3 Ways to Make Your Menswear Basics Not Look Basic
By Liza Corsillo.
Not every stylish man dresses like a street style star. Actually, very few of them do. Some of the most put together guys we know don't dress for attention, they dress to look their best. And they usually do it with clothes that don't call attention to themselves, those classic menswear staples that still look right after all these years. That's why literally every well-dressed man owns a navy suit and white shirt dress shirt—it's a combination you can count on. That high contrast color combination always looks classy, but never fussy (a menswear goal if there ever was one).
The great thing about a navy-and-white combination is that it works in nearly unlimited forms. Think about how every man looks good in some nautical stripes. Or how a navy tux always stands out in a sea of black. Or just look at Tom Hiddleston, Donald Glover, and Scott Eastwood, three men who know how to up the ante in this traditional color combo:
The Casual-Office-to-Yacht-Party Suit: Tom Hiddleston
There's a reason this is also Leonardo DiCaprio's go-to fancy fit. It's dressy enough for the most exclusive parties but also shows you're down to get down. The thing to remember here is how many buttons you can safely undo without getting into Tom Ford territory. Two is a safe bet.
The Creative Type: Donald Glover
Donald Glover has no problem taking menswear risks. But brown velvet tuxedo's and shirtless stage performances aren't his only moves. The band collar shirt he's wearing here is a sneaky way of disrupting a classic suited look. We're digging the shirt's casual yet buttoned-up fit. If you decide to copy this look, we suggest an unstructured blazer or at least a suit with some drape to reinforce the artsy vibes.
The Dressed-Up, Dressed-Down Jacket: Scott Eastwood
When the occasion calls for something a little sportier, you can rely on your favorite white T-shirt as a base. Top it off with a rich navy suede bomber jacket for some I-just-got-paid swagger. A suede jacket like Eastwood's will still look good a decade later and is a refreshing alternative to a black motorcycle jacket.
This story originally appeared on GQ.
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