In 2019 the options for suits for men have evolved far beyond plain navy, grey and black – although these are still the classic business or work options for many.

However, if you want to dress it up and stand out from the crowd there are much more creative suit choices to pick from.

From bold colours, florals, geometric patterns and a variety of different materials, the choices for men’s suits has now become far wider than ever before.

And with many workplaces adopting a more casual approach to workwear, now is the time for men to explore their own fashion sense.

Some men would want to move away from the very traditional suit with a white shirt and tie approach but are clueless on where to start.

For this post we asked our friends from Dobell - an online source of quality men's suits, and they gave us a quick guide on how to go about becoming bolder with your suit choices.

Try layering different shades of the same colour

If you have never worn anything other than a very traditional suit before you might be a bit wary about trying something different, so a really easy way to start exploring colours – without going too far out of your comfort zone – is to try layering the same colour.

Take your traditional grey work suit and instead of a white shirt and coloured tie, wear it with a grey hounds tooth shirt and a dark grey woollen tie. Or team a navy pinstripe suit with a dark blue V-neck jumper and no tie. Layering colours means you can update your traditional suits without going too overboard on the changes.

Start to add in some patterns to your style

Once you have got used to trying colour layering you can think about adding in patterns – so you could try a floral pattern shirt under a dark jacket, to brighten it up, or team a striped jacket with a lightly checked shirt. It’s all about trying new things and seeing what you feel comfortable in.

When you are feeling braver then go for a stronger geometric pattern – perhaps combine a soft grey suit with a bold geometric pattern t-shirt underneath, or if you need to be formal, choose a tie with a bold bright pattern.

Try a striped summer jacket

If you are feeling bolder then you could try a striped linen suit jacket in the summer with plain trousers, for a lighter feel to a suit, or go for an unusual colour like a baby blue or pastel lemon shade of suit on a sunny day.

A great way to add colour and patterns to your suits in the summer is to wear polo shirts underneath instead of a traditional shirt – you still get the collar against the jacket, but you can choose from a wide variety of colours, stripes and other patterns.

Floral suits are a great summer option

If you are going to go the whole way and pick a suit which features a pattern – there are plenty of floral suits around this summer – then team it with matching colour themes but try not to go overboard.

A floral jacket with blue flowers, for example, could look amazing with smart jeans, a plain t-shirt and dress shoes.

While you want to experiment, you don’t want to end up looking like a crazy, clashing mass of colours and patterns that hurt the eyes! Choose accent colours which pick out an element of the outfit pattern, to create a complementary feel.

If you want to stand out from the crowd then patterns and colours can make that happen – even just adding a touch of colour with an unusual tie, or patterned shirt, under a traditional suit can brighten up your style and create a modern twist to your outfit.

Conclusion

With workwear becoming more casual and the requirement for suits and ties in the traditional sense being reduced, it is a great time to try out different approaches to wearing a traditional suit and experimenting with colours, patterns and prints.

Whether you go for a suit in a bold colour or which features a pattern throughout the trousers and jacket fabric, you can be as creative as you like in developing your own individual and unique look for every day, or for special occasions.

From floral suits to layering different shades of the same colour, there are plenty of ways to brighten up your suit wardrobe without throwing everything out and starting again. You can simply add colour to existing suits by swapping out white shirts for coloured polo shirts, or adding in geometric patterned ties.

Even a subtle pattern within a traditional fabric, will make you stand out from the rest of the crowd of suit-wearing gentlemen so why not be creative and start making bolder suit choices today?