How to Wear Your Suits as Separates

Whilst it may seem controversial at first, wearing suits as separates is a fantastic way of getting more wear out of your favourite pieces and bringing more versatility to your wardrobe.

It must, however, be approached with some caution. Not all suits should be separated.

A good example of this is the pinstripe suit: whilst it has been done in the past, it’s very tricky to get away with wearing a pinstripe jacket or trousers with pieces in a different cloth. If you’re a beginner with this, start with simpler combinations and reserve the braver options for when you have gained a bit of confidence.

In today’s blog post, we will be sharing how you can start wearing suits as separates with the help of Karl, our Wilmslow store manager, and his fantastic wardrobe of suits.

Tip #1: Choose a Neutral Base

The best place to start is with a neutral base. This suit will be the foundation of your outfit. In this case, Karl chose a navy blue suit in cavalry twill. Navy is an excellent colour to use as you separate your suits because it coordinates well with many other colours.

Why this outfit works…

Karl has paired the navy trousers of the original suit with a grey checked jacket from another suit. It’s very effective for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the colour palette is neutral and limited to only 4 colours throughout the entirety of his outfit. Secondly, there is a nice contrast in texture from the matte cavalry twill of the trousers to the soft flannel of the jacket.

Tip #2: Both suits must have a similar cut

When combining two suits into one, both suits must have a similar cut. Wearing a very fitted jacket with loose-fitting trousers will look rather odd, whereas wearing a fitted jacket with fitted trousers will look streamlined and cohesive. Each piece should look natural next to the other, even though the cloth is completely different.

Why this outfit works…

Wearing two solid neutrals with one another is probably the safest way to experiment with the “separates” trend. In this outfit, Karl has worn a dark grey suit jacket with the original navy trousers. If these trousers were any darker, it wouldn’t have worked because the contrast would have been too low, but because this navy has a bit of a punch to it, it is very effective.