Men’s suit styles | This season’s colour guide

Which suits should you have in your wardrobe? Which colours are good for the office? We’ve got all your suiting answers right here.

Blue suits may have become the cool alternative, but we’ve always got time for a sharp black suit. They’re not just for funerals, guys. Black goes with literally everything. It’s slimming. And you can even mix black-on-black for dinner dates or cocktail drinks: just throw a black shirt under a slim, black suit jacket and you’re good to go. This season, we’re seeing people experiment more with black. Try mixing tailoring and knitwear by throwing a dark hoodie underneath your suit jacket—pair with some clean white sneakers to complete the look.

A navy suit is still arguably the most versatile suiting colour. It’s one of the reasons you see them everywhere. Navy flatters every skin tone, and you can wear it year-round (just look out for lightweight, linen blend suits in summer and spring). A crisp white shirt and brown Oxfords is our go-to navy suit combo, but the sky’s the limit with this colour. Red, gold or pink pocket squares provide an eye-catching pop. You can use dark navy knitwear to dress things down. Or try tan leather chelsea boots, for some street-casual vibes.

Grey suits make an excellent back-up. They’re the ideal second suit for your rotation: trendy, sophisticated, neutral and suave. And like their navy cousins, grey suits are incredibly versatile. There are endless combinations beyond the standard white-shirt-black-tie. This season, start thinking more about fabric and structure. Jersey suits are going to be a key trend, and they don’t play by the same suiting rules. A mid-grey jersey suit with grey pants, white V-neck tee, and a black hoodie is a killer casual look. Finish things off with some simple black sneakers.

Blue is the new black. We’re not talking navy here—we’re talking royal blue, which requires a little more courage. What royal blue gives up in versatility, it makes up for in personality. With this guy, we like to dress things down, rather than up. A slim-fit, royal blue suit with a polo shirt and white sneakers really channels that mod vibe—throw on some retro Ray Bans for extra style points. This year we’re even seeing the very rare royal-blue-on-blue combo: that’s a royal blue shirt or knit underneath a royal blue suit. Sounds extreme, but some guys can really pull it off.

Expect to see a lot more khaki suits this year, especially in autumn and spring. They’re a big part of the neutral suiting trend we’ve been seeing lately: colours like olive green, off white, turmeric, camel and coffee. Khaki suits are also a great excuse to experiment with layering and fabrics. Don’t be afraid to try technical fabrics and linen blends (at POLITIX, we’ve added texture and blended the fibre to reduce that crushed-linen look). For shoes, think brown hand-woven derbies or loafers. For shirts, classic white is always a good summer option, but consider tonal neutrals for something classy.

Tan suits often get a bad rap. But honestly, there’s no easier way to stand out in a sea of charcoal, navy and black, than to rock-up to work in a well-fitted Tan suit. This is the suit we recommend when guys want to take their business game to the next level. This season we’re starting to see more earthy, natural tones in men’s plain suiting or you could always go dapper with windowpane checks. Experiment with light blue and pinks shirts (even light green can work, if you’re really brave).

The thing about white suits is they’re not really white. If your suit matches your toothpaste, you’re doing it wrong. What you’re looking for this year is off-white, cream and even pale grey. These neutral tones tend to lend themselves better to unstructured suits and linen blends. They’re light, summery, cocktail-and-boat-shoes kind of suits, with less shoulder padding and fusing all ‘round. We generally don’t recommend white suits for office wear, unless you’re an evil genius working in a secret volcano base.

Burgundy is another way to channel that new-season, relaxed tailoring. They work really well with a simple tee or knit hoodie underneath but can look super sharp with tonal shirt and tie also. And, as always with burgundy suits, you want to stay more-or-less in the warm spectrum of the colour wheel: they match well with crisp whites, fuchsia, sky blue and dusky pink. White sneakers match really well with burgundy suits, but for the office, try simple whiskey loafers.