The suit-plus-roll neck equation always adds up. It’s a Seventies-inspired move that works thanks to some style sleight of hand, in that it looks much more difficult to wear than it actually is. There’s something about that extra fabric, framed by the lapels of a suit jacket, that lends any man some Burt Reynolds swagger. Even if your moustache-growing efforts always come out more duckling-down than handlebar.
As befits a wardrobe combination beloved of spies and nightclub owners, the go-to is black-on-black, which is an approach that we’ll always have time for. But in this rule-breaking era of menswear, monochrome can start to feel a little, well, monotone. For our next red-carpet appearance (or, more likely, autumn wedding), we'll be stealing from Jake Gyllenhaal, who came over like a ray of sunshine in this vitamin D-drenched spin on the look.
Appearing at the Headstrong Gala (a charity that provides mental health support to veterans), Gyllenhaal demonstrated the boundless flexibility of the black suit, using it to frame a silky, sunset-hued roll neck. Throw in a pair of high-shine Chelsea boots and it’s got enough rock ‘n’ roll energy to fill any room, without turning things up to 11.
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