The Red, White & Blues of London’s Men’s Fashion

This summer I had the opportunity to spend some time in London, England. I explored everything from the eccentrics at Piccadilly Circus, to the shoppes of Carnaby Street, to the multitude of free museums, to the downright clichéd monuments of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

And while I was traveling, I noticed two glaring things in regards to men’s fashion in the city some consider to be the world’s fashion capital:

  1. Londoners KNOW how to dress: Walk into any pub once the work day finishes at 5 o’clock and you’ll be walking into a sea of men and women dressed immaculately in designer labels as they sip on pints of lager and stand outside the pub smoking cigarettes like some well-dressed, Al Capone-era posse.
  2. No one wore black: On the tube, in the pubs, at the shows – THE BLACK SUIT WAS DEAD.

Okay, that may be a bit dramatic. The black suit never truly dies, it just goes dormant sometimes.

But for arguments sake, if the black suit was dead, then what took its place? Surely, a new coloured suit took the throne of what had always been a staple in every man’s wardrobe.

It didn’t take long for me to recognize that yes, there was an heir to the throne of the black suit and it was another timeless suit colour that should be in every man’s repertoire…

Navy Blue Is KING!

Everywhere I looked, navy blue suits dominated the storefront windows and were the almost exclusive colour of young, professional men all over London.

How To: Wear A Suit Like A True Gentleman

Courtesy: smf-blog.com | Note the immaculate brown monk strap shoes
Courtesy: smf-blog.com | Note the immaculate brown monk strap shoes

White is timeless

The perfect juxtaposition to a navy blue suit is undoubtedly a white button-up. Remember the advice in our blog 6 Reasons For A Young Professional To Hire A Fashion Consultant, that style is temporary, but fashion is timeless. The navy blue suit with a white button-up is considered more a timeless fashion than a style. The type of suit you wear could change with the seasons, but the colours won’t ever be “out of fashion,” so to speak.

(If you’re not digging the white shirt, might I suggest a light blue pinstripe a la Nick Wooster)

suit5
Courtesy: lookastic.com

Red is your go-to accent

There’s a reason so many flags use the colours red, white and blue: They’re work perfectly together!

Whether it’s a red (bow)tie that draws attention to one’s chest, or red accented cuff-links, belt, or even glasses, red is the best colour to match with a navy blue suit and white button-up. It’s classy, it can be understated or in-your-face, but most of all, it just looks good.

Courtesy: jennysunblog.com
Courtesy: jennysunblog.com

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