Ask Harry: The guys in my office still wear suits, but most often without a tie. How do I pull off this look?
There’s more to rocking this look than just removing your tie. Some extra thought is required.
By: JACLYN LAWDate: 2019-06-10
Your colleagues are certainly on trend. I go to downtown meetings all the time and while the men are in suits, the tie is now missing in action around 60 percent of the time. It’s hard to remember another such swift and dramatic change in the way men choose to dress.
The aim, of course, is to look more relaxed but, far too often, the result merely comes across as insipid and incomplete. There’s more to rocking this look than just removing your tie. Some extra thought is required. The art of wearing a suit, shirt and tie involves balance and coordination.
Traditionally, the tie (with its sidekick, the pocket square) makes the bolder statement in terms of colour and pattern while the shirt provides a more demure complement. Take away the tie and you not only give up a great opportunity for self-expression, but you also end up looking off-kilter and boring. The answer is to swap your conservative dress shirt for something with more character.
A great shirt in an eye-catching colour or with a strong pattern compensates for the lack of a tie. Add a complementary pocket square and suddenly you have an outfit that looks intentional and well put together. And you can go further – as these examples show. The right dressy knit can also work beautifully with a modern suit, while a suit with a really contemporary cut and style can even handle a T-shirt and sneakers.
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