Like Johnny Cash, I like to dress in black and have a penchant for the plain black suit. Now, I know the black suit can be a source of sartorial controversy for many men, as indeed can be using a country singer as a style reference, but for me it’s a main stay of my wardrobe. Black suits fill many roles including helping you look sharp and hip whether you are in a casual or formal situation.
So what sort of black suit am I talking about? Simplicity and quality are the keys. A simple lounge suit, single breasted, one or two buttons, slim fitting in a good wool will take you anywhere. What is important is that it must look sharp even if you are going to wear it in a casual way. The cut should be fine, the fit perfect and the material of the best quality. It should also be very, very black – which again is a sign of a quality suit as it is the cheaper materials that fade. When you wear a black suit it must be black as midnight not a faded charcoal. Although, an anthracite or charcoal suit is a good alternative for those who find black too, well, black.
So why do I dress in black? (Johnny Cash again). A black suit can go anywhere but this is where the debate begins. Some people will tell you that a black suit, especially in day time, is against the rules. But some people will say anything. I say, never mind the rules, sure they’re nothing but guidelines anyway. Certainly, it is the case that for much of the twentieth century the black suit was frowned on for all but the most sombre of occasions. But that is so last century. Armani et al are old men now and they’ve been making high end black suits for decades. Mind you, it is true that black is sombre. This is part of its attraction for the arty, alternative and even business set. Men’s black suits give them a touch of seriousness or even gravitas. And that can be fine tuned by what you wear with them. An all black suit is like a midnight sky against which you can create your own dreams and illusions.
If you’re young, a slim fit black suit with a white shirt and skinny black tie and shades will create a timeless classic look if you have the confidence to pull it off. But for the rest of us, ahem, more mature gentlemen, that just creates a certain funereal appearance and you should try to avoid looking like an undertaker or a mourner, unless that’s what you are of course. So add a bit a colour to the mix. A good tie with some color in it will counteract the monochrome instantly. Women discovered long ago that black is perfect for office to evening wear and so it is for men’s clothing. I work the day job in an office but spend a lot of my social time in a more arty milieu. The same black suit will take me from court to concert hall. When wearing a black suit to the office I like to choose an accent color for the ensemble, say purple, and combine the black suit with a shirt in that color or with a simple stripe of color running through it, and then match it with a sombre tie that picks up the accent color. A pocket square in the same color will finish it off. After work I can remove tie and swop the shirt for one in, say, a dark gray, which combination works well at night. My own favourite choice for a casual look, day or night, is a black suit over a dark, or even black, polo neck (or turtleneck in the US) which can, and does, go anywhere. Black on black can be a bit heavy but the great thing about black is that it goes with everything so you just need to find a color that suits your own coloring and build a look around it. In terms of individual coloring , too much black can be draining if you are very pale, and it can be a little too much if you are very dark. For those in between, though, it is a good choice.
I’ve been talking about wool suits until now but this blog started with me looking at linen suits. During the warmer months I find a black linen suit is ideal for casual wear. You don’t get the same deep black in linen as in wool but, being that little bit different from the run of the mill white linen suit, it does have a charm of its own. In this context I generally just wear t-shirts or polo shirts with the suit or lighter cotton, linen and even silk shirts.
While black is on one level easy to wear, it does take some thought to make it look good. Without some careful dressing it can look cheap and even tacky. A black suit is a statement suit and, as with any statement, you need to decide what you want to say and how you are going to phrase it.