It’s fraught with peril, but dressing down a blazer or suit is possible without looking cringe. Look, I hate the rules, too, but there are a few guidelines that keep you from looking like a rube if you know them and navigate them.
So, to help, here are some guidelines. I spell out more detail on some of them in my free ebook as well as my paid ebook.
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Do
Switch up your shirts
- Chambray and denim are great. Proper Cloth makes some of my most-worn (use code MUSINGS10 for a discount on your first order)
- Long-sleeve polos are my favorite. Spier & Mackay’s are an outstanding value.
- Crewneck tees or sweaters can work too, but the safest is solid colors or classic patterns like bretons. Spier & Mackay again with a great basic tee, Gustin for some beefy ones, or Sunspel for a comfy option. Saint James makes a classic breton.
Wear denim with an appropriately high rise
- Low rise jeans aren’t a sin or anything on their own, but with a tailored jacket like a blazer, it’s just not a good look. Mine pictured below are imogene + willie Henry selvedge. Buck Mason’s saddle fit jean is fantastic too (I sized down one size).
Get suits in casual fabrics
- I have a heavy cotton twill suit from Drake’s. It’s awesome. A similar one is here.
- In winter, tweed is a great option for casual suits.
- Linen suits are great for summer. Cavour is among my favorites. As is Natalino. Spier & Mackay as well.
Wear a neckerchief or scarf
- Suits and tailored jackets are designed for wearing with a necktie. Without one, it can look incomplete. Adding a neckerchief or scarf adds that little bit of something there.
Wear suede shoes
- This is a shortcut to avoid wearing shoes that are too dressy. Certain styles of shoes are more or less dressy than others by design, but if you get them in suede you’ve bypassed almost all of those connotations and this will work out just fine. My favorites are TLB Mallorca and Myrqvist.
Wear white jeans
- They’re kind of an in-between point, between blue jeans and dressier pants. They’re still jeans, but being in white or off-white dresses them up a little bit. White jeans can be worn with every color blazer/sport coat. Buck Mason’s saddle jean is a fantastic option. As is Natalino’s.
Don’t
Wear a suit jacket by itself
- More on how to tell if a suit can be worn separately in my free ebook, but the tl;dr is that smoother, finer fabrics just shouldn’t be broken up
Wear dressy shoes
- By default, I just avoid calf leather dress shoes when wearing a blazer casually. If you go with suede, you’re safe.
Wear skinny fit pants
- Skinny fit is when it’s tight against your calfs and ankles. Slim fit can be fine if you’re slim (but make sure the rise is good and high). But skinny fit jeans and tailoring don’t compute very well together.
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