49 Best Men’s Formal Wear Ideas

Is there ever a wrong time and a place for formal wear? Possibly, but you could also probably argue that formal wear turns even the most mundane events, such as your niece’s ballet recital or a Saturday Farmer’s Market into an event! And honestly, after that one year where there was a global pandemic and we wore sweatpants (if we wore pants at all) and lost all sense of self and life and social norms, isn’t it nice to dress up, even if the occasion doesn’t really call for it?

Whatever your thoughts, here are some fantastic formal wear inspirations for your next big outing.

1. Blazer

A blazer can be incredibly versatile. They come in almost any fabrication – cotton, wool, polyblend, and flannel to name a few of the most popular. A blazer can be thrown on with jeans and a hoodie, just make sure your hood isn’t tucked into your blazer, giving you a Hunchback of Notre Dame appearance. You can wear one with a slim, tailored suit in a matching plaid or houndstooth pattern.

2. Office

Days at the office are back, albeit maybe not full-time, but enough to where you need to actually put some thought into it. You’re not just being seen by your dog anymore. There are real humans you are interacting with and being dressed properly is of the utmost importance. Even if you work in a casual environment, it doesn’t hurt to don the occasional suit sans tie or wear a nice tailored pant with a sweater. Or be more formal on top with a white Tom Ford button up and a vest, but pair it down with dark indigo jeans. A pair of loafers also adds a subtle, cool vibe.

3. Pants

If you’re going into an office these days, you might have forgotten how to dress for the occasion. At least from the waist down. Keeping a blazer around to throw on for the inevitable Zoom meeting served its time and place, but now you need to add pants to the mix. Your co-workers will thank you. Tailored ankle pants in various fabrics, colors, and patterns will instantly pull your look together. Whether you work in a more formal business environment and wear the whole suit, vest, and leather shoes included, or you want to pair your pants and leather oxfords with a button-up and a cashmere sweater, tailoring your pants is essential to looking slick and chic.

4. Smart

Dressing smart means being well-put-together and smart dressing applies to just about every occasion. It’s all about fit. Try khaki pants with a white shirt, add a forest green tie (it’s the color of fall), and black oxford dress shoes. Another idea that works with what you probably already have in your closet and is more tonal and on-trend is khaki ankle pants with a matching blazer, a crisp white shirt, and chestnut tassel loafers. Not feeling the brown tones? Maybe blue is more your jam. Wear navy chinos with a navy blazer over a fitted light blue button-up, a blue pocket square in a fun print, and black dress shoes.

5. Smart Casual

Smart casual is slightly less formal than business casual. Your outfit should be well-fitting, neat, and conventional, yet relatively informal. You can still wear a leather oxford or a tassel loafer, but you can also take the above looks and pair them with a clean white sneaker, such as an adidas Stan Smith or a pair of Veja’s.

6. Suit

A suit is a right move for oh, so many occasions. Work, wedding, funeral, father-daughter dance, fancy date night with your partner, a party with government officials, the list goes on. The secret to any good suit is even better tailoring. If money is a factor, save on the suit itself, but splurge on getting a good fit. Having a reliable tailor ups the ante on all of your clothing, not just suits. If the event is more formal, add a tie, possibly a pocket square, and a nice patina Oxford. Steer away from black suits (save that for a tuxedo) and instead invest in some color. Various shades of blue match with every occasion and burgundy works on just about every skin tone and hair color.

7. Tuxedo

Everyone looks good in a well-fitting penguin suit. Instant formality. You can make this your own with color choice, shirt style, bowtie, pocket square, cumberbund or not to cumberbund, cufflinks, and socks. The real difference between a tuxedo and a suit is the satin details: satin side-stripe down the pant legs, satin buttons, and satin-facing lapels. Black patent leather shoes are the go-to foot accessory of choice to really bring this look to formal fruition.

8. Waistcoat

Traditionally, a formal waistcoat or vest is intended to hide the exposed waistband of your trousers and shirt’s bottom edge. The evening waistcoat sports a low-cut design that is intended to reveal your formal shirt’s bib as much as possible. After all, why wear it if no one is going to see it, right? You could just wear a starchy white button-up instead. But with a waistcoat, you can still show off your formal shirt while looking polished and well, formal. Classic waistcoats are available in either single or double-breasted styles and the bottom of the vest will end in two points that can be either round or angular, depending on your taste. Neither option is incorrect.

9. Wedding

 

Let’s go on the assumption that you are attending the wedding and not actually in the wedding. Your invitation should alert you to what the dress code is: black tie, formal, semi-formal, boho-chic, you name it, there’s a wedding attire for it. Let’s start with a black tie – this is pretty straightforward and means you need to wear a tuxedo. You can personalize it with cufflinks, a pocket square, or even your socks. When the invite says “formal” you can wear a suit with a tie and a pair of Italian bespoke leather Oxfords. Here you can play with color and fabrication. Attending a formal wedding in Hawaii? Wear linen. Traveling to Chicago in November? Maybe wool will help keep those brisk winds from cutting through your clothing. If semi-formal is the name of the game, keep the suit, lose the tie, and change your shoes, unless you’re really feeling them, of course.

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