With most menswear, and especially with classic tailoring, there isn't a lot of variation when it comes to the broad strokes of fashion. While womenswear is loaded with variety in terms of silhouettes and fabrications, men are pretty much rooted to the traditional suit.
Which means that, if you want to showcase your penchant for style, you have to do it with the subtle details. Something that Ryan Gosling did extremely well last night at the premiere of his new film La La Land.
First let's start with the Gos's suit, a seasonally appropriate gray Glen plaid. For fall and winter, you want a suit that has some texture, and a subtle pattern—like a tonal plaid or a check—is a great way to do it. Bonus points for the fact that it has a peak lapel, which you don't see as often on a single-breasted suit, but looks amazing.
Also important is the fact that the suit is well tailored. (Although we'd like to see a bit more shirt cuff showing. Ideally you want about a quarter to a half of an inch). Remember: No matter how great the suit is, a lack of tailoring will ruin it.
Next we have the tie, which is a killer shade of burnt orange. This isn't a tie color you'd necessarily want to wear with a bolder-colored suit, lest you end up looking like Ron Burgundy. But with a subtle shade like this dark gray—or even a navy—the shade pops in exactly the right way.
Finally, we have the shoes, a pair of cap-toe oxfords. Even better, they have a small amount of broguing throughout, which gives them that perfect amount of seasonal texture. Just as with a suit, texture on shoes is a great detail during the colder months, but since wingtips aren't always dressy enough for a premiere, the pro move is to do what Gosling does here and go with an oxford with a few carefully placed punch-outs.
Let's check out the full look one more time, shall we?
Yep. That's good (even if the trousers are breaking strangely, which seems to be a combination of a heavier-weight fabric and a little too much length). It's perfectly at home in the colder months while still feeling refined and red carpet-ready. If you need to wear a suit for anything this winter—whether it's for work or for a holiday party—this is how you should do it.
