An overcoat is a must-have for every professional individual.
This is a PSA for those who don’t wear a jacket between Summer and Winter because they think they’ll survive the chill until they need to throw on their parka. It’s also for the gents who don’t think they can even rock an overcoat.
It has a couple names: wool coat, car coat, overcoat, top coat, dress coat. Whatever you decide to call it- just know you need one.
It works for every man and for more occasions than you may realize. Here are some inspirations:
Style Tips:
First and foremost, if you wear a suit, we highly recommend that you own one. It’s dressy, professional, and warm.
With that said, it’s not only appropriate with a suit. Pair it with a turtleneck and trousers for social events/parties or a dinner date.
Jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie? Throw an overcoat on it for an instant style upgrade. Easy.
Go with a neutral colour so you can get more wears out of it.
It’s 2016 and the modern office doesn’t always ask for a suit and tie. Just because the dress code is more casual, it doesn’t mean you should dress like a slob. Office casual, smart casual or business casual is what you want to aim for. The idea is for you to avoid looking like but feeling as comfortable as business tycoon Mark Zuckerberg.
We know that being appropriate for working can be a delicate line to balance but we are here to help. Below our Distillery stylists pulled four looks to get you excited about going to work in the morning.
This look is both put together and laidback. It’ll have you looking smart while keeping you comfortable. Play around by adding contrasting colours and patterns to bring your outfit to life. To ensure that the outfit isn’t too casual, stick with dark denim and keep the shoes polished. Remember your outfit needs to reflect your personality and we all know you’re a ton of fun… so look like it.
This outfit is for the guy who is ready for anything! The stretch jersey blazer and lightweight pant are for those who want to cycle to their job in the spring weather. The leather backpack is a great grown up catch-all and the shoes are perfect to transition to after work drinks. The business casual office is the perfect opportunity to mix pattern, try stripes and dots for a fresh spring look!
This cotton blazer is a must-have for every man. It is unlined making it lightweight and easy to layer. With the construction and colour, it works for smart casual in the office to happy hour drinks with friends to social events on the weekend. Since it’s a solid colour, get adventurous and pair it with prints and bolder colours. Feel free to wear it over t-shirts, polos, oxfords and sweaters as well. To ensure your outfit is pulled together and work appropriate, wear it with a nice pair of brogues or oxfords.
With the weather getting warmer, introduce a lighter palette into your wardrobe. Pair lighter wash denim with a sophisticated blazer to keep the look smart casual. Accessories is what makes the outfit ready for the modern office. The pocket square, tie and structured leather bag shows your clients that you care about first impressions. As always, skip the sneakers and wear leather brogues or oxfords to avoid looking too casual.
You know the guy that’s a little bit too obvious about being on a 5 day work wardrobe rotation? Don’t let that guy be you. It may be easy to get caught in the trap of wearing a boring office uniform, but dressing for success is key to showing professionalism and ambition. Switching up your style and taking things to the next level can be easy. I’m here to help with 5 ways to elevate your office style.
OFFICE STYLE TIP #1: GO CUSTOM When it comes to suits, great fit matters over everything. Even if you don’t wear a suit every day, it’s important to have a perfectly tailored suit in your repertoire for meetings, presentations, and events. Think of your best suit as your go-to for when you need to step things up — and nothing will fit (and look) better than a suit made expressly for you.
For details on the made to measure process, pricing, and advantages, Gotstyle’s tailor extraordinaire Konstantine has got you covered.
OFFICE STYLE TIP #2: ACCESSORIZE The easiest way to elevate your office style is to add new accessories to your existing office wardrobe. It’s simple addition by, well, addition. Lapel pins, pocket squares, tie bars, shoe laces, and even work bags are all ways you can add pops of style and colour.
OFFICE STYLE TIP #3: ADD A VEST A vest is a simple way to class up any office look. Wear it with one of your standard 2 piece suits to add complexity, texture, and contrast. Or, just roll up your sleeves and wear it over a well fitted dress shirt as a more casual look (this looks good on literally every guy).
One thing to watch out for: don’t try to match a new vest colour to an existing suit. Unless you have the exact same fabric, it won’t work, and will look off. The solution? Go with a contrast vest, and introduce a new colour to the suit entirely. It’s an unexpected look that shows off your style chops. Grey and blue (like in the photo above) always pair well, and can be used interchangeably between vest and suit.
OFFICE STYLE TIP #4: WEAR A TIE If you don’t normally wear a tie, step up your office style and wear one! There’s no better way to show you mean business.
If your office is casual or you don’t see yourself as a “tie guy,” try a knit or textured tie as a casual midway point between your usual laidback style and something that’s too formal.
OFFICE STYLE TIP #5: SUITS WITH BOOTS Wearing a suit with boots is an awesome way to switch up a stale office rotation, but you need to do it right. If your suit fits well (which it should), the boots you pair with it need to be sleek and slim fitting. You want the outfit to look well put together and intentional — and not like you haven’t changed yet from your morning commute. The best way to achieve this? Chelsea boots.
Both of these looks (courtesy of GQ) add some rocker edge to a suiting look, without being too chunky or out of place. It’s a menswear power move, and you can totally pull it off. Reserve this look for fall and winter, and make sure to match your belt and boots to keep everything tied together.
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Ready to step things up? Gotstyle’s stylist team has got you covered. Book your appointment today at 416-260-9696 or info@gotstyle.ca.
A great blazer is one of the most reliable and versatile pieces in any guy’s wardrobe. The classic way to wear a blazer is similar to a suit jacket — with a dress shirt and tie — but slightly less formal (the jacket isn’t a matching set with the suit pants). The differences between a blazer, sport coat, and suit jacket can be subtle, but they’re important to know.
Think you’ve got the classic blazer look covered? Great. Let’s step up your style to the next level, and explore 5 new looks to make the most of your awesome blazers that have been trapped in the confines of nine to five.
A double breasted blazer with dark denim is a modern power look any guy can pull off. The double breasted blazer is bold, so pair it with a solid colour dress shirt and let the blazer do the talking. Always keep the inside button and upper outside button fastened when standing. The only time you shouldn’t do up a button is if your blazer has multiple rows of buttons on the centre. If that’s the case, the same rule as with single breasted blazers applies — leave the bottom button undone.
Make sure that when wearing jeans with dress shoes the jeans are well tapered at the bottom, like on our model above. This will add height and slim down your look. If the front cuff of your jeans covers either of the monkstraps, it’s a sign the cuffs are too wide.
It may not be what you’re used to, but trust me, tapered lower legs are the way to avoid the dreaded “dad jean flare” you may not even realize you’ve been rocking. Once you wear one pair of properly tapered jeans and see the difference, you’ll never go back.
Throw your best dark blazer on over a designer tee, jeans, and military style boots to pull off a Justin Theroux inspired rocker look. Some tips to make sure you do it right:
Treat this as a casual look. A t-shirt with a blazer is cool. A t-shirt with a blazer when everyone else is wearing a suit? Not so cool.
Make sure your jeans are tapered right. Come on man, we already talked about this.
Let your boots develop some character.
Leave the blazer unbuttoned — with a t-shirt, better to keep it casual.
The t-shirt should hit just below your belt.
Avoid tight tees. When wearing a t-shirt with a blazer, try not to look too…slick. I like to gently tug on the collar of my shirts before wearing them under a blazer. A bit of a slouchy look is perfect. You’re not wearing this to a black tie event anyways, so it’s cool to grunge up this particular blazer look.
Here’s where a blazer can be useful as a transitional layering piece. Pair a casual, natural shoulder blazer like this one with a hoodie, joggers, and luxe sneakers for a super comfy outfit that will turn heads. In the right way.
Make sure the hoodie is thin. Not just any hoodie will work — too thick and it won’t layer nicely with a properly tailored blazer. As much as you love your college sweater, save it for the couch and opt for a sleeker fitting piece.
Seize this opportunity to wear your coolest, boldest sneakers (as long as they match what you’re wearing above the ankles). Joggers were made popular by sneakerheads because they show off a guy’s kicks — so go all out! An eye-catching pair like these ones from Sully Wong elevate the look from good to great.
Gotstyle Navy Wool Notch Lapel Blazer with Metal Buttons: $695, Selected Homme Charcoal Skinny Fit Stretch Chino: $95, Swims Navy Sport Loafer: $100, Taft No-Show Socks: $60 (4-pack)
This preppy spring/summer look works best with a navy blazer. Start with a polo, tucked or untucked (I prefer untucked, but either can work). Roll up your blazer sleeves a bit, even cuff your pants at the ankle if you feel like it. Slim fit chinos are a must, especially when your loafers tie in to the rest of the outfit as well as these ones do.
Pro tip: when going “sockless,” wear no-show socks. The exact same look is achieved, minus the blisters and lingering stink. You’re welcome.
This is a great transitional layering outfit for fall days when you don’t quiiite need a jacket yet, or the end of winter when you’ve ditched your parka for the season. The different textures (fuzzy flannel on the blazer, herringbone pattern pants) complement well and are way comfier than you’re used to for a look this sharp. The thin crew neck sweater under the blazer gives you some flexibility on whether to button or unbutton.
Last thing — show some cuff. Having that sweater peek out from both the chest and sleeves may not be something everyone notices, but those who do will appreciate the attention to detail.
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Ready to pull the trigger on your new blazer look? Our team of stylists is here to help, with private appointments and free wardrobe consultations. Book your appointment today at 416-260-9696 or info@gotstyle.ca.
Remember to bring your blazer(s) with you when you shop. Try layering them with different pieces, and see what works best for you!
Your resumé was polished and they loved your cover letter. Perfect. You got the interview. You know you can nail it, but one big question remains: what are you going to wear?
Dressing well for an interview shows professionalism and that you understand the culture you’re going to enter. It’s a great way to make the right impression and be memorable to the interviewer. It’s not rocket science, but there are some things you need to know.
Consider three things when picking your outfit:
Industry — Would you wear the same thing to a conservative bank as you would to a casual tech startup?
Job function/department — What flies in marketing may not be greeted as enthusiastically in accounting.
Seniority — Younger guys should err on the safe side, versus someone more established in their career who has “earned” the privilege to dress with a little more flare.
The common theme here? Know your audience.
Unless you’ve been specifically told not to,wear a suit. You’ll look your best and most professional. It shows you respect the interviewers’ time and take this seriously.
Now, let’s get into the details.
THE SUIT When dressing for a job interview, the safe play is a dark charcoal or navy blue suit. Charcoal tends to be the more conservative of the two — but you really can’t go wrong with either. If you’re having trouble deciding, once again: consider your audience. Paul Betenly makes an awesome starter suit in both charcoal and navy.
If you’re interviewing for a more senior position or a job in a more creative industry, a brighter blue or lighter grey suit can work too. A black suit is never okay unless the job is in the funeral business.
THE SHIRT Your interview shirt should also fit great. Check out our video guide for finding the perfect shirt to make sure you’re doing it right.
For the style details, go with normal cuffs (not french), and a spread or semi-spread collar.
In terms of colour, solid whites and light blues are most conservative. These go well with any suit. Stenstroms and our own Gotstyle-Lipson shirts are both fantastic options.
For a bolder look, try a micro pattern. A geo pattern like the one below from Oscar works well.
THE SHOES Never, ever wear a square toe dress shoe. Say no to square toe.
Now that we’ve got that out of the way, I recommend black or brown leather oxford dress shoes for an interview. You can’t go wrong with an oxford shoe in a business setting. The Gotstyle Cap Toe Derby Shoe is a perfect example.
Double monkstraps are a riskier alternative. Only consider these in situations where — you guessed it — you’re interviewing for a senior or less conservative role. And again, keep the colour to black or brown.
No matter what shoes you choose, make sure you give them a good shine and that you’ve worn them before. Often a new pair of dress shoes takes some time to work in, and the last thing you need is blisters on the day of your interview.
THE ACCESSORIES
Belt First things first, your belt should match your shoes. Black with black, brown with brown. Keep your belt sleek and simple — no big buckles. Anderson’s black or brown pebbled belts are perfect.
Tie Here is your chance to show some personality. Choose a colour or pattern that’s stylish and memorable — just make sure it’s setting appropriate and that it matches.
For creative industries (especially in the winter), add versatility to your formal look by trying a more casual, texturized knit tie. When choosing a tie knot, go with a half windsor or four-in-hand. Knots are not the place to experiment.
Google Images
Socks Have some fun! It’s fine to show a little colour or pattern, as long as they don’t clash with the rest of your look.
Watch If you’re going to wear one, keep it sleek and understated.
Everything Else Save the funky lapel pins, cufflinks, and tie bars for once you get the job.
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Got any more questions? Our team of stylists is here to help, with private appointments and free wardrobe consultations. Book your appointment today at 416-260-9696 or info@gotstyle.ca.
Good luck (not that you need it). You’ve got this!
Big thanks to the Riva Richmond, Director of Digital Media at The Story Exchange for her awesome feature on our Founder Melissa Austria. For those of you unfamiliar with The Story Exchange they are a nonprofit media organization dedicated to telling the personal and professional stories of women business owners. As a women in a “man’s world” this feature is both an honour and poignant reminder of everything Melissa has accomplished in her entrepreneurial life. Compound that with the fact that we’re celebrating out 10yr anniversary and this story only solidifies that women do mean business.
