The Ultimate Guide to Wearing Separates Outfits - Part 2

Many workplaces no longer require you to wear a suit, and switched to a business casual dress code. But instead of making it easier to dress yourself for success, this makes it harder.

Avoid the new uniform of white shirts with navy chinos and the common pitfalls for separates looks by following our simple guide, and create a wardrobe system that is versatile, timeless, and makes you dress your best effortlessly.

For part 1 of our series, our 4 golden "rules" of wardrobe building, click here.

PART 2: OUR GUIDE TO COLOR COMBINATIONS

Disclaimer: The following guidelines represent the style opinion of Edit Suits Co. They are meant to simplify the creation of great separates looks They are guidelines only and by no means rules that are set in stone.

Follow our color guide for color pairings

For basic wardrobe building, try to stay within our 4 basic color groups: Blues, greys, browns, and greens
These color groups allow us to create a wide range of elegant, versatile, and modern yet timeless outfits
Once a basic wardrobe is built, these color groups can be appended by further colors to account for seasonal trends or personal style preferences

Follow our color guide for color pairings -prioritise items with high versatility (such as midnight blue jackets and charcoal trousers) over items with lower versatility (such as charcoal jackets and midnight blue trousers).

The Midnight Blue / Navy Jacket

The most versatile jacket – Needs to be a wardrobe staple
Combines well with all colors

The Mid-Blue Jacket

Works with all shades of greys, potentially with navy trousers
Combines less well with browns, except for cream
Avoid combining it with greens

The Light-Blue Jacket

Works with all shades of greys, potentially with navy trousers
Combines less well with browns, except for cream
Avoid combining it with greens

The Charcoal Grey Jacket

Is generally very difficult to pair - Avoid for separates looks if possible
Having a pattern (e.g. herringbone or glen check) in the charcoal fabric makes the jacket slightly easier to pair (e.g. with a dark navy trouser), but it’s safer to stay away from it

The Mid-Grey Jacket

Is generally very difficult to pair - Possibly works with a cream or white trousers
A pattern in the mid grey fabric makes the jacket slightly easier to pair (e.g. with a dark navy trouser), but it’s safer to stay away from it

The Light Grey Jacket

Difficult to pair, but can be paired with all shades of grey or a cream/white trouser and potentially a dark blue
Careful: You can pair a light grey jacket with darker grey trousers, but avoid pairing a darker grey jacket with lighter grey trousers, i.e. lighter grey jackets are more versatile than darker greys

The Brown Jacket

Matches with all greys or cream trousers
Could work with a very dark navy, especially if the jacket has a pattern but avoid pairing it with any other shades of blue or shades of green
Neutrals allow matching of two shades of the same color family

The Beige Jacket

Matches with all greys and all brown tones, especially cream trousers – Neutrals allow matching of two shades of the same color family
When pairing it with darker browns, ensure that you have enough contrast
Can work with a very dark navy, but avoid pairing it with any shades of blue or shades of green

The Cream Jacket

A very versatile choice that works with everything
Another wardrobe staple
With a cream jacket you can be adventurous and mix a wide range of colors

The Dark Green Jacket

Works well with all greys, and all browns & incl. cream
Can work with a very dark navy, especially if the dark green has a pattern, but avoid pairing it with any mother shades of blue or shades of green

The Mid-Green Jacket

Works well with all greys, and all browns & incl. cream
Can work with a very dark navy, especially if the dark green has a pattern, but avoid pairing it with any mother shades of blue or shades of green

The Light Green Jacket

More difficult to pair than its darker green counterpart
Is best paired with light trousers (mostly cream) or darker greys
Could work with a very dark navy (with caution), but avoid pairing it with any other shades of blue, beige/browns, or shades of green

The Midnight Blue / Navy Trouser

Use sparingly: Hard to pair, due to its color saturation – it will often keep that “suit” look rather than being a separate with intent
When pairing it, try to use a pattern or strong texture (e.g. for greys, darker browns or darker greens) or a strong contrast (e.g. cream)

The Mid-Blue Trouser

Use sparingly: Hard to pair, due to its color saturation – it will often keep that “suit” look rather than being a separate with intent
The exception is to pair it with midnight blue or cream jackets (the most versatile jackets)

The Light Blue Trouser

Use sparingly: Hard to pair
The exception is to pair it with midnight blue or cream jackets (the most versatile jackets)

The Charcoal Grey Trouser

A very versatile choice that works with almost everything
Another great wardrobe staple
When pairing with a lighter grey jacket, make sure you have enough contrast

The Mid Grey Trouser

A very versatile choice that works with almost everything
Another great wardrobe staple
When pairing with a lighter grey jacket, make sure you have enough contrast

The Light Grey Trouser

A very versatile choice that works well with all shades of blue, all shades of brown, or darker greens
Avoid pairing it with darker grey jackets – When pairing greys with greys always have the jacket lighter than the trousers
Avoid pairing it with light green jackets or beige jackets – the lack of contrast will make the outfit look washed out

The Dark Brown Trouser

Works well with all browns and cream - Neutrals allow matching of two shades of the same color family
Can be paired well with darker greens or midnight blue
Avoid pairing it with lighter blues, lighter greens, or grey jackets

The Beige Trouser

Works well with all browns and cream - Neutrals allow matching of two shades of the same color family
Can be paired well with darker greens or midnight blue
Avoid pairing it with lighter blues, lighter greens, or grey jackets

The Cream Trouser

A very versatile choice that works well with almost everything
Another great wardrobe staple
The only difficulty / exception are light grey jackets, as there is not enough contrast to combine two different color groups

The Dark Green Trouser

Not an easy pairing – try to avoid
Only works with midnight blue or cream jackets (the most versatile jackets)

The Mid-Green Trouser

Not an easy pairing – try to avoid
Only works with midnight blue or cream jackets (the most versatile jackets)

The Light Green Trouser

Not an easy pairing – try to avoid
Only works with midnight blue or cream jackets (the most versatile jackets)

About Edit Suits Co.

Edit Suits Co. offers the custom menswear experience without the bespoke price tag.

The perfect suit, jacket, trouser tuxedo, shirt, or chino should be well-made and custom-tailored. Most importantly though, it should be unique and special.

With thousands of fabrics and countless customisation options available, Edit Suits Co. can relieve much of the pressure of finding the perfect garment by helping you to create your own.

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