STYLING A GREY SUIT FOR WINTER AND LEARNING FROM OSCAR WILDE

 Hello dear readers and fellow bloggers! As the title would imply, in this post I'll show you how to style a suit for Winter.  As you might expect, there will also be some talk of sustainability and even a bit of fashion illustrating. I will also cite Oscar Wilde and his article "The Philosophy of Dress".  Moreover,  I'll use this post as an opportunity to talk about suits. The star of this post is a second hand Benetton suit I got from my sister-in-law. Recently I've been thinking about suits a lot. After all, suits are perfect for layering in the Winter. Layers create warmth and all that. I've always been one to enjoy wearing suits and found them to be full of fashion potential. There's something about a suit that makes is timelessly fashionable. Love them or hate them, suits are here to stay. 

All of this got me thinking. Why do people like wearing suits? Why do people dislike wearing suits? What kind of suits there are? What kind of suits do people like to wear nowadays? Has the way we wear suits changed? Has our attitude towards suits changed? Is a suit a sustainable item? How many kind of suits there are? Is there a suit out there for everyone? So many questions! 

Asking questions is always good. One of my professors of literature taught me to prepare at least thirty (preferably fifty) questions  before every literature lesson. Thinking starts with questions he believed. Moreover, he would ask to think of different kind of questions, the one that engage the heart (emotion) are just as important as those that engage the mind (intellect). Finding answers often comes from asking the right questions. So, today I'm asking and answering a lot of questions about suits. Join me on this journey and scroll down!

WHAT DO WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SUITS? 

What exactly is a suit? Well, according to Cambridge dictionary: it's a jacket and trousers or a jacket and skirt that are made from the same material:

All the businessmen were wearing pinstripe suits.She wore a dark blue suit.

Of course, a suit can also be  "a set of clothes or a piece of clothing to be worn in a particular situation or while doing a particular activity: a diving/protective/ski, etc. suit, a swimsuit, a spacesuit and a suit of armour.

However, we'll refer to the first definition for the purposes of this post. 

What is your first idea when you think of a suit? Probably the business kind of suit. However, there are many types of suits. A matching maxi skirt and a blazer is a suit as well. Suits come in all shapes, styles, textures and sizes. There are funky suits and classical ones. Perhaps there really is a suit for everyone.

While writing this post, my mind kept returning to one historical person and a writer- Oscar Wilde. Regular readers of my blog are probably well aware that I do have a thing for Oscar Wilde. Therefore it makes sense that while preparing this article, I simply had to read Wilde's 'Philosophy of Dress' article. I mean what is the point of a blog if it doesn't make you learn and read things!

 So, what did Wilde have to say? A lot of things actually, but I will quote just the ones that I want to comment on. As you know, Oscar Wilde was known as dandy and according to Cambridge dictionary- a dandy is a man especially in the past, who dressed in expensive , fashionable clothes and was very interested in his appearance.  Oxford Learner's dictionary defines dandy as a man who cares a lot about his clothes and appearance. 

So, what would you say if I told you that Wilde said that to him dress is simply unimportant!

How could that be? Well, because being the wise way that he was, Wilde was aware that it is not the dress that matters (he was referring to both men and women dress i.e. clothing) but that what matters is the person who wears it.

In itself, dress (he meant clothing) is nothing. 

However, when we wear clothing, they can come to life.

They can be an expression of our creativity, or energy and our plans- and that is what is important.

Allow me to quote the words of this great man: 

Oscar Wilde

THE PHILOSOPHY OF DRESS

 

There has been within the last few years, both in America and in England, a marked development of artistic taste. It is impossible to go into the houses of any of our friends without seeing at once that a great change has taken place. There is a far greater feeling for color, a far greater feeling for the delicacy of form, as well as a sense that art can touch the commonest things of the household into a certain grace and a certain loveliness. But there is also a whole side of the human life which has been left almost entirely untouched. I mean of course the dress of men and of women...

I have been sometimes accused of setting too high an importance on dress. To this I answer that dress in itself is a thing to me absolutely unimportant. In fact the more complete a dress looks on the dummy-­figure of the milliner’s shop, the less suitable it is for being worn. The gorgeous costumes of M. Worth’s atelier seem to me like those Capo di Monte cups, which are all curves and coral handles, and covered over with a Pantheon of gods and goddesses in high excitement and higher relief; that is to say, they are curious things to look at, but entirely unfitfor use. The French milliners consider that women are created specially for them by Providence, in order to display their elaborate and expensive wares. 

I hold that dress is made for the service of Humanity. They think that Beauty is a matter of frills and furbelows. I care nothing at all for frills, and I don’t know what furbelows are, but I care a great deal for the wonder and grace of the human Form, and I hold that the very first canon of art is that Beauty is always organic, and comes from within, and not from without, comes from the perfection of its own being and not from any added prettiness. And that consequently the beauty of a dress depends entirely and absolutely on the loveliness it shields, and on the freedom and motion that it does not impede.

Remember this fashion illustration I did inspired by Vivianne Westwood Spring 2017 collection? 


MORE OSCAR WILDE'S THOUGHTS CITED FROM HIS ARTICLE 'THE PHILOSOPHY OF DRESS'

From this it follows that there can be no beauty of national costume until there is a national knowledge of the proportions of the human form. To Greek and Roman such knowledge came naturally from the gymnasium and the palaestra, from the dance in the meadow and the race by the stream. We must acquire it by the employment of art in education. And knowledge of the kind I propose would soon become the inheritance of all, if each child were taught to draw as early as it is taught to write...

And if a child does study the human figure it will learn a great many valuable laws of dress. It will learn, for instance, that a waist is a very beautiful and delicate curve, the more delicate the more beautiful, and not, as the milliner fondly imagines, an abrupt right angle suddenly occurring in the middle of the person. He will learn again that size has nothing to do with beauty. This, I dare say, seems a very obvious proposition. So it is. All truths are perfectly obvious once one sees them. The only thing is to see them. Size is a mere accident of existence, it is not a quality of Beauty ever. A great cathedral is beautiful, but so is the bird that flies round its pinnacle, and the butterfly that settles on its shaft.  A foot is not necessarily beautiful because it is small. The smallest feet in the world are those of the Chinese ladies, and they are the ugliest also.

Wilde advocated for naturalness. When Wilde says that the feet of Chinese women are the smallest but also the ugliest, he's referring to the practice of binding feet, which was harmful to women and was done by breaking the bones. It's important to understand that Wilde was not making a comment about Chinese women's feet, but rather stating that something done to them (violence of breaking their feet) is ugly and so is the result (broken feet).  He argued against binding of feet of Chinese women and against the obsession with tiny waist of European women. 

Wilde said that beauty comes in all sizes! He wanted the human kind to use Art and Science to create clothes that will last, won't harm the women and men wearing them, and that will be sustainable.

You can read the whole article HERE. 

Originally published in the New-York Tribune, 19 April 1885.

MY MOTHER USED TO WEAR A LOT OF SKIRT SUITS WHEN SHE WAS YOUNGER

Now, that I'm thinking of my own personal history with suits, a fashion memory comes to mind. When I was little and years after that- my mother used to wear suits a lot. Really thinking about it, she wore skirt suits until fairly recently. She switched to jeans and biker boots combo (or alternatively jeans and sneakers) once she got close to her sixties, but for most of my life, she wore some type of a suit, and she wore them well. She would often wear these coloured matching blazer and skirt suits. You've seen some of those now very vintage suits on this little place to call my own, the ones I managed to save from being thrown away. I can think of many fabulous skirt suits she wore: orange, blue, white, black, pink and even green ones.

SUITS OFTEN HAVE A PROFFESSIONAL CONNOTATION 

So, maybe it was my mother who inspired love for suits in me. My dad didn't really wear suits, expect for rare occasions. He was a miliary pilot, and unlike civil pilots, military pilots don't wear suits. They wear fireproof jumpsuits. You know like the ones you might have seen in Top Gun. Anyway, I digress. 

Suits often have a professional connotation. Suits are worn to work by billions of people every day. Not everyone wears a classical suit, as demonstrated by my parents. My mother who never seem particularly interested in getting a job wore a suit, and my dad who worked extremely long hours never wore a classical suit. So, suits can be both a work uniform and a professional preference. 

My first real job was on airport Split, where I wore an uniform. It was the classical suit, the white shirt and black trousers. I'm trying to remember did I have a matching blazer. Possibly, but I can't recall. I do remember it being custom made for me by a fashion house that had a contract with the airport. Before this custom made suit was finished, my seasonal employment ended and so I never really got to wear it- instead I wore clothes I bought myself that summer. I did manage to buy nice items. It was when I learned how to shop for professional clothes. I got them in a special store for business clothes (mostly frequented by buyers from the touristic sector). 

With that seasonal job finished, I wanted to stay in aviation, so I applied for and got a job as a flight attendant. I'm sure that my desire to work in aviation wasn't motivated by wanting to wear an uniform, but it probably didn't hurt that I knew how to wear a suit.

The suit I got as a flight attendant was boldly red. At start, I had one inherited from someone, but eventually I was measured by the seamstresses employed by the company- and I got this amazing red suit that suited me like a glove. The only problem was that the skirt was too short for my liking, so I'd often switch it with a colleague that was a bit over six feet tall but same size as me- making the skirt length ideal. Us ladies are resourceful creature aren't we? :)

I suppose it was how I got used to wearing suits and structured clothing. After about two years of that, I decided to get a M.A degree so that's what I did. Wearing suits didn't hurt me while I was a student either. I mean being overdressed will rarely hurt you. 

Past forward to my teaching career, wearing suits was never mandatory, but I liked doing it anyway. I explained why in some of my older posts. Basically, I'm a Renaissance woman at heart. I remember when professor Slobodan Prosperov Novak told me that in Renaissance people would get dressed up before they stepped into their libraries. They thought that one should dress up to be in presence of books. For, books are a collection of knowledge and art. School is a place where we teach with the help of books and art. So, dressing up as a teacher  and wearing a suit makes sense to me!

LET US ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS ABOUT SUITS, SHALL WE? 

Why do people like wearing suits? 

I imagine there are a lot of reasons why people might enjoy wearing suits. For me personally, I like the polished look. As I said, I see a great fashion potential in suits. I like how suits can be styled up and down. I like how we can change a look of a suit just by changing the accessories. I like how versatile suits can be. I guess I just like all about them. I'll speak more about benefits of wearing a suit a bit later on, but now a few reasons for not liking suits. 

Why do people dislike wearing suits?

Despite liking suits, I can also think of a number of reasons why people might not like suits. First of all, some people might have a particular or unique style of dressing that simply doesn't include suits. Secondly, some people might find suits uncomfortable, especially if they're not used to wearing tailored or structured clothing. Not all suits are tailored or structured, some like oversized ones, are a lot more loose but still one does imagine some structure when one imagines a suit. Moreover, some people might prefer sporty clothes- or might have a lifestyle or even a job that simply doesn't work well with wearing a suit. 

What kind of suits there are?  How many kind of suits there are? 

Now, these are two  big questions. There are all kinds of suits out there, perhaps even some I don't know anything of. It's simply not possible to know everything and I'm not exactly an authority on suits. I can cite you results you'll get by googling these questions, but you can do it yourself. 

 What kind of suits do people like to wear nowadays?

I would say that for formal wear (be it special occasions or formal work places) the classical suit look hasn't changed that much. Sure, there are trends in formal suit wear as well. Trends get reflected onto formal wear as well, but your average classical suit look will always be a good choice for a formal occasion. 

However, when it comes to styling a suit for everyday, there's a number of trends that are present, and these trends do change. At the moment three piece suits are trending, and so are a bit more bold suits- the one with statement patterns or unusual (sometimes loose) tailoring. 

 Has the way we wear suits changed? 

I think it has, especially in the last few years. There's a lot more experimentation with suits nowadays. People are doing everything from the ultra polished dandy outfits Oscar Wilde would be proud of to the ultra relaxed cuts and unusual styling. These days, many are breaking every rule when it comes to wearing suits. The new way to wear suit is either to polish it up to the maximum or to deconstruct it as much as possible. We're living in polarizing times, so it makes sense our fashion choices often take us to extremes. Either Victorian chic or punk, classical or  rebel. 

Has our attitude towards suits changed? 

Again, I think it has. There are all kinds of attitudes right now. We live in a time where we have attitudes and that's alright. Our attitudes to suits can be mixed- positive, negative, neutral or a mix of all that.  Some associate suits with 'corporate' jobs, so I can see why they hate them. I have had many work experiences, and I worked a lot in the private sector. Not all my bosses were nice and neither have all my work experiences. However, I was fortunate to never work in what one would call corporate culture. So, I have no reason to hate suits on a personal level. 

Is a suit a sustainable item? 

A vintage suit is certainly a sustainable item. A suit you dig from your closet is sustainable as well. Ethically produced suit or second hand suit you'll wear a lot is sustainable as well. I'd argue that a suit is an item that has a great potential for sustainability. 

Is there a suit out there for everyone? 

Considering how many different suits exist, it could be argued that there is a suit for almost everyone. So, I would say that there is a suit out there for most people. Maybe not for everyone. Maybe there's someone somewhere who really cannot make a suit of any kind work for himself- but for majority of people, there's a suit they'll like. 

As I wrote in one of my old posts- The 'suit up' look has never been so versatile as it is today. These days you can style a suit with sneakers and nobody will look at you twice. The materials that suits come in have never been more versatile. Even those who swear by casual style can find a suit for themselves because these days one can easily find suits in denim and curd. Moreover, mixing and matching is allowed as well. So, why not embrace the suit trend?

CAN WEARING A SUIT SAVE YOU MONEY AND TIME? 

Not too many days ago, I wrote this on LinkedIn- Contrary to popular belief, wearing a suit actually saves you money and time. I do agree with that as I do think wearing a nice suit can save you both money and time. It's all about choosing what works for you. So, what are some benefits of wearing a suit? 

It's good for the environment one could argue. You buy a classical one, and you wear it forever. You don't waste any time figuring out what to wear in the morning, and you can look more professional with less effort.

I'm not saying that wearing a suit is right for everyone- but you can make it right for you- if you want of course.

Do suits really take more time to put on? I don't think so. Is there really a time difference at all? 

I'm pretty sure putting on skinny jeans takes more time than putting on a pair of classically cut trousers.

It's alright not to want to wear any kind of suit, but if you think there's a way to do it, why not try it?

Sometimes we overthink suits. We forget we get to style them the way we like. We forget to make them work for us.

Tailored suits are an investment, that's true. However, even that is an investment that pays off. 

Not that you really need to spend money on a suit. As I said many times, why not shop your closet?

Try to find a suit in your closet. Match a similar coloured pants and blazer and call it a suit.

You can fake a suit look, you know? There's no suit police out there to stop you.

If you really don't have anything in your closet (or the closets of your roommates/family members/partners), then buy a suit.

You can get suits for next to nothing in second hand shops. Bonus points for being sustainable in your fashion choices right there! You can also support a local designer or a seamstress by buying directly from them.

ARE WE MISSING ON THE POTENTIAL OF SUITS? 

Is it really such a problem to get a suit? As I said, I really think we miss on the potential of suits. 

Suits are timeless. You can wear a suit to work every day, and it will save you both time and money.

If you like colours or have an unique sense of style, that's not a problem. Suits are actually very easy to accessorize. There do have so much fashion potential, and are available in so many styles.

Based on my personal experience, in any business or professional setting, being overdressed is generally better than being underdressed. A nice suit is a perfect choice for a formal occasion.

Sure many businesses are very casual right now, and there's nothing wrong with that, but in a lot of professional situations wearing a suit might give you an upper hand.

In Europe, most work places will appreciate if you put on a suit. Every time I wore a suit to work, I've gotten compliments from both my fellow employers and my managers/bosses or owners of the business. 

Often there is something in it for us when we wear a suit. A little advantage that is sometimes really worth considering. Especially when wearing a suit is quite a simple task.

TO BE COMFORTABLE, YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO FIND A SUIT THAT WORKS FOR YOU

When people say that suits aren't comfortable, what they really mean is that they are not used to wearing them.

What can possibly be uncomfortable about wearing a cotton or linen suit?

I can understand some people might absolutely hate wearing suits for some personal reasons, but I don't get why suits in general get such a bad reputation.

Is it because of what they represent for some people? Is it the obsession with trying to be the cool underdog? Is it people simply forgetting what tailored or structured clothes feel like?

People used to wear some form or variation of a suit almost all the time. Millions still wear (often stiff to the point of being uncomfortable) uniforms to work, and they don't complain about it.

 A SUIT DOESN'T MAKE A MAN, BUT MANNERS DO AND CLOTHES CAN BE A PART OF THAT

A suit does not make a man. But sometimes manners do.  And sometimes wearing a suit is (as Tom Ford famously said) a form of good manners. Not that manners and suiting up can somehow make you a genuinely good person, but things like dressing up can show you have good intentions and that you want to be taken seriously or that people can rely on you. 

Ultimately, a  little bit of visual politeness doesn't hurt.

At least from time to time!

Do you think that wearing a suit can give us an advantage?

I think it can, but only if we make it our own. When we wear something we hate, we can hardly feel good wearing it.

So, find a way to try styling suits that works for you.

Forgive me, but I must quote Oscar Wilde again. Apparently, he said that magenta was a bad colour. Oh well, the two of us cannot agree on everything! I love wearing magenta and I loved wearing it with this grey suit in the past.

But besides line there is also color. In decorating a room, unless one wants the room to be either chaos or a museum, one must be quite certain of one’s color­-scheme. So also in dress. The harmony of color must be clearly settled. If one is small the simplicity of one color has many advantages. If one is taller two colors or three may be used. I do not wish to give a purely arithmetical basis for an aesthetic question, but perhaps three shades of color are the limit. At any rate it should be remembered that in looking at any beautifully dressed person, the eye should be attracted by the loveliness of line and proportion, and the dress should appear a complete harmony from the head to the feet; and that the sudden appearance of any violent contrasting color, in bow or riband, distracts the eye from the dignity of the ensemble, and concentrates it on a mere detail.

Then as regards the kind of colors, I should like to state once for all there is no such thing as a specially artistic color. All good colors are equally beautiful; it is only in the question of their combination that art comes in. And one should have no more preference for one color over another than one has for one note on the piano over its neighbor. Nor are there any sad colors. There are bad colors, such as Albert blue, and magenta, and arsenic green, and the colors of aniline dyes generally, but a good color always gives one pleasure. And the tertiary and secondary colors are for general use the safest, as they do not show wear easily, and besides give one a sense of repose and quiet. A dress should not be like a steam whistle, for all that M. Worth may say.

Then as regards pattern. It should not be too definite. A strong marked check, for instance, has many disadvantages. To begin with, it makes the slightest inequality in the figure, such as between the two shoulders, very apparent; then it is difficult to join the pattern accurately at the seams; and lastly, it distracts the eye away from the proportions of the figure, and gives the mere details an abnormal importance.

Then, again, the pattern should not be too big. I mention this, because I happened lately in London to be looking for some stamped gray plush or velvet, suitable for making a cloak of. Every shop that I went into the man showed me the most enormous patterns, things far too big for an ordinary wall paper, far too big for ordinary curtains, things, in fact, that would require a large public building to show them off to any advantage. I entreated the shopman to show me a pattern that would be in some rational and relative proportion to the figure of somebody who was not over ten or twelve feet in height. He replied that he was extremely sorry but it was impossible; the smaller patterns were no longer being woven, in fact, the big patterns were in fashion. Now when he said the word fashion, he mentioned what is the great enemy of art in this century, as in all centuries. Fashion rests upon folly. Art rests upon law. Fashion is ephemeral. Art is eternal. Indeed what is a fashion really? A fashion is merely a form of ugliness so absolutely unbearable that we have to alter it every six months! It is quite clear that were it beautiful and rational we would not alter anything that combined those two rare qualities. And wherever dress has been so, it has remained unchanged in law and principle for many hundred years. 

You can read the whole article HERE. 

Originally published in the New-York Tribune, 19 April 1885.

In all seriousness, I'm really amazed at how many profound thoughts Wilde has managed to capture in this article. He was way ahead of his time by talking about the need for clothing items that will last and are well made! 

Basically Oscar Wilde was advocating for sustainable fashion! He argued for using wool, a natural material and for clothes that will be comfortable and won't restrict movement. 

Wilde advocated for quality clothes that will be available to the poor as well, but will be made following the laws of Art and Science. 

 He said that instead of fashion that was impractical and ugly, basically fashion that needed to change all the time to stay relevant (was he predicting the fast fashion epidemic?), we need to create clothing that will be like Art- timeless in its beauty. 

Sometimes people think that all talk about fashion is superficial. As I once wrote on my blog, for some people fashion is a dirty world. However, we do need to talk about clothes. We need to figure out, as human kind, how to use clothes responsibly and how to be sustainable in our fashion choices. We can certainly benefit from reading Wilde's observation. The man was on to something!

SUSTAINABLE FASHION FILES- HOW I WORE THIS SECOND HAND GREY PENCIL SUIT BEFORE? 

WEARING THIS GREY SUIT TOGETHER

1) See how I styled this grey suit with a dark blue velvet turtleneck, black boats and a magenta coat on island Hvar in 2020 (when I also wrote about the suit trend in more detail). 

2)  See how I styled this grey suit with a graphic Redbubble T-shirt and beige driving loafers in 2020 (on island Hvar).

3) See how I styled this grey suit with a pale blue shirt, a colourful striped scarf and a pair of brown boots in 2020.

4) The outfit I'm sharing with you today, where you can see how I styled this grey suit with a pale blue shirt, pale pink high heeled boots, a grey pepita coat, an oversized white, grey and pink plaid scarf, and a burgundy bag. 

5) Another outfit I'm sharing with you today, where you can see how I styled this grey suit with a camel coat, a burgundy top, a black mini bag and pale pink high heeled boots.

WEARING THIS SUIT APART

THE GREY PANTS WORN ON THEIR OWN (WITHOUT THE MATCHING BLAZER)

1) See how I wore these grey pants with a pink polka dot dress (in my last post) 2025.

2) See how I wore these grey pants with an Ozz polka dot lilac blouse and nude sandals in 2023.

THE GREY BLAZER WORN ON ITS OWN (WITHOUT THE MATCHING PANTS)

1) See how I styled this grey blazer with a dark of navy pants, a burgundy long sleeved t-shirt, a magenta coat, a colourful scarf and a pair of brown boots in 2020 (again on island Hvar).

2) See how I styled this grey blazer with a striped scarf, a striped skirt, a winter print turtleneck, a pair of camel boots and a burgundy bag in 2020 (on island Hvar). This post also features different ways to wear a striped skirt, so it's a multiple outfit post. However, the grey blazer is featured the most in this post, so you should be able to see it- it's also the first outfit shared, so you don't have to look for it.

3) See how I styled this grey blazer here with jeans, a pale blue shirt and white sneakers in 2020 on island Hvar. This is also a multiple outfit post, and this is not the first look posted, so you'll have to scroll a little to find it.

4) See how I styled this grey blazer with a pink top, blue jeans, brown boots, a straw bag, a scarf and a camel coat in 2020 (restaurant Romanca again).

5) See how I styled this grey blazer with a white shirt, a blue tie, a pair of washed out flared blue jeans, a pair of high heeled camel boots, a camel coat and a beige oversized scarf in 2021 in Mostar.

6) See how I styled this grey blazer with a cobalt blue dress with ruffles, a burgundy bag and a pair of black kitten heels in 2024.

7) See how I wore this grey blazer with a yellow jumpsuit and black stilettoes in 2021 for an art update post.

8) See how I wore this grey blazer with a black and white leopard dress and pointy high heeled boots in 2021.

9) See how I wore this grey blazer with a lilac dress by Stanka Zovko (Ozz brand), lilac cardi, a pair of leopard heels and a mini beige bag in 2021. 

10) See how I wore this grey blazer with a black and white leopard print dress and doc martens in 2020 (in Mostar, restaurant Romanca)

An outfit post wouldn't be completed without my charming kitty

COUNTING BOTH SEPARATE AND JOINED WEARS, I HAVE WORN THIS SUIT SIXTEEN TIMES ON MY BLOG! Maybe I have worn it even more, it's hard to find all the wears. Even finding and linking up these 16 took me a few hours. 

In real life, I have worn this suit even more. I'm sure I'm over 30 wears. Who knows how many times it has been worn before it became mine? This grey suit is definitely a keeper.

FROM THE TWO STYLINGS I HAVE SHARED TODAY, WHICH ONE DO YOU PREFER? 

Before I answer you, I'll tell you something. I think this light grey suit works great in Winter. Sometimes we tend to opt for dark colours in Winter, but light ones are what we perhaps need more! 

What inspired me to shop for this grey suit in my closet was the pair of pale pink booties I bought. When I saw them in the shop, it occurred to me they would look great with light clothes. So, I stopped to think- what light items do I have in my closet? This grey suit appeared as an obvious choice.

STYLING A SUIT IN WINTER 2025- OUTFIT PROPOSAL #1 

How I wore these items before? 

THE CAMEL COAT- See 37 wears to wear it in this recent post (and this styling marks my 38th documented wear). 

THE GREY SUIT- second hand hand me downs from Benetton. You can find the links above, I linked up 16 ways to style it!

THE PINK BOOTS - bought at Retro shoes store in Mostar, you can see a few ways to style them in my last post.

THE LITTLE BLACK BAG WITH GOLD DETAILS- See multiple ways to style it in this recent post.

The outfit with the camel coat was my first styling featuring this suit. I didn't want to wear a black coat, because I wanted to go for a lighter look. I think a black coat could actually create a lovely contrast, but I kept that idea for some other time.

I think that camel is a great choice with neutral colours. This shade of grey is definitely a neutral. I choose a brown scarf to match the camel coat and a mini black bag to match the dark soles of my light pink boots. All in all, I think this outfit worked well. I felt comfortable wearing it and I might repeat it one of these days. What do you guys think? Do you approve? 

I do, but still this look wasn't my favourite. In fact, I liked the second outfit better. 

STYLING A SUIT IN WINTER 2025- OUTFIT PROPOSAL #2 

This outfit was actually my favourite one. I think it's because how I managed to match the colours. The grey coat was obviously a good match for the grey suit and the pale pink shirt. Even the little details match, even as the light pink threads in my plaid scarf match with the light pink boots. I was very warm in this styling, and I felt fantastic wearing it. 

THE GREY (OR RATHER BLACK AND WHITE) PEPITA WOOL COAT- from an old collab, super old. 

1) See how I wore this grey coat (BW pepita)  with a vintage white sweater, a pepita jacket, a black skirt with a slit, a pair of high brown boots and a burgundy jacket in 2024.

2) See how I wore this grey coat with a pair of wide black trousers, a black and grey vest (borrowed from hubby), a black tie, a white shirt,  fake snake skin pointy dressy shoes and a burgundy bag in 2024.

3-20) See how I wore this grey coat with a black sweater dress and black leggings in 2024 (in this post you'll also find links to a lot more ways to wear this coat).

HOW TO STYLE A GREY SUIT? Well, from what I learned there are a lot of ways to do it. You can go matchy- matchy and pair it with grey and neutral colours. You can contrast by pairing it with dark colours. In the past, I contrasted this suit with dark blue and black items. You can also do something unexpected and pair it with pink or magenta. I really enjoyed styling this suit with a magenta coat. So far I have worn it with a camel, black, grey and magenta coat. What coat should I pair it with next? What others coats do I have now that I think of it? Should I buy more coats? Should I wear this suit with puffer jackets and other outwear for Winter? Now, that's an idea. Once it gets warmer, I plan to style it with oversized scarves and perhaps even ponchos. I think I'll have a lot more adventures with this grey suit. What do you guys think? 

This was a lengthy post. I hope I didn't take too much of your time. 

Here's a quick gif with ideas for styling a grey suit in Winter before we wrap up this post. 

It seems I have always been fascinated by suits. What is your opinion of them? Have you read Oscar Wilde? 

POST UPDATE 8TH OF MARCH 2025

Hello guys! I just wanted to congratulate International Women's Day to all of you. I wish you all the best. Posting on 8th of March is a somewhat of a tradition for my blog. I would often share my art and reading recommendations on this day. If you're interested in that here are some links with my older posts.

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY- 15 READING RECOMMENDATIONS 2024

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY WITH BOAT PAINTINGS 2021

Happy International Women's Day With a Selection Of My Art 2018

What To Read Tonight? 30 Reading Recommendations For International Women's Day 2018! 

Happy International Women's day with art course sketches 2015!

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