Anyone can achieve gentlemanly fashion. It’s simply a matter of understanding the sartorial details — and here they are!
I read Great Expectations in high school. (Quick primer: Lower-class kid receives mysterious patronage and advances socially at the cost of his values.) I remember thinking, wow, does Charles Dickens really think that becoming a gentleman means sacrificing true happiness for meaningless pursuits?
I disagree. Fortunately, I’m sure even Dickens would agree that fashion for gentlemen is less corrupting. And it’s the key to always looking put-together and well-adjusted.
It’s about being discerning, respectful, and, most importantly, trend-resistantly stylish. By taking a page out of the gentlemen’s style rulebook, you can look good with little effort in any situation.
Defining Gentlemen Fashion
Gentleman’s fashion consists of timeless garments, essentials, and a versatile color palette with a focus on structure. It abides by dress codes, goes for fits within the range of tried-and-true classics, and is also highly practical.
This makes sense once you’ve broken down the dictionary definition of a gentleman. Let’s take a look at some of the qualities that make a world-class gent and how that relates to dress.
- Courteous (respectful of dress codes)
- Honorable (educated in menswear)
- Chivalrous (follows sartorial social codes)
- Conforms to correct behavior (practical dress when it comes to weather and season)
Even if you’re not a man of conventions, you’ll definitely find at least some useful components in this philosophy of dressing.
So, how does one achieve this universally beneficial approach to clothes? Fortunately, we have several resources here at TMM.
Fit Is Everything
First of all, fit is everything. It doesn’t matter how high the quality of your clothes is or how stylish they look on a hanger or mannequin. If they don’t fit you well, they won’t look good. Check out a few of these guides:
Get Educated
Second, it’s important to get an education on menswear. The best guide we have on the matter is our round-up of books about menswear. Think of it as a syllabus for a comprehensive course on men’s fashion so you’re able to cover all of your bases.
Here are some other immediately important content regarding menswear 101:
3. Cambio di Stagione — Dress for the Season
Third, dress for the season. I’m talking both in the weather practical sense and when it comes to stylistic conventions. And it’s more than just not wearing white after Labor Day. Get an idea of each season’s palettes and textures with these visual guides:
And finally, you must respect dress codes. This is the part that really shows intention in fashion.
Modern Gentleman Style by Dress Code
Dress codes are all important to a gentleman’s style. Being able to navigate each sartorial situation is what separates the men from the gentlemen.
Black-Tie
This is the easiest because it’s the most cut-and-dry and has remained unchanged for decades. The most formal events will either be black tie or white tie. Pick your bowtie accordingly (and go for a proper tie-up, not clip-on, of course).
You’ll wear a full tuxedo, a tuxedo shirt, and black leather dress shoes. You can also wear the darkest midnight with cool, dark brown leather dress shoes.
These days, a crisp black suit is also acceptable. For the sake of gentleman’s fashion, however, let’s say stick to a tuxedo.
On the hottest days of August, or if you find yourself in the Bahamas, have an ivory dinner jacket ready.
And for some of you, events like the Kentucky Derby or old-fashioned estate garden parties are part of the social calendar. In this case, cravats, top hats, and a tailcoat with a vest may occasionally be necessary.
Cocktail
Cocktail is a nuanced, small sliver of dress code that sits in between formal and semi-formal. That being the case, the way I approach cocktail attire starts with a full suit. Then I find ways to inject some tuxedo vibes into it — without going full tuxedo.
Some ways to do this include going for bowties over long ties, incorporating velvet (perhaps through your suit jacket or your dress slippers), and wearing high-polish leather dress shoes instead of regular matte ones.
Semi-Formal and Business Professional
Technically, business professional and semi-formal are two different dress codes that happen to overlap.
A business professional is a conservative, full suit in neutral colors, with a solid tie and dress shoes. It’s for the office, and it respectfully lacks expressiveness.
Semi-formal is also a full suit, but it’s for the event space. It’s for parties, weddings, dinners, and so on. You can wear a professional suit to a semi-formal, but gentleman’s fashion is all about the details.
Feel free to add a lapel pin, cufflinks, a precious metal watch, and even a pocket square.
Remember not to match your pocket square to your tie. It should complement it, perhaps taking on the color of an accent tone in the tie.
Speaking of, you can have a little more fun with your neckwear and opt for seasonal colors (muted pastels in the spring and even the occasional red and green tartan for the Christmas season).
You can even go for a subtly patterned suit, like a glen check or seasonal tweed.
These days, semi-formal attire can also start to creep into business casual. As gentlemen do, though, we’re going to lean on the side of formality. Did you notice a trend?
Business Casual
Basically, in the gent’s version of business casual, you might choose to wear a full suit minus one element. Here are some ways to do that:
Wear a full, solid suit, but with no tie.
Go for a broken suit, like a navy jacket with cream trousers.
Wear suede loafers instead of traditional leather dress shoes.
Add a cashmere vest, cardigan, or pullover under your suit jacket to add a touch of elegant coziness.
Or, pair that vest, cardigan, or pullover with a shirt and tie, trousers, no-suit jacket, and dress shoes.
Smart Casual and Casual
For gentlemen, let’s just consider smart casual and casual the same thing. Whenever you can simulate a silhouette of a suit with casual clothes, do it.
Some ways to do this include adding unstructured blazers or safari jackets to your outfit. Classy gents love to go on safari. They look refined but unstuffy with a button-down and chinos.
And for the most casual situations, stick to collared shirts and well-fitted pants. A knit polo, khakis, and loafers are a safe bet.
Even more, you can inject formality using classy, formal colors. Avoid prints and graphics, and stick to no more than three neutral colors. Navy, olive, and burgundy are good choices because they’re expressive but still refined.
Refer to our guide on English countryside style for more tips on casual wear and outerwear.
FAQs
Here are some commonly asked questions about gentleman’s fashion.
What Clothes Do Gentlemen Wear?
Gentlemen wear classic-fit essentials in neutral tones and textures, not trendy or loud clothes.
What Is Gentleman Fashion?
Gentleman’s fashion is a timeless approach to clothes that focuses on understated styles, seasonality, practicality, structure, and respectfulness.
How Do You Dress Like a Gentleman?
Dress like a gentleman by wearing well-fitting, trend-resistant clothes that are weather-practical and dress-code-appropriate.
Conclusion: Master the Art
Once you’ve mastered the art of modern gentleman style, you can sort of start to break the rules here and there to suit your level of comfort.
Perhaps you’ll choose to wear a low-profile sneaker here or a fun accent pattern there.
Still, you can’t go wrong when airing on the side of old world class.
What are your thoughts on gentleman fashion? Is it forever relevant or old and musty? Let’s start a conversation in the comments!
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