Don’t Wear a Black Suit: Men’s Professional Style Tips
Tip #16: Are you sure you want a black suit?
There will come a time in your life when you need a suit. It may be for a wedding, job interview, work event or a sudden funeral. No matter your age, profession or income level, every man needs a suit. But if you are looking for your go-to suit, what color should it be? Most men come to us looking for their staple suit and 75% want a black suit. They believe it is going to be versatile and have heard the saying “every man needs a black suit.” But do they?
The Essential Suit
One popular misconception is that every man needs a black suit. While a black suit may seem like a versatile option, it's not as flexible as you may think. Black is often seen as more formal and may not look as good with a colored tie or dress shirt. Black suits are usually only for the most formal of funerals, even then, most people will not be wearing a black suit. Every funeral I have been to have been a mixed bag of suit colors, dress pants/dress shirt combos or jeans and a button down. Most of those outfits are ill-fitting.
In our opinion, a well fitted neutral color suit and dress shirt with a dark tie and white pocket square does the trick. You do not want to stick out by trying to make a fashion statement in bright colors which is why everything should be muted and neutral.
Which Suit to Choose
A black suit may work well for the most formal of funerals but a navy or charcoal suit still works. It also works for work events, weddings, job interviews and pretty much any other event life throws at you. A navy or charcoal suit can easily be dressed up or down and look great with a variety of shirts, ties, and pocket square colors or patterns. Giving you (our favorite word) mileage.
One of the reasons navy and charcoal suits are so versatile is because of their color. These suits are darker and more muted, which makes them easy to match with other items in your wardrobe. A navy is still considered a neutral color in professional clothing which means pretty much any shirt, tie and pocket square you can dream of matches it well.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a new suit, we highly recommend choosing a navy or charcoal option instead of a black suit. Not only will you look great in these suits, but you'll also be able to wear them to a variety of events. You'll be able to dress them up or down, and they'll match with just about anything you own. Our personal favorite is navy due to the color it adds to your outfit while still being very neutral which is why we have offered it at a massive discount.
Derek Burbidge - Owner/Founder of Cardero Clothing
In 2014, Derek rented a suit for his wedding only to later discover the advice he received was terrible and the fit of the rentals was way off. After travelling to Thailand and Europe soon after his wedding he was introduced to bespoke clothing and various timeless styles. As a lover of all things men's fashion, he started Cardero Clothing to keep men from making the same mistakes he did.