Dress for success- even when casual!

How to look great on a weekend (in casual wear) this fall

Working with a lot of busy professionals, I’ve noticed that guys get a little lost when it comes to picking out weekend or casual wear that still looks fashionable. Casual jeans and a t-shirt combo seems to be the “go to” look for the majority, so here are some tips to take the casual look up a notch.

1)    Sport coat. It’s the first item that helps to dress up the jeans/t-shirt look. Sport coats can have funkier pattern than your suits. A good choice of pattern is hound’s-tooth or windowpane. A safer choice, which is easier for matching, is a plain navy blue or a lighter gray color.

2)    Darker color plaid or check shirt. 10% of your shirt wardrobe should consist of casual shirt fabrics that are darker colors and have more distinct patterns. Navy blue or lighter blue check; nautical stripes and gray/black check are all good options.

3)    V-neck or button down sweater. Sweaters are great with polo shirts, casual dress shirts, with jeans, chinos or shorts. Make sure you have a collar shirt (dress shirt or polo shirt) underneath and you won’t go wrong.

4)    Layering. Add all the above together and you’ll have a look that’s in style plus it will keep you warm and cozy. Do remember that at least one or two items should be without a pattern, e.g., wear a checked shirt with a plain sweater and a plain or subtle pattern sport coat.

5)    Chinos. Try wearing chinos instead of jeans. Although jeans go great with any casual look, chinos give a more sophisticated and up to date look.