How to Dress Suave: A Guide to Timeless Elegance
So, you want to improve your fashion sense. The gentleman within is ready to come out, and he wants to know how to dress suavely. We've got you covered!
In this guide we've broken down the seven most important steps to reinventing or refining your look. Follow these guidelines and you'll be looking suave in no time.
Understanding Suave Style
A suave dress sense is one that seamlessly combines classic elements with a contemporary edge. There are many moving parts at play - the importance of fit, colour coordination, and attention to detail are all important.
Remember: being suave is not about being flashy but rather about making a lasting impression with subtlety and grace.
Finding the Right Fit
First things first - you need to choose fashion that compliments you. Short, tall, thin or not, it doesn't matter; anyone can dress suavely. However, a suave dress sense rarely wanders into the territory of super-skinny jeans or oversized baggy jumpers.
If you want to portray elegance, you need to find the right fit. Tailored shirts, jackets and trousers that are well fitted and compliment your body shape are the key to any suave outfit. So ditch the boot-cut jeans - this isn't the skatepark!
Use Versatile, Timeless Pieces
A truly suave wardrobe is built on staple yet sartorial clothing. The classic white dress shirt, tailored suit, quality leather shoes and cashmere sweaters... A statement leather jacket, paired classic watch. Suave fashion is timeless, and will look just as good on you as it did on James Dean in the early fifties.
Choose a colour palette that is sophisticated yet adaptable, allowing you to mix and match effortlessly. There's no need for overstated pieces or neon colours - prioritise quality over quantity, and stick to the classics.
Accessories - Your Signature Move
When you're dressing suave, the devil is in the detail. Whether it's a matching tie and pocket square, or the perfect pair of cufflinks - the finishing touches on your outfit are all important.
Accessorising is your chance to really define your own style. Perhaps you lean towards Franck Muller watches - or maybe you're more of a Patek Phillippe guy. Your Ray-bans of choice might be Aviators or Wayfarers. Choose between tan leather or classic black for your belt.
Whatever your preference, accessorising is the cherry on the top of your style, and you should do what makes you look and feel good!
Grooming And Personal Care
It goes without saying, but the suavest gentlemen not only pay attention to their style - they are serious about their personal hygiene as well.
Rarely will you see someone in a Tom Ford suit or a Savile Row tailor with dirty fingernails or greasy hair. If you're serious about getting sartorial, make sure your skincare routine is in check and keep any facial hair in trim. Sophisticated guys start by looking after themselves.
Find Your Style Icons
If you're reinventing your look, a bit of celebrity inspiration is a good place to start. Style icons are easy enough to find; from Marlon Brando to Michael Caine and everyone in between, you have plenty to choose from.
Take note of how your chosen fashion icons dress. Find someone with a similar body type to yourself - figure out what style of jacket they wear, what shoes they sport. How do they dress up for formal events, and down for casual?
There's no harm in a bit of "creative theft" so following the lead of the experts and recreating their classic looks is a great place to start.
How to Dress Suave: The Foundation
We've covered how you look, but there's one more component (perhaps the most important) to dressing suave - and that's how you feel.
Your fashion choices should make you feel good. A suave gent it quietly confident, and it shows both through their choice of outfit and their behaviour. No matter how expensive the suit, or how fine the cut, people will know if it's just not "you."
So our final, and most important piece of advice about how to dress suave: choose the style that makes you feel your best.
Whether it's quietly understated or has a touch of the extravagant, with loud colours or soft pastels: dressing suave is a reflection of who you are. Choose a style you can wear with confidence, and the rest will come naturally.