The default uniform of office worker drones, barely changed since the time of Beau Brummell, the suit can understandably feel like a horsehair-canvassed straightjacket on self-expression. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

While what you see most of the time on the commute might seem stale, designers are constantly tinkering with the suit’s silhouette and styling on the catwalk and in boutiques to keep it fresh. Below are seven contemporary moves to bring your tailoring into the 21st century and out of the 18th.

Warning: depending on what you do for a living, some may be NSFW…

Do Things By Half-Zip

Nodding to both the athleisure and seventies trends without coming over too The Damned United, a half-zip top is a halfway house between a full-on tracksuit and bog-standard jumper that can still double as a goalpost.

“Half-zip tops are brilliant as way of playing down the formality of a more tailored jacket or coat and adding a sporty element,” says Luke McDonald, stylist at online personal shopping service Thread. “They style brilliantly under single-breasted coats, macs or even a casual suit jacket, so long as it’s not too slim.” Why is figure-hugging tailoring a problem? Because if there’s not enough room under it, then you’ll get ugly bunching.

A knitted version is more refined than a PE lesson cotton-poly blend; too chunky and it’ll look like you bought it from a camping store to wear at your kid’s football matches.

Blazer Trail

To dramatically switch up your suits or separates, jack in your jacket altogether.

“Try swapping your blazer for a fine knit cardigan,” suggests Daniel Rhone, personal shopper at Selfridges. “It gives you some of the structure while at the same time being less overly formal.” He advocates a shawl-collar cardigan, which is practically a jacket with a ‘lapel’. Or try a so-called Milanese knitted blazer, which further interweaves the two categories.