Founder & Creative Director of Men's Style Pro, Sabir has…
It’s not all about mint juleps & derby parties.
(Photography by Lauren McGrath )
The Subtle Mix
Custom Grey Seersucker Jacket & Waist Coat – Tailor 4 less | Blue Denim Patterned Bandana – Hav-A-Hank | Denim Shirt – Suitsupply | Navy Knit Tie – Oliver Wicks | White Jeans – Gap | Burston Whiskey Loafer – Crosby Square
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You know this fabric well, even though you may have never worn it. Often the uniform of southern gents, sipping a mason jar of iced tea and donning a straw Panama hat — the seersucker suit sits in a class all its own. In the hierarchy of summer suits, seersucker sits a notch (maybe two..don’t forgot the cotton suit) below linen. Typically reserved for summer weddings, Kentucky Derby mixers and Seersucker Thursdays at the US Senate — the striped patterned, puckered fabric can be hard to style without looking like a dandy.
Looking for help to give your seersucker suit some non-To Kill A Mockingbird vibes? Here are two looks that embrace non-traditional pattern mixing that might surprise you.
Your first inclination when putting together a seersucker suit look is to pair it with a pastel poplin shirt – resist that urge! A rich colored textured shirt, like the denim one shown here, will give the look an international, yet, urban sensibility. For some pattern play, a cotton patterned bandanna is a fresh way to contrast the stripe of the blazer and is an easy transition into pattern mixing.
Instead of rocking the full suit, pair your seersucker jacket and waist coat with a pair of jeans. White denim is a summer staple that will take this look from a roof to party to a summer wedding. If you’re trying it out for first time, dark denim jeans will do the trick.
The Aggressive Mix
Custom Grey Seersucker Jacket, Waist Coat & Green Pindot Shirt – c/o Tailor 4 less | Gold Fairfield Weekend Watch – Timex | Sunglasses – J.Crew Factory | Striped Socks – c/o The Tie Bar | Piccadilly Snuff Oxford Shoes – Cobble & Hyde
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Before addressing the aggressive pattern mixing in this look, let’s look at the most versatile seersucker suit striping color choice – which is grey. A traditional seersucker striping is a shade of sky blue and difficult as all hell to style without going full Easter basket, so going grey is the right choice.
On to the issue at hand – how does a pindot shirt pair with a striped seersucker suit? By going with a shirt in a darker base color. Secondly, the scale of the pindot pattern is crucial. If the dots were polka dot size, the look wouldn’t work. Are the socks throwing you for a loop? With the distance between the shirt and socks, it’s perfectly fine to mix patterns within a look.
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Founder & Creative Director of Men's Style Pro, Sabir has a deep passion for menswear and all things manly. Selected as one of the "5 Best Dressed Men In America" by Esquire Magazine in 2010 & as #GQFall 2013 Best Dressed Man. As of 2014, Sabir serves as a freelance brand ambassador & executive stylist for GQ Magazine & GQ Report. Outside of that partnership, Sabir serves as an independent brand consultant as well. Reach me directly at SABIR@MENSSTYLEPRO.COM