With winter right around the corner, you can expect the temperatures to get cooler and the days to get shorter. As we make this seasonal transition, many guys may find themselves struggling to stay warm, especially if they wear a suit. There's no substitution for a suit when it comes to creating an attractive, formal appearance. Whether you're attending a business meeting, job interview, wedding, graduation or any other formal event, you'll need to wear a suit. Granted, not all events or occasions require a suit. But if it's a formal event, you'll most certainly need to wear one. So, what can you do to stay warm while wearing a suit?
Choose a Thick Fabric
First and foremost, it's important to note that some suits are thicker, and subsequently warmer, than others. Linen and cotton suits generally offer the least protection from the cold weather. They are thin, lightweight and offer minimal thermal protection. A better choice is a
wool suit. Made from high-quality sheep wool, it's heavier and thicker than most other fabrics. And because of these characteristics, wool suits provide greater warmth, making them an excellent choice for the winter season.
Wear an Undershirt
Don't forget to wear an undershirt with your suit. Button-up dress shirts are often made of fine fabrics that don't offer much warmth. Sure, they are soft and comfortable, but they aren't going to keep you warm. If you wear a thick cotton undershirt
underneath your button-up shirt, however, it will protect you from the cold winter weather. When wearing an undershirt, however, you should keep it concealed from plain sight. In other words, no one should see or otherwise know that you are wearing an undershirt. They should only see your button-up shirt. If your undershirt is visible, you should choose a different undershirt (e.g. a V-neck) or adjust your outfit to conceal it. Additionally, it's recommended that you stick with a white undershirt. If your button-up shirt is white while your undershirt is black, it will probably show. So, when in doubt stick with a white V-neck undershirt to compliment your winter suit.
Choose Thick Socks
It's no secret that men's dress socks are typically thin. Whether they are solid color, plaid, polka-dots, etc., men's dress socks almost always have a thin construction. Of course, this is good for the late spring and summer months when it's hot. In the winter, however, thin dress socks such as these don't offer much protection from the cold. If you want to stay warm while wearing a suit this winter, choose thick dress socks instead of the traditional thin ones. Being that your feet probably get cold quicker than any other part of your body, a pair of thick socks can prove instrumental in keeping warm and comfortable. And in the event that you can't find a pair of thick socks,
Wear Gloves
It's not just your feet that will get cold in the winter; your hands will too. Thankfully, there's a simple solution to this problem: gloves. Wearing a pair of well-insulated gloves will keep your hands warm in the coolest winter weather. The only downside is that you may have trouble using your smartphone. But if you're worried about that, you can always choose special "smartphone gloves," which are designed to work with most smartphones and other touchscreen devices. Unlike socks, however, your gloves will be noticeable to other people. Therefore, you should choose a color that compliments your suit. If you're wearing a traditional black suit, avoid wearing brown gloves. As we've mentioned before on our blog, black and brown clash and thus should be avoided in the same outfit. Instead, choose a color that matches and flows cohesively with your suit, such as black or dark gray. The bottom line is that your gloves need to compliment your suit. Keep in mind that not all types of gloves offer the same level of thermal protection. Thin cotton gloves, for instance, offer the least thermal protection, whereas wool and leather gloves offer the most.
Button Up
Don't leave your suit jacket unbuttoned. If you want to stay warm, it's recommended that you fasten all buttons on your suit jacket except for the bottom button. If your jacket has three buttons, for instance, fasten the top two and leave the bottom button undone. By keeping your jacket buttoned, less heat will escape from your body; thus, you'll stay warmer and more comfortable. With your suit jacket buttoned, however, you may not be able to sit without the fabric stretching. If you feel the fabric stretching when you sit, you may want to temporarily unfasten the buttons on your jacket. Doing so will allow you to comfortably sit without risking damage to your suit jacket. And when you're done sitting, you can always fasten the buttons back for increased warmth.
Wear Another Coat
Who says you can't wear two coats with a suit? In addition to your suit jacket, consider wearing a heavier outer coat. A thick winter coat is a sure-fire way to stay warm. As a side benefit, wearing a second coat will protect your main coat from damage. Any spilled liquids, for instance, will land on your outer coat. However, you may need to choose an outer jacket that's slightly larger than what you normally wear. If it's too small, you may have trouble wearing it over your suit.
Wear a Scarf
Finally, consider wearing a scarf with your suit. A thick scarf can keep your neck and ears warm. Best of all, it's easy to take on and off. If you get too hot, you can always remove the scarf. These are just a few tips to keep you warm and comfortable when wearing a suit this winter. The most important thing, however, is to choose a thick, high-quality suit, such as one of the wool suits offered here at
StudioSuits.
