All-Black Eveningwear

If there’s one thing black does well, it’s make you look smart AF for evening engagements. While a dinner suit with a white dress shirt is the pairing most men lean on, moving to something murdered-out puts you well ahead of the rest.

Next time you need to truss up for a formal do, opt for a black-on-black-on-black look. For example, a black suit styled with a black roll neck and worn with black shoes.

Further tweak your look with texture: a velvet or jacquard blazer adds another layer of luxe, while a standard single-breasted two-piece suit steers minimally classic.

A Night Out

Frustratingly, bar and club dress codes are often anything but black and white. If there’s one thing we’ve learned over the years, it’s that one man’s ‘smart’ is another man’s “sorry mate, not tonight”.

Swerve the confusion by steering classic: black and white pieces that toe the line between smart and casual. A black leather jacket, slim black denim and a white crew neck tee or button-down shirt shows you’re dressed up to get down.

Still getting grief from the bouncer? Swap the biker for a blazer and your sneakers for Derbies. Although, if your chosen watering hole is still enforcing an anti-kicks policy, it could be time to take your custom somewhere less constipated.

Smart-Casual Separates

Speaking of dress codes, even the seemingly straightforward smart-casual can become complex when colour’s added into the mix: is coral pink dressy or off-duty? And which shades of blue are more business than pleasure?

Save yourself the migraine with a monochrome ensemble instead. A black wool blazer and pair of chalk white chinos (or vice versa) is a clear favourite for when you’re straddling levels of formality.

Wear a tee or shirt underneath, depending on the frequency you want to dial your look to, and punctuate with a pair of loafers or Chelsea boots.