If you're trying to create a business casual style, wearing a suit jacket with jeans is the perfect combination. A suit, as you may know, consists of a suit jacket with matching trousers. While there's nothing wrong with wearing a traditional two-piece suit such as this, some men prefer a more casual style. Combining a suit jacket with jeans will offer the best of both worlds. It's still formal, yet also somewhat casual. So, exactly do you wear a suit jacket with jeans?
Choose Dark Denim
Avoid wearing light-colored denim jeans and, instead, choose a darker tone of denim. The goal when wearing a suit jacket with jeans is to create a business casual appearance. Because darker denim is more formal than light denim, it will complement the appearance of your suit jacket. If you choose light-colored denim, on the other hand, your outfit will likely look too casual, preventing you from achieving a business casual style.
Indigo is an excellent denim color to wear with a suit jacket. A type of dark blue, it works well with most other colors, all while projecting a more formal appearance than lighter colors like white or even light blue. Other than indigo, black jeans look great with a suit jacket as well. Just remember to choose jeans in a dark color if you intend to wear them with a suit jacket.
Stick With a Form-Fitting Cut
In addition to dark denim, your jeans should also feature a form-fitting cut, such as straight leg. Baggy and other loose-fitted cuts are simply too casual. They might be more comfortable to wear than jeans in a form-fitting cut, but they won't offer any value to your outfit. Form-fitting cuts like straight leg are characterized by a construction that sits close to your skin. As a result, they have little or no excess fabric.
Skinny jeans are also a type of form-fitting cut in which jeans are made. However, some people find skinny jeans to be tight or constricting. You can still wear skinny jeans, but if you're looking for a more relaxed cut, consider straight leg. Skinny jeans become more narrow through the legs, whereas straight-leg jeans remain straight throughout the legs. It's a subtle difference, but it affects both their appearance and level of comfort when worn.
Choose the Right Suit Jacket
The secret to wearing a suit jacket with jeans is to choose the right type of jacket. If your suit jacket doesn't flow cohesively with your jeans, as well as the rest of your outfit, you'll fail to create a business casual style. So, what type of suit jacket should you choose?
Here are a few tips on how to choose the perfect suit jacket to wear with jeans:
- Choose a color in a different shade than your jeans and shirt. Your suit jacket shouldn't be the same color as either your jeans or shirt.
- Consider the fabric and whether it's appropriate for the season. If you're going to wear your suit jacket during the summer, for example, linen will offer the highest level of comfort because of its soft, lightweight and breathable properties. But for winter, a wool suit jacket might be a better choice since it's thicker and heavier.
- Avoid suit jackets that are too big or too small for your body. Get a fitted suit jacket that contours to the natural shape of your body.
- Choose a single-breasted suit jacket rather than a double-breasted suit jacket.
Wear a Dress Shirt
You'll need to a wear dress shirt with your jeans and suit jacket. Wearing a plain t-shirt just won't work. T-shirts are too casual and won't offer the formality needed for a business casual appearance. Therefore, you should wear a button-up dress shirt with your jeans and suit jacket. You can choose either a plain-colored, striped or plaid dress shirt. Regardless of which style of dress shirt you choose, though, make sure the color matches your suit jacket and jeans.
Tuck in Your Dress Shirt
Don't allow the bottom of your dress shirt to hang over your waistline. When wearing a suit jacket with jeans, you should tuck the bottom of your dress shirt into your waistline. It only takes a minute to tuck in your dress shirt, but doing so will help you create a cleaner and more cohesive style.
Some men struggle to keep their dress shirt tucked into their jeans. If you wear this outfit for eight or more hours in a day, this could happen to you. You can keep your dress shirt tucked into your jeans, however, using shirt stays. Shirt stays are essentially elastic straps that secure the bottom of your dress shirt to the top of your socks. Since socks are worn underneath jeans, shirt stays aren't visible when worn. Rather, they'll remain hidden underneath your jeans while holding down your dress shirt and preventing it from coming untucked.
Wear a Belt
When wearing them with a suit jacket, you should always accessorize jeans with a belt. A high-quality leather belt will help define your waistline while separating your jeans from your suit jacket in the process. So, what color belt should you choose? As with wearing a two- or three-piece suit, a good rule of thumb is to match your belt with your shoes. If you're wearing black shoes, wear a black belt. If you're wearing brown shoes, wear a brown belt -- you get the idea.
Tie or No Tie?
You might be wondering whether or not to wear a necktie with your jeans and suit jacket. Some men prefer the added colors and style offered by a necktie, but this really isn't necessary if you're already wearing a suit jacket. The suit jacket itself will help you create a more formal appearance, even if you're wearing jeans instead of suit trousers. However, it's perfectly fine not to wear a necktie.
