2. Business Casual
This is what I call a “makeshift three-piece”.
Take the vest from your suit and pair it with “business casual” separates (like a patterned blazer and slim cords) to polish off the look and bring everything together.
I’ve had this suit jacket for years (in fact, it was the subject of our first ever photo post).
I haven’t worn it in a while, but it works perfectly with this vest. The subtle pattern/texture mixing inspired me to break-out this jacket from the back of my closet.
Of course, there are plenty of other combos using the elements of a three-piece suit.
For example, the vest and trousers, vest and jacket, etc.
Featured Items:
- Light blue slim-fit shirt by Brooks Brothers
- Brown wool tie Vintage
- Brown micro-houndstooth waistcoat by Michael Andrews Bespoke (Cloth by Ariston A 947/11)
- Watch by Montblanc Timewalker Automatic (42mm)
- Brown slim corduroys by JCrew
- Brown suede loafers by Ralph Lauren Polo
- Canvas & leather tote bag by Mismo
39 Comments Add a comment
Dan,
Great look (as usual)! Who’s the jacket made by?
The fit on the first post is absolutely brilliant. Matsuda shades are remarkable always great to see good eyewear taste and not low quality Warby Parker.
Oh and another first on this website crocodile shoes, great to see your style evolving.
I have always wondered why stylish men ignore exotic skin shoes. Just the fell of crocodile or alligator shoes done right as in this example feels and looks beautiful.
I’m a big fan of certain cuts of exotic skins on boots (like the belly of an alligator or crocodile, lizard, stingray for example). The plain toe and shape of a boot always lent themselves to showing off exotic skins. But I never liked them on a shoe until this one. Perhaps I just haven’t seen enough of them. Either the brogueing, or the sewing interfered with the natural pattern of the skin or the cut of the hide wasn’t right. The makers of this shoe did an amazing job choosing just the right hide, shoe shape, and minimal captoe pattern to make this work. Really beautiful example of hand crafting.
Just out of curiosity, how much did the alligator shoes cost you? I’m sure it was an arm and a leg.
Finally a three button suit, very nice I like the vest under, reminds me of an elegant double breasted suit.
I have been a faithful reader since the beginning, and this is the first appearance of a three button suit on this site, why did it take you so long Dan? Thanks
There have been several three-button jackets on the site. Most of the time we style them with the middle button fastened, which makes it harder to recognize.
Thanks for reading Victor.
Excellent. Love all the outfits. I’m a sucker for country-style, ‘geezer’ fabrics such as tweeds and houndstooth.
Love the Selvage jeans. Its strangely hard to find a distressed pair of selvage. Don’t get me wrong I love my raw denim (just got a fantastic pair of raw selvage from the Gap of all places and was more than a little pleasantly surprised) but I like distressed jeans sometimes too and selvage would make them that much better.
Awesome post, Dan. Vests really are a secret weapon of sorts in that they can add class to just about any look, even an already classy look.
I also wanted to say that I am excited to see the post your were alluding to when you said “no need to spend a lot of money for style”. Reading the words “this shirt is from Wal-Mart” on this site was a huge surprise. I don’t have a lot of money to work with, so I’m super excited to see what a style master such as yourself has to say.
That’s a great suit, no two ways – I would go against received wisdom and suggest that if you’re going to go bespoke for one suit – something like that, which is essentially a country suit but passes muster in 99% of situations (if you worked in the ‘City’ financial or legal sectors of London, maybe not before Friday). You can find a nice Navy suit off the rack and get it tailored, but you’re probably not going to find anything like the above ready to wear.
Dan this is so on-point its ridiculous, awesome job again. The vest is wicked, but those crocs are borderline orgasmic.
Look no.1 is awesome! Everything from the houndstooth to the waistcoat to the awesome shoes (!!) looks well put together! Bravo!
Look number two is one of my favorites you’ve ever done! Nice post
Loving the Styles there Dan, especially like the casual look, the combo with the best and that leather jacket (Which btw I really like that jacket great colour and warn just right) great combo with the corduroy shirt. Awesome love it!
Leave it to Dan to put up ridiculously stylish content on a Friday, so we can all look in the mirror at our own disheveled appearances and immediately start pounding back the Jim Beam. At this rate I’ll be hung over until Monday!
hahaha. Thanks Brian. The irony is that this post almost didn’t make the cut!
Easy on Jimmy this weekend.
This was an amazing post. I usually reserve my vest for classier situations but this post really helped me learn about breaking it out for the weekend park trips.
Thanks Dan
Thanks brother
The crocodile cap toes are to die for!!!!
One of the few (if not the first) three buttons suits on this site! And with awesome leather buttons!
I like the layering, but on the second look the patterns seem a bit similar! Nice jacket though!
I saw your reply to the other comment. One of the few non 3/2 roll, 3 button suits!
Very nice suit, all outfits look great, keep up the good work guys. Really helpful when trying new stuff.
happy 3 year anniversary (to the day in fact) to what is still your best post of all time! the hugo boss suit with the cardigan and white vans against the orange wall is hands down the nicest photo uve ever published.
Thanks Cam. The site has come a long way since those days, thanks in large part to loyal fans like you. I’m not sure that comment about the photo is fair to Alex though, haha. Thanks again for your support.
no doubt that alex’s work is exceptional. that particular photo is the classic that’s stuck in my head…like illmatic or atliens
haha word! #OG
all 3 looks killed
I like that the TSB posts have a very wide $$ range.
Regarding the Wal-mart shirt: Nice. My favorite and best fitting jeans are from Target.
Not the cost but the fit.
Thanks, TSB.
Thanks Lou. Guys are often surprised to find out that we shop everywhere – including places like Target, TJ Maxx, JCP, etc. Post on this coming soon.
The fit on those jeans is beautiful.
I think this is the first time I’ve seen Dan in a 3-button jacket.
I have a handful of 3-button jackets, most have lapels that roll to the 2nd button though. Cheers.
ditto – I found that curious, especially with a 3 piece where a lower button stance would show off more of the vest. Looks great, but I’m curious how it looks buttoned up – and how you button it, just the middle or top two?
Just the middle typically. Unless it’s cold and windy, then the top 2 with the collar up and a scarf.
Cheers.
I love the look of a contrasting waistcoat under something. But of course, a fully matched 3-piece always looks great too.
I try to remember to wear a pocket watch with the chain draped whenever wearing a waistcoat. It’s a nice finishing touch for these kinds of looks.
By the way, I notice you keep your bottom button unbuttoned (not just on this waistcoat, but I’ve noticed it in other posts featuring cardigans and such). Is this some unwritten rule? Because I’ve always done the same.
Some consider this to be a rule, but I think it just looks good.
In my opinion, it is similar to leaving the bottom button unbuttoned on a two-button blazer.
Usually, the waistcoat is cut in expectation of the bottom button being undone – occasionally the button is placed so it basically cannot be fastened.
It seems to be done with cardigans now too, I think it’s because cardigans were once considered a bit ‘grandad’ and wearing them with the bottom button undone is a way to subcommunicate that you’ve got game – but it might be something to do with soft flowing lines and such.
Wes often seems to unbutton the top button and sometimes even the second from bottom. I suspect the idea of actually buttoning buttons will seem quaint and archaic in 50 years.
Buttoning all the bottoms on a cardigan and vest just feels constricting to me, but hopefully it won’t feel archaic to do so when I’m an old man.