don’t mistake the simplicity for ease, which is to say you can totally mess this look up!
To start, I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but fit is everything.
I’m certain I’ve said this 1000 times but a tailor is your best friend. The suit in this look is made by Ralph Lauren. There are a few key problem areas for me in particular with this line of suits. There are a few very general cuts in Ralph Lauren’s lines below black label: Classic fit, Slim fit, Athletic fit, and Standard. I’m not sure if there was ever a time when I was slim fit. I came with quads and shoulders standard issue soooo….. Let’s talk about the Classic cut.
To be frank, this suit is cut in a square. It’s boxy and shaped a bit like a funnel. This may be a result of trying to accommodate the girth that generally comes with shoulders of my width, but it was huge so you know what we did… Snippet! For those of you, like me, who buy suits from all tiers you know that waist and shoulder width are tethered. In this instance, this means the waist was entirely too big as well…Snippet. What’s good about this suit, however, is that the thighs were perfect, but to achieve the look that we covet, I had to get the remainder of the leg tapered.
This is all important and here’s why:
A good quality Bespoke suit cut to my measurements in the style that I want generally runs upward of $600.
This suit, although work was necessary, was $150 (for the suit) + $65 (tailoring) = $215
This gets to a conversation of balancing your wardrobe until your budget matches your taste, but we will continue that at a later point.
The next piece is crucial and it’s something I didn’t appreciate until I upgraded. BUY QUALITY T-Shirts! It makes a world of difference in the aesthetic. The t-shirt in this shoot is from Les Artists and costs $50. You don’t have to spend that on a t-shirt, but as a social/budget experiment, I needed to buy it. Also, it was a dope shirt lol (shrugs).
Finally, the top to bottom on a fit as simple as this one all matter. This brings me to the SHOES. I love these shoes by Axel Arigato. They are reminiscent of a Maison Martin Margiela. One of the key differences is the sole profile. This shoe boasts a really thick gum sole, with an all white thick leather upper and laceless design. It’s kind of a low top space boot, but I think the colorway will pair well with lots of things. If I had to rate the shoe, I’d give it an 8 out of 10 mostly because its super narrow, and I’m imagining that it is intended for someone with small ankles as the breaks of pants often get caught in the flaps of the tongue. Other than that the shoe is stellar.
To wrap this all up: there’s more than one way to wear a suit. If you’re gonna go with a casual look, get a quality t-shirt. Your shoes always matter and not every sneaker can be worn with a suit so Choose Wisely!
To a Life Worth Living,
The Wkender!