How To Dress Down A Suit For Casual Occasions

dress down suit

You probably have invested a big chunk of money on your suit, so apparently, you want to get the most out of your apparel. Just because suits are considered more formal clothing for men does not mean they can only be worn at weddings and office parties. Modern suits are more versatile, allowing you to tone down the formality to wear on your regular days.

When we talk about suits, remember it is a complete ensemble made of different parts, and you can separate them by experimenting with different styles. Below are some ways you can dress down a suit for casual occasions.

How to wear a suit casually

The sole purpose of casual wear is to be relaxed in whatever you are wearing. Therefore, discard the trappings associated with offices, such as ties and accessories, when dressing down the suits. The easiest way of dressing down the suit is wearing it with things that give you a laid-back look.

Knitwear

When winter brings the mercury down, swap your dress shirt with a sweater or cardigan for a cosy and comfortable feeling. And if you want to keep the formality intact, wear your knitwear over the shirt and tuck the tie underneath. 

However, make sure you don’t ruin the slim silhouette of your shirt with chunky woollen wear. Instead, opt for a lightweight sweater. This is the perfect time to be playful with interesting textures and colour combinations, but keep the colour scheme neutral if you want to keep some degree of dressiness.

Shirts

Even if you don’t want to swap the dress shirt, you can still create a nice casual ensemble from your formal suit. Just ditch those common office frills like ties, pocket squares, and other accessories, and open some upper buttons of your body. 

Adding an interesting piece of jewellery or a pair of sunglasses can give your formal outfit a cool, off-duty look. If you’re not so much obsessed with a dress shirt, put on some casual shirts with more casual colours and prints.

Half zip tops

Half-zip tops can be a great replacement for your shirt to dress down your suit. This top wear can effectively tone down the formality of your tailored suit and add a sporty element. 

Half zip tops can be brilliantly styled under a single-breasted coat, macs, or jacket of a men’s casual suit, as long as the suit is not slim-fitted. Slim-fit suits don’t have enough room under them, and wearing something thicker than a dress shirt gives that bunching appearance. 

T-shirts

There can’t be any other option for dressing down your suit than just adding a t-shirt to it. If you are a style enthusiast fashionista, you will probably have a collection of basic t-shirts in your style arsenal. 

So, you’re done by just grabbing one that goes harmoniously with the ensemble. Avoid choosing more contrasting colours, large sizes, or something funkier with prints and posters. The more subtle and formal you keep, the more elegant it will look.

Singlets

Pairing with a singlet is the most dressed-down suit option you can choose. This works great for summer styling. However, you should be extra careful when wearing a singlet with a suit. To get it correctly, stick to the formal rules: keep your tank top as light in colour as possible. However, to add a playful element, you can keep it in a slightly saturated colour, but keep a watch on the harmony of the entire outfit.

Gilet

It might seem strange in a layering order, but you can wear a gilet on most of the suits you wear in offices. Gilet, which has a V-neck, is easier to style with a suit as it mimics the waistcoat. But here, you want to stick with the contrasting colours, so don’t match your gilet with a suit jacket. Navy, green, and olive green are the most versatile colours but want to emphasise the casual element, burgundy could be a bolder option.

Boots

Unlike in older days, the fashion world has become more inclusive regarding suits. Now, you can easily wear boots with your suit, which is no longer a fashion crime. Something sleek like Chelsea boots makes the look stylish and keeps it to the dressy side. Moreover, military or hiking boots can look incredible if the colours are harmonious.

Sneakers and plimsolls

Apparently, sneakers can dress down your suit to the full extent. The realm of sneakers is so vast you have more than plenty of room to play around and show your style sense. Something slim like classic converse or plimsolls or flashy and sporty, everything goes well.