As we find ourselves firmly entrenched in fall, it’s time you thought about what this season means for the most classic item in your wardrobe. There are three things that you should be paying particular attention to in your suits this fall: Material, Structure, and Weight.
Material
Once the fall comes, you start to see some familiar friends: Cashmere, Flannel, and Tweed. They all have their different looks, but luckily for you they’ll all work perfectly this fall. Think about getting a cashmere-blend suit to really breathe some luxury into your wardrobe. It’ll feel super soft and work for most fall days. Reiss and Spurr both blend cashmere into their fall options to get that luxury feel and you’ll appreciate it every time you put it on. Tweed has got that classic Kennedy feel which means it’ll always be appropriate. This fall, look into a donegal tweed which is essentially a tweed woven with different colors. Billy Reid’s donegal tweed has that awesome salt and pepper look that fits in perfectly in the fall. Finally, flannel is a material that can be warn all year round, but is most often favored in the fall. This is perfect if you’re not looking to stick out, but still want to show a little style. Club Monaco’s flannel suit has just the right weight and feel for fall.
Structure
Often overlooked in the purchase of the suit is structure. If you’ve ever tried on a Giorgio Armani suit and then put on a Tom Ford piece, you’ll realized how different a suit can feel. A lot of guys will opt for a less structured suit in the fall as most tweed and flannel options are just that. Make sure your suit is well tailored as you could be looking a little too “relaxed” if you don’t watch yourself. Billy Reid’s Tweed Suit is a great example of said option, but if you want to look a little more powerful, think about something with structure. You’ll feel like you slipped on a suit of armour, and while you might not have the ease of motion, you’ll feel like an absolute stud. Look to Reiss for a slightly more structured three piece suit with those Tom Ford-esque lapels. And if you’re really trying to look like a boss, think double-breasted and pick up Simon Spurr’s piece.
Weight
Conventional wisdom says that you should begin to think about looking at a heavier weight in your suit. It’ll keep you warm and look authentic and smart as the leaves start to fall. Plenty of designers have a good tweed or heavy flannel wool, so this won’t be difficult to get your hands on. As much as we love conventional wisdom, we also love ourselves some individuality. This is why we advise you to stick with your mid-wieght suit and bundle up in other areas. Do some layering on a particularly cool day, and opt for Club Monaco’s Lightweight Flannel Suit or Aquascutum’s Three Piece Wool Suit.
A Final Note
Don’t feel obligated to go out and get a new suit for the fall. As you can see, every single one of these suits is a tame shade of grey. You should have a well-tailored grey suit in your closet, so you can always make use of the other pieces of your outfit to show you’ve taken the season into account. For more on that, check out our guide to layering. Our real goal here was to show what made a suit a fall suit, and then to point out 5 of our favorite suits this fall.
Club Monaco Wright Suit (Shown in Birdseye, comes in Light Flannel): $500 ($400 with College ID), available at Club Monaco on 121 Prince St.
Billy Reid Donegal Tweed Suit: $850, available at Billy Reid on 54 Bond St.
Reiss Three-Piece Wool/Cashmere Suit: $840, available at Reiss on 313 Bleecker St.
Aquascutum Three-Piece Wool Suit: $1,270, available at Bloomindales on 1000 3rd Ave.
Spurr Double-Breasted Wool/Cashmere Suit: $2,675, available at Bergdorf Goodman on 754 5th Ave.
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