Suiting Up Pt. I: My First Tailored Suit

As creative as I like to get with my style, I believe that I have always maintained a certain level of class and sophistication with my looks. I discussed in one of my latest posts how confidence and sophistication are how I define my sexiness, and those qualities take many forms. Whether it's wearing a lace shirt with some slacks and Chelsea boots, or rocking a pair of shorts with a polo and oxford dress shoes - there is usually one element or another that keeps my fashion at a certain grade. Be this as it may, I can certainly admit that I do not have the most luxurious or classy wardrobe in the world. There are coats, accessories and brands that aren't in my closet that I see sprinkled about many of the Instagrams of prominent male fashion influencers.  While I don't many items due to a lack of privilege and resources, there are some items that are absent as a result of choice. 

A men's fashion essential that hasn't been present in my clothing collection for years is a suit. One of the most core sets of clothing that I man can and should have in their closet, I haven't had for nearly the entirety of my young adult life. This has largely been due to choice. Part of what makes me creative with my style is being rebellious to the norms or enforced trends in men's fashion. Just because some things are expected or accepted by the majority, doesn't mean that I feel obligated to adopt them. However, suits have been a long-standing staple in men's clothing - they're classic, universal and traditional. My father had tried to get me suits as a teenager, but that was during a time when finely tailored looks weren't fully trending. So I ended up with sets that were oversized and not very flattering - needless to say, I never wore them. 

Long story short, I developed a bit of a resentment toward suits. One of the classiest things a man can own, I rejected for years. Going back to my point about confidence and sophistication being defining qualities for myself, wearing a suit is one of the easiest ways in which a man can display those qualities. People love a man in a suit - period. There is no refuting that fact or escaping that reality. I don't have to dig too deep into Instagram feeds to find a photo of a guy in a suit, with thousands of likes on it. Bearing all of this in mind, and knowing that I needed to find a way to evolve my wardrobe further - I let my pride go and purchased my very first tailored suit. 

My Suit Savior

All I have to say is: what the hell took me so long?! I can't say it was the money, because there are plenty of places to get affordable suits that are of good quality and taste. Guess where one of those places is? Topman! Yes, Topman came through for me again as I made the leap into the world of suit shopping. With all of the trips that I took there in these past few months, I noticed that they have a fair assortment of suits.  In taking the time to fully explore their inventory, I found that their suits were just another great reason to keep shopping there. The variety is solid - from premium suits, to skinny suits, to mix and match for under $200. I was truly impressed by the abundance of choices and thoroughly enjoyed finding the right set for my first selection. I ended up getting two suits, but this here is the first one that I picked up. 

The Perfect Fit

This suit we're discussing is a muscle fit, which I absolutely love. It's similar to skinny, but is tailored to help accentuate a more muscular physique. Your boy be hitting the gym on the regular, so I always appreciate something that can appropriately complement what I work so hard to build. 💪🏾 As much as I wanted to get a more creative color and look, I wanted to keep it simple seeing as how this would be one of my first suits. So I decided to stick with a basic but timeless light blue. One of the biggest hurdles that has subconsciously held me back from getting a suit is determining the right size and fit, without having to further invest in custom tailoring. Topman successfully provided me with what I was looking for - with the pieces sold separately, I was able to try on pants and jackets of different sizes to pair the perfect combination for my body type. 

Sophisticated & Efficient 

Similar to overalls, suits help take some of the brainwork out of crafting a look from completely different separates. But unlike overalls, they effortlessly take you from 0 to 10 really quickly. Like literally, now I get why people love them so much. Not only are they easy to dress, but you feel like such a boss when you're wearing one. But to ensure you do the suit justice, you have to incorporate the right pieces to serve as proper accents and polish the look. For the details in this outfit, I had just the right pin-striped button down shirt from H&M that coordinated with the suit color excellently. And I had wanted to feature this bowtie for many looks now, and this outfit offered the perfect opportunity to wear it. This wooden bowtie that I got from my brand promotion with the Wild Exec is one of my favorite accessories. Acting as a solid neutral, it can easily pair well with a plethora of different looks and allows me to bring so much creativity to my outfits without breaking a sweat. 

Style Well-Suited 

How simple is that? A super elite outfit that can make a man look like a rich executive for under $500. Now, I totally understand that for some guys that anything over $200 can be a bit much - but I promise that it is worth the investment. As excited as I am about this look and to officially be on the suit-wearing squad, the funny part is that I am still not entirely sure when I will wear this suit. My job and lifestyle don't exactly call for this level of formal wear, and I am still quite attached to flaunting my more original styles. But this presents an exciting new challenge for me. With 2018 at hand, a whole new year of experiences and evolutions are available to me. And as I continue embarking upon my current path of growth and discovery, I have no doubt that there will be plenty of opportunities to let my dapper side shine like it never has before. 

Moral of the story: Suits are like towels. They're essential in any closet and you can't have too many of them.