There’s no need to feel overwhelmed when mixing and matching your upscale casual pieces. If fact, there’s only one rule: keep your color combos simple. Whether it’s a leather duster combined with a silk shirt or a leather jacket paired with pajama-striped pants, a straightforward palette is the key.
Look no further than Italian designer Brunello Cucinelli, if you need some strong opinions on using color.
“Black is overrated,” Cucinelli says. “You’ll never find it in my stores. Of course it’s slimming, but it’s just used too much, especially for men. One black suit by one designer, another one by another they all look the same in the end. If I walk into a crowded hotel lobby and I’m wearing a black suit, I just looked like everyone else.”
Cucinelli has followed his own advice. Not only did he create the grey tuxedo, but his business took off after he started adding unexpected colors to cashmere sweaters.
If you need some more inspiration on how to mix and match your favorite clothing pieces, have a closer look at the photo shoot below. There’s even a blazer and polo shirt combination from Brunello Cuccinelli himself.
Get the look above: The Jacket Maker Royson Black Leather Duster ($365, thejacketmaker.com); Berluti Brian Rochefort Silk Shirt & Alessandro Prince of Wales Pants. ($1,320, $1,180, berluti.com); John Lobb Lopez Unlined Shoe ($1,495, johnlobb.com).
Tod’s Leather Jacket & Knitted Polo ($2,995, $545, tods.com); Paul Smith Pyjama-Stripe Pants ($375, paulsmith.com); Ermenegildo Zegna XXX Shoes (PUR, zegna.com).
