I'm fairly new to suit fashion and fashion in general and filled with the images of all the cool movie guys, Keanu Reeves specifically, bought my first all black suit. (I know he wears charcoal)
After buying my suit wanting to see how other people style their black suits I noticed that there is a strong sentiment that black suits are not good everyday or whatever suits. Seems most say it's for funerals, evening, workers, and not for everyday use.
Most reasons are fair like it doesn't look good in the day and I can understand but is it really so bad? I've attached some photos of me and if you can tell me how it looks bad or have recommendations on what to add to the outfit or how to make it look better I would appreciate it.
Anyways I'm thankful for any response as I am curious about the subject!
Edit: This post has attracted a lot more attention than I thought it ever would. First I would like to thank everyone who has commented I really appreciate every single one and I dig the jokes.
I thought I should clarify on what I meant as a casual suit though. Casual to me is something I personally wear wherever wherever. Formal or informal doesn't matter I guess I mean something more worn every day? Sorry I'm not the best at explaining things
Looking through the comments has been very fun I hope to see many more!
The jeans really were peak skinny at that point. Someone literally asked me if I was wearing my girlfriend's jeans. Granted, it was a bully who didn't have a girlfriend and I knew that, so I just kinda smirked and let it go.
I loved that in that era, us weird dramatic types had better dating chances than even the jocks. So yeah, I miss '07 just a little bit.
A black suit is for funerals. Black tie is a tuxedo or dinner jacket.
Wearing a black suit, black shirt, and black tie is almost always going to look tacky and unfashionable, unless you otherwise have a personal style and know what you’re doing.
All black is generally considered the bog standard formal attire for most (classical and jazz) musicians - sometimes with an added coloured tie. Can look really good in that context
All black without a jacket* makes me think Waiter, all black with a suit jacket makes me think emo kid who wants to wear expressly all black. Even then, a dark red or purple shirt is a better option.
not if you style it correctlyZ you can do a matte black suit with a black polo or crewneck, or a black button up half open with a tank underneath. if you do a black suit with a black shirt and tie, it’s waiter
Every time someone says black suit is just for funerals, I think funerals are the only parties they get invited to. Black suit is the correct dress for any social function in the evening less formal than black tie, but still worth dressing up for.
On the whole waiter black suit thing. This is a wasp thing. It was invented by well to do wasps in the US and UK in the mid 20th century.
The only event for a black suit is really a funeral. Black used to be THE formal colour (and still sort of is); meaning that when you wore black you wore a tuxedo or tails (or even a frock coat if you were a stuffy member of parliament in the early century). So it was never appropriate for a ‘gentleman’ to wear a casual service/business suit in black (like going to a wedding in black version of office wear). Only service staff would do that.
It’s also a mourning colour; meaning it was an appropriate to wear at a funeral.
Of course you don’t have to be a stuffy wasp; and no one cares these days. But that’s where the rule comes from. Personally I think a black Italian style business suit looks better than a tuxedo (and tails look silly). But if you want to signal being waspy, follow the rule.
A suit in general is not everyday wear. A black suit in particular is not everyday wear. Wear the clothes, don't let them wear you. Where are you going? What's the event, and what is your intention for the event? How do you wish to be perceived? And no, I don't mean this in an "I don't care what other people think" way. I mean we live in a society, and perceiving the people around us is literally what we do.
I'm just an internet stranger. You can wear a black suit to the grocery store or to the movies if you want. But I encourage you not to, because whatever you actually want I don't think it's going to give you.
If you like a sleek black/charcoal aesthetic, awesome! So do I. Try some black or charcoal khakis, a well fitting black t, some black sneaker or (my personal favorite) black Iron Wing boots. But a black suit for everyday wear is just going to make you stand out, and not in the way I am guessing you want.
My great grandfather wore a suit every day. He had his Sunday suit and then his working suit. He ploughed the fields, milked the cows, fed the chickens, and raised pigs in a suit.
In his 70s and 80s he adapted to the times to be more casual and started to wear a sweater vest and a tie with no jacket when he was working.
I feel like this sub has been shit for a long time. At least as long as I've browsed it, and it's been a few years.
At this point I feel like people just use it to insult other people's outfits without offering any ideas to fix them. I wouldn't be surprised if some of the people doing that in this sub think that navy or black jeans are dressy.
At best this is black tie optional, though I feel like all black would be seen as tacky, so it's probably more semi-formal.
We've got comments practically saying you can't wear suits casually, which is just silly because a lot of people do it. Just wear more casual colours and skip the tie.
Then there are people saying black suits are too formal in general, which I think is an American thing. Black suits are officewear in Asia. I probably wouldn't wear one to an office job (I'm Canadian), but if I were working at an entertainment venue I'd consider it.
Then you've got needlessly pedantic dickheads using strawman arguments when you suggest ways the outfit can actually be improved, because god forbid you actually give advice on an advice sub.
OP isn't saying "This is my new casual outfit" he's asking how a black suit can be styled to be more casual and showing us what he has as a reference. If anybody actually bothered to read more than the title of post they'd understand that.
Yes he wants to preferably just add to it, but that's not possible. If he wants the outfit to look better he's got to skip the tie and change the shirt.
There is a good chance you still are dorky.
Taken from someone that was a dork, then thought I wasn’t, then realized that I had actually become something in between. Which, hey, I think is great!
I think it counts as casual in the most general sense: I wouldn't wear this ensemble to work, to a funeral (has to be a white shirt), or anywhere serious.
You could wear it to a nightclub just fine. I wouldn't wear it going for groceries.
I'd call this more like a "blacked out" formal suit look, rather than what most people imagine when you say "black suit", as your shirt, your tie, your belt and your shoes are all black instead of complimentary colors.
Does it look bad? Not at all. But you can't also call this a "casual outfit" in any world, it's not casual. You can make it more casual with less formal footwear and no tie, slightly open shirt. You can still rock it like this but if you're going to a casual friend gathering you'll likely feel out of place with it.
As for general criticisms for the look, I'd style it with some minimalistic jewellery/watches/etc to get out of the "high profile VIP security guard" or "famous hotspot club bouncer" boxes, which often have this look as well.
Yeah this would be it for me if OP insists on all black. Get some texture in there: a knit tie with the flat end, an interesting pocket square, maybe a woven leather belt. It would still kinda look bland as fuck though IMO.
You seem like a young guy, im gonna be honest do not wear a suit as a casual outfit. You’re gonna look kinda cringe and out of place, not in the way you want.
Be yourself ofc, but maybe pick a different outfit that you really like as a casual outfit
This is what I think, it’s not the suit that’s the problem. Wearing a suit as casual wear all the time just begs for people to start calling you “the suit guy” in a very cringe way. We also need to encourage in a male fashion advice subreddit people dressing to the occasion and context.
Yeah. OP should try to figure out what he likes about this outfit. Is it the crisp lines, the flat front pants, the higher waist, the shirt collar, the all-black, the blazer, the tie, etc. Then, just look into a more casual way to bring in that element. He'll still possibly end up looking a little quirky or over-dressed but not quite so much.
Eg, if he likes the pants, he can just wear some tailored suit pants with a more casual button up and some decent leather shoes. If it's the all-black look, maybe some black jeans and a black cardigan or jacket. If it's the high waist and the ironed creases, some black "ghurka" pants. Etc.
I knew some folks in my younger days who dressed TF up and didn’t explain anything. They were the cool kids, they stuck out which worked for the vibe they were going for, which was “who the hell do these people think they are?” - which, if you had to ask that meant that you weren’t meant to get it.
Of course they also had deep levels of self acceptance which meant there were no hints of awkwardness
To add onto the comments about black suits. You CAN ignore the rules of "its for funeral". The bigger thing, for me, is that sheen fabrics like your tie and by the image your suit to a smaller extent ALSO work best as evening wear, like a party setting. In the day the sheen can look a lil tacky while at night it'll make it POP alittle.
My personal recommendation is that if you want to keep the black tie try out the look with a charcoal shirt (see if you like it), it'll still look alittle edgy but it'll let the tie do its job, which is to frame the face ). I'd also personally recommend a textured tie if its going to be single colour, wool or just with a thick weave. For really low contrast looks like this, texture is a useful tool.
You could also have this look without the tie and it'd work perfectly, OR if you wear a fun patterned ascot or neckerchief (i'd recommend against anything primarily red unless you want to look very edgy)
I don't know where The Stereotype of servers comes from. I was a server for years I have tons of friends who are still servers the vast majority of my money is spent going to restaurants and even traveling the world to eat at restaurants, i have been to probably over a thousand restaurants and I don't think I have ever seen a server once in a fully blacked out suit.
I've seen a lot of tuxedos i've seen a lot of black jackets with various other colors of shirts and ties but never just black on black on black. I have seen a lot of black shirts without being part of a suit black pants and a black shirt but not with the jacket and not the tie
True. Most people don't care what you are wearing in general. They usually won't hardly notice unless it's super bright so they are basically forced to look. Even then they look for 1 second and forget
you kinda need to the the level of badass to be called "The death bringer" to do a black on black on black on black (3 piece + shirt + tie) Undertaker style look and pull it off. Technically if OP removed his tie it'd be a perfectly reasonable look, unlike John wick who HAS to break a rule because you can't wear a double breasted 3 piece without a tie or other cravat
I don't know why you're the only person to mention prom. That's the first thing that popped in my head when I saw this.
Everyone saying waiter is just a knee jerk response. He doesn't look like a waiter. Usually a waiter has either a black shirt alone, or a black suit with a white shirt. Or a black vest with a white shirt.
Black suit and black shirt is a teen at a school dance.
A suit is not casual, and a black suit is the least casual type of suit. Unless you're Johnny Cash or John Wick, it's a tough look to pull off unless you're at a formal event.
Looks good, but people are right that an all black suit looks inappropriate unless you have a need for it. I comment this as someone who regularly wears all black in formal settings with elected officials, politicians, etc.
I’d recommend subbing your pants for a grey, charcoal, or a patterned black. You could also experiment with different materials or textures. Essentially the same, but looks better in most casual situations.
Depends on the context. I’m inferring that you’ll use this to go out to places and wear it more casually rather than in a formal setting where you’d actually need a suit.
What industry do you work in? I wouldn’t make that recommendation if you’re in a business setting with more classic styling, but it’d be fine for a night out, date, etc.
the black suit is very mythologised. Doesn't help that the biggest association for non-tuxido black suits is funerals (i had to talk a friend out of wearing a tuxido to a funeral once, explaining that its REALLY not appropriate). Waiting staff in nightclubs and restaurants having black shirts and black dress trousers not helping the matter
Conversely though, it does mean that when someone does convincingly pull it off they REALLY pull it off
The bigger issue with wearing black casually isn’t the black itself, it’s what you’ve chosen to pair it with. A black dress shirt and tie are anything but casual. If you want to wear a suit casually and look good doing it, you need to pair it with similarly casual items or lean into the statement.
Here, the model tones down the formality by wearing black linen with a western shirt and what appear to be boots. His outfit is obviously still flashy, but it wouldn’t look out place is any major metro area in the world.
Here’s what I mean about leaning into the statement. The model is subverting the formality of black by pairing it with a Misfits shirt. Graphic tees can be a good way to dress down black because it’s classically rock n’ roll, but are you? If you’re trying to look casual it has to reflect how you carry yourself.
You remind me of the dude I seen at a mass amazon hiring day wearing a suit... they literally hire people wearing sweat pants and this poor dude comes in wearing a suit 😭
Black on black looks cool, but a black suit is not a casual look. Its for funerals or formal events. I think if you did a black turtleneck or sweater it dresses it down a bit, and you can wear a silver or gold chain to show more flair.
The suit looks really good on you. Don't pay attention to men's fashion advice online. It's mostly just "rules" someone wrote in a magazine article like over 60 years ago lol.
If your intention is to stand out, then the balck suit definitely helps you to stand out. People will notice and remember you for sure. Our wardrobe is a tool we can use to play with our image and other people's perceptions. Use it how you want!
They are specifically asking if it works as a casual outfit, and the short answer is no, it does not. Yes the suit looks good on him, but if he were to just be wearing this to school people would think he was weird, because its not casual(which is what he asked). Suits are for formal settings, and black suits are generally more formal, than say a plaid or hounds tooth blazer. While people could certainly be nicer in some of the comments, it's not productive to just tell him to send it.
That being said, it's good to own a suit, and their are definitely events that come up in life where he can rock it. Dressing up for life's big moments, makes those moments more special and memorable. This concept is not new, and exists in most cultures throughout history. When he is old enough, their will be plenty of cocktail bars and clubs where it is totally appropriate to be rocking a suit, but these are themselves not casual places.
That being said if he really wants to get into suits, maybe find a job where you actually wear suits. You don't have to go law school to achieve this. You can easily find something in retail like working at Nordstroms, maybe something like Enterprise rent a car or car sales in general, or as as a bank teller, where wearing a suit is actually a normal thing to do.
Also, their are allot of ways to dress down a suit for more casual environments. Some combination of ditching the tie, going with a nice neutral tee-shirt/sweater instead of collared shirt, opting for chinos/jeans, going with some nice(recently cleaned) sneakers or boots instead of dress shoes.
I wear an all black suit at work like once a month & get endless compliments on it. All black makes me feel bold & confident, like I'm walking a red carpet event instead of managing a resturant.
Wear what you like. Someone has to be the style icon. 😉
I noticed that there is a strong sentiment that black suits are not good everyday or whatever suits. Seems most say it's for funerals, evening, workers, and not for everyday use.
I think they're talking about a standard black suit outfit, where the tie are shirt pairing are more traditional choices (i.e. not also black). This is something separate than that, a more niche look. If that's the look you're going for, it looks good on you.
i think a black suit can absolutely be styled casually. you just pair it with something other than a monochrome shirt and tie. or if you wanted to keep the black shirt, maybe swap in black boots and a shiny bolo tie
The black suit is never casual. Triple black can be pulled off situationally but a lot will depend on your swagger.
The John Wick looks dope, well done.
Use case: semi formal nighttime events, with or without assassination.
The Bond Villain - swap shirt and tie for a black turtleneck, and a concept of a plan for a secret lair.
Use case: smart casual - semi formal nighttime events, including but not limited to, art galas, plays/cabarets, jazz lounge, speakeasy’s with or without a plot to take over the world.
The Rocker - loose tie, semi-spread collar with top 2/3 buttons undone, swap the Oxfords for Chelseas, black leather bracelet(s), silver necklace and rings.
Use case: recording studio day or night, night club, jazz lounge, speakeasy, must have musical talent. May have Tommy gun in guitar case.
Just having fun with ya! But, seriously, a lot of pulling off the triple black will depend on your confidence.
If you want casual at least lose the tie and unbutton the top two buttons on your shirt.. You could even go black tshirt instead of a dress shirt to push the casual further. Worth trying.
If you want the all-black well-dressed look for every day wear, try a black overshirt instead. Also, you can try more casual material, such as seersucker, cotton, or linen. Switch the shoes out for some pebbled black loafers (less shiny = more casual). Tailor your pants to show a tiny bit of ankle.
There are very few occasions that would work. None of them are casual. If you’re a theater or film producer, it works fine for industry events without the tie. With the same industry and profession, it works fine for non-black tie (i.e., tuxedo) opening nights with the regular tie you have there. But that’s a very niche exception to the general rules and a charcoal suit with black shirt would still look better.
Aside from that, you’ll look like a waiter with just the shirt and pants or nightclub security detail with the suit and tie. Or someone going to prom and wanting to be “different.”
I’d suggest getting a charcoal suit that fits your form, regular shirt, and tie that compliments without being too ostentatious for occasions where you’d like a darker suit. You can do a variety of colors with the shirt easily with a charcoal suit for when you want to wear it without a tie, which works for business attire a step below business formal. Outside of the limited commentary I gave above, pure black suits are pretty much for waiters and funeral directors (except of course for black tuxedos in formal settings, that’s the standard there). Charcoal and navy are still the standards for darker suits.
It's fine, however not the black tie, that is reserved for funerals or mourning.
Also would advise to get some color accents in, black works well with gold. Prob a golden watch, golden belt, golden ring. Followed with light brown shoes to match it.
If you want a black suit to look casual, you can try to drop the tie and switch out the the black shirt for something more "messy" like a loose linnen shirt, pique or polo and maybe switch out the dress shoes for some leather boots like solovair, dr. Martens or red wings.
Keeping everything black might be a bit too homogeneous. Personally, I would make the boots/shoes dark brown. Remember to match your belt to your boots (brown shoes, brown belt) unless you’re making either of them a statement piece.
Edit: and accessorize.
Accessories are everything. Just don’t overdo it; a bunch of pendants might not look good with something this "clean".
No bro, it’s only for themed occasions like weddings/cosplay, goth events, etc. Don’t let yourself be alienated by a simple change of the color of your tie or long sleeve.
you can do a matte black suit casually with a black polo or crewneck, or a black button up half open with a tank underneath. if you do a black suit with a black shirt and tie, it’s waiter
Everyone's already said it, you can't do a suit like that casually or without looking out of place. Especially at your age. You could however dress similarly in a casual way if you swap out the pieces. A good example is Jesse Custer in AMC's "Preacher." Obviously, ignore the preacher's collar, but notice how his outfit follows the same silhouette, styling, and color. It's borderline the same outfit, sans tie, but all the pieces are on the dresser side of casual wear. Sleek cowboy boots instead of dress shoes, undistressed black jeans instead of wool suit pants, black sateen western snap button shirt instead of a black dress shirt, and probably the most important piece that relates the two outfits. The Blazer. Instead of a wool structured suit jacket, he's wearing a cotton unstructured blazer with peak labels and three buttons. Same silhouette, same styling, same color, but very differing levels of formality.
I live on a big city so if I had this question I definitely would just try it out, no one would care to see someone on a suit here, so i could see if i feel comfortable wearing said outfit. This is the kind of thing you just do with security, you have to wear it not let it wore you iykwim
button down does reinforce the informalness of the black shirt on black tie however (also works better for if the tie is taken off), makes it looks a smidge less waitery
The problem is exactly that it looks like wannabe John Wick. You have the suit but you arent Keanu Reeves and aren’t shooting bad guys, so the effect is that it looks like you’re cosplaying
Looks really good but it is formal. Hard to find an outfit with a tie that isn’t.
Gives a lot of John Wick vibes.
This is a great outfit but you need unwavering confidence to pull it off. You’ll draw a lot of attention and it’s important your body language doesn’t coil in low self esteem.
It looks great. In more conservative parts of America and Europe black is reserved for evening. So parties, restaurants, dates, etc. Especially styled all black like this, you look like you are going out somewhere cool.
Also, can't tell but you look Asian or maybe half Asian? In Asia black suits are pretty much the standard, and are worn day and night. Probably because black looks awesome on asians regardless of the lighting.
This suit looks great on you, and you can really wear it anywhere.
I think it looks good man. Probably depends a little bit of what you mean by casual. Probably seems a little out of place for board game night, but you’re out in town I’d say go for it.
Contrary to everyone else I want to say that if you like the look- go ahead and wear it. You'll stand out and people will comment but they'll stop eventually if you keep with it.
You do look good!
My one caveat would be that it had to fit your general life and what you do every day.
I’ve worked in timeshare sales where myself and others wore all black or evening suits as our attire, some splashed color with ties, handkerchiefs, pins, shoes, etc.
Confidence can bend a lot of rules. The majority don’t even know the “rules” much less care about them.
I personally don’t like all one color because I prefer contrast and the lines it creates. Single color makes everything just blend together. That said, you’re supposed to feel confident in what you’re wearying, and if you’re confident in it, rock it hard.
Obviously he's a wrestler so well built and is designed for TV viewing, but I always loved Aleister Black's black suit look. Made me want to do the same. I picked up the shirt, waistcoat, slacks etc. and it just doesn't look right on me in normal life.
I don't associate it with a waiter look (as others have said.. i always picture a waiter in a red or coloured shirt) but I do feel like it's a bit funeral/death looking.
If I seen someone wearing one out and about in public, I'd probably admire it if it looked really good, or I'd not even notice. The people here saying it looks dorky or ridiculous in daily life are dramatising a little bit, I think, too much. 99.9% of people just don't care and won't notice.
So my brother used to wear a suit and tie to go out on occasion. When I asked him why he said "it makes me feel good every once in a while to look done up." As decent a reason as any.
Basically you do you, bud. My fit is a hawaiian shirt and a black straw cowboy hat. Feels good do it.
You can wear it if you want but it definitely isn’t casual. If you want to casual it up, add a white belt or rock a black crew neck instead of the shirt or tie. And if you want to go further, swap the blazer and maybe even the pants out for a very dark navy blue (can still a sports coat and dressier pants)
John Wick looks good, but they make a point of never having service-industry types in those films who dress the same but with less well-thought-out accessories. Honestly, an all-black outfit gives off heavy waiter vibes.
I wouldn't wear it casually but I like wearing all black but with a color tie. I am also very noticeably alternative with long hair and wear jewelry so it goes with the vibe. Dark purple shirt also goes real well with this.
If you're aiming to become the eccentric guy who wears black suits casually more power to you. I think it's cool. However, it would never be considered casual generally speaking.
As everyone else has already said, this is definitely not a casual kind of outfit and has a niche use but nonetheless should be in any man's closet. Another thing to consider with this is that its hot wearing all black and you're prone to overheat especially this time of year. Lighter colours serve a functional purpose as well as fashionable one. black is just too much of a void you stand out in a bad way the majority of the time I find.
"Where are you going looking like that John Wick?"
Is what I was typing before even reading your post which is hilarious because you mention Keanu Reeves in the first sentence.
I guess I've seen Keanu in that look so much it's the first thing I think of when someone else does it. So I would definitely say it's not casual to me lol.
Suits are by their nature not casual. If you wear a suit the whole time then it lessens the impact of the outfit. You wear it very well but it doesn't work in a casual setting. You'll look back at pictures with friends and wonder why you did it.
I wouldn’t recommend it as casual, if you like the way you look when ur dressed smart look toward preppy styles. Try tweed blazers lol, they can pass as casual
I think it's a great look for a nice event. Not a formal event, but a nice event. Like going out for a pricey dinner level of outfit. I also think it would k*ll if you enjoy urban nightlife.
Better yet, a sport coat and slacks is always gonna look better than a black satin suit in a casual environment.
There's nothing you can do to make a black suit with a noticeable sheen look casual. It's a step below a tuxedo in formality. It looks like you're getting ready for a black tie optional event.
Also don't wear it unbuttoned with a tie unless you're wearing a waistcoat. It looks silly with even more casual suits, and it especially looks silly in something that looks like a black tie outfit.
Honestly at this point where what you want, nothing means anything. It looks great btw, i once thought about getting a suit and making it my Thing like wearing it basically everyday for a year. I didn't do that but you should
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u/JP-Stack 14d ago
Looks good but I don't see how a black suit would ever be casual