Growing up in North Philadelphia, my style was somewhat different than it is today. Not to say I didn’t rock some tailored gear when I was a young buck (my uncle had in me in those fresh Stacy Adams kicks), however; my style essentials were based around high top white sneakers, skullie knit hats and sweat shirts. Being able to tap into your style roots as you get older shows that you’ve made a commitment to staying true to yourself, but, you’ve matured and learned how to meld both sides of your style over time.
A brisk winter chill in the air here on the East Coast, I’ve become accustom to wearing flannel wool suits to stay warm. With temps in the low 40s to mid 50s, there’s no real need for a coat, but, I took this as an opportunity to bring some of my throwback style elements into my tailored style of today. Below are a few keys style notes to make an outfit like this work combining extremely casual & tailored pieces of clothing.
Styling A Sweat Shirt, Skullie Hats & High Tops with a Suit:
- This might sound obvious, but, keep the sweat shirt plain. The shirt featured here has a slight woven pattern, that appears flat from far away.
- White high top sneakers pair well with most suits, however; a cuffed pant complement sneakers best (low or high top).
- In regard to selecting a knit hat, you’ll have to decide if your going for a splash of color or something that’s complementary to the rest of the outfit. Here, I went with a grey knit skullie because of the chalk stripe of the suit & the woven sweat shirt pattern are busy enough.
- Pocket squares are option with a casually suit look like this one. Personally, I’m a pocket square wearer, so I went with this deep burgundy one to add a tiny bit of warmth to the overall look.
Shop Like Items via Mr. Porter:
- Chalk Stripe Suit | Richard James
- Grey Loop neck Sweat Shirt | J.Crew
- Cable Knit Wool Beanie | Beams Plus
- Full-Grain Leather High Top | Gianvito Rossi
Darrock Wool Chalk Stripe Suit – Jack Wills | Woven Grey Sweat Shirt – H&M
Grey knit skullie – H&M | Burgundy Pocket Square – Commonwealth Proper
Cesario X Classic White – Creative Recreation
(This post is in conjunction with Mr. Porter Global Style Competition)
Photo Credit: Marina T. Peele @CantWinklefty
