How to Style Black - 6 Easy Ways to look Sharp, Classy and Modern

I would never recommend a black suit as your first suit. I've said this at countless consultations with new customers and I still stand by that statement today. Most classical menswear enthusiasts and traditionalists, they leave that color reserved for a tuxedo, black tie occasions, funerals, but that's all changing now guys. Black has worked its way into my wardrobe over the past year with some trousers, denim shirt, knitwear, and even a black bespoke linen jacket. I wanted to share six ways how you could easily mix some black items into your wardrobe regardless if you're a classical menswear traditionalist or someone who's fashion forward and wants to dress with some more classy pieces. Let's jump right in. I made a black linen bespoke jacket a few weeks or a month ago and I must say I am more than pleased with the result. It looks chic, modern, elegant, and not the least bit overly formal. A lot of this has to do with the casual texture of linen fabric paired with a contrasting colored high twist wool trouser that has a similar texture and weave to linen. If the jacket and trousers were a worsted wool it wouldn't have the same nonchalance that I wanted in this garment and outfit and I wouldn't be able to wear it casually. Notice the base trousers have a yellow hue to them. I think there's something nice about black and yellow color combination. You'll see that more later. I wore a black knit tee since I wanted a more casual vibe then paired it with some black penny loafers with no-show socks and a pocket square. The pocket square has some black, some white, and yellowish gold which complements the colors of the entire ensemble perfectly. I wore this outfit recently to an opening at the UCCA art gallery here in Beijing. It wasn't the least bit overly formal as most people in our world wear black anyways. It's summer and you might find yourself in some shorts. A black linen shirt goes great with these oatmeal linen girka shorts. I wore this with loafers in a complementing color with the shorts. This outfit could be a bit plain so I'm gonna add some accessories. First I added black and yellow bandana. If I'm outside in summer some black rimmed sunglasses would be a great addition as well and I'm gonna grab a Panama hat as I walk out the door. If you think this is too much you can skip one or some of the accessories. A black polo is really easy to wear with these black linen trousers and black sandals. Going all black it's a look on its own. However I'm gonna go throw on this linen Teba jacket to give some more visual interest to the outfit as well as a black braided belt with a silver buckle. Now black and white is a very easy combination and I think this outfit looks elevated because of the high quality textured linen jacket from Solbiati or even that nice draping Irish linen trouser I'm wearing. I'd wear this outfit on days off or when traveling. I like the Teba jacket for those roomy pockets for putting my stuff in. It's also a casual jacket but makes me feel like my outfit is a bit more put together. This one is super easy guys. Brown linen trousers in a black polo. Now a few years ago this was a color combination I don't think I would have thought of but I tried black and brown a bit over the last year and I really like the combination. This would also work with like a winter brown flannel and black knitwear. Without a jacket I feel this is a little bit basic so I'm going to add some sunglasses. I'm going to grab a Panama hat and boom looking good and ready to go out the door. I also wore some black suede loafers with no-show socks. The suede is a bit more low-key compared to my shiny or polished cordovan penny loafers and with this outfit I want to be casual and easygoing. Perfect for a day at work in a conservative but not suited up environment. My bespoke beige wool mohair blend suit and the black denim shirt looks very modern and casual. Since I'm in a full suit here I wore over the calf socks to be sure not to show any ankle. The mohair blended suit has a slight natural sheen so I complimented that with my cordovan penny loafers. They have a little bit of a shine. I went without a tie. I think it would be a little difficult to find a tie that matches this outfit but I also wanted a balance between formal and casual. I'd wear this outfit for events or even a normal work day for me. I saved my favorite outfit for last. I think this is the most elegant and classy combination of all. The colors are beige, white, and black. This is very similar to the last outfit but I swapped the trousers for these off-white woolen and blend trousers. Black denim shirt and beige jacket. I went with no-show socks to keep the outfit breezy and my black suede tassel loafers to have a more casual vibe. I'd wear this outfit for a night out, dates, events, or even when traveling. I wore a similar outfit on a recent trip to Milan and the photos we took around the city and down the Duomo looked great. In fact, we even printed some of those pictures and put them on the wall at home. Like in this technological day and age, you know you're happy with the outfit and a look when you print it out. I hope you found this useful and have some fresh takeaways for your daily outfits. If so, please hit that like and subscribe for me. I'm going to do my best to continue to do three to four videos per month for you guys. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below as I reply to almost all comments. Thank you for watching!