1 Piece/3 Ways: Essential Charcoal Suit

Every Articles of Style suit is designed so that the components can also be worn as a separate jacket, trouser and vest.

We created the “1 piece/3 ways” series to give you some ideas on how you can style a timeless suit for different occasions; so you can get the most out of your garments and learn to build a sustainable wardrobe with style.

In this edition we show you three ways to wear our Shop Current Suits.

1. Business

Man wearing a tailored gray suit and fedora, laughing with a friend in a stylish street fashion setting

The essential charcoal suit is one of the most reliable garments you can have in your wardrobe.

Simply pair it with any basic blue/white stripe shirt and some black loafers, and you have yourself a clean and simple look that is great for the office, and for dinner and drinks afterward too.

Man in a classic black suit paired with a striped shirt and sunglasses, capturing a sophisticated menswear look

2. Business Casual

Man wearing a plaid jacket with gray trousers and black loafers, standing against a textured wall.

The trousers always get worn more than the jacket. That's why we recommend adding a second pair to your most basic suits.

These charcoal suit trousers, for example, can be the bottom-half of literally hundreds of different outfits. Pair them with any shirt, any sweater and any sportcoat to get started.

Here, I paired them with a white oxford shirt (my all-time favorite shirt) and our shadowplaid sportcoat.

Close-up of a man wearing a plaid blazer with a white shirt and gray trousers, styled for a refined urban look

3. Evening Out

Two men walking down a cobblestone street in gray and black suits, showcasing modern menswear and street style.

Again with the suit trousers separate from the jacket.

This is a super easy way to create an elegant evening look: pair your dark worsted suit trousers with a thin black cashmere sweater and a sportcoat (or suit jacket) from a more seasonal fabric (like this flannel).

Keep all the colors in the same family - subtlety is key. Let the fit and fabrics shine.

Man wearing a double-breasted gray suit over a black sweater, posing against a red brick wall.

4. A Note on the Jacket

Man wearing a tailored black jacket with wool trousers and Chelsea boots, posing in a studio setting

While we don't often show the essential suit jacket as a sportcoat, there is no reason it can't be done in style.

I added the image above to give you an example.

I usually pair the worsted suit jacket with trousers in very-seasonal fabrics to provide an obvious texture contrast (like these beefy cashmere herringbone trousers, or a nice slubby linen in the summer).

Thanks, as always, for reading.

Yours in style,

Dan Trepanier