Spring has sprung, flowers are in bloom, and colors are popping. Prime your closet for more color with this series of guides for spring shades. Each week SG HQ is going to break down how to wear a bright hue with easy color combinations and outfit ideas.
Catch up on bluebird blue, amber orange, lavender, army green, salmon, slate, blood orange, gold, teal, khaki, merlot, red, evergreen, white, cobalt blue, mint green, orange sorbet, yellow and navy.
This neutral is all about finding the right shade and sheen
You may have begrudgingly (or gleefully?) seen “50 Shades of Grey” during the height of its craze; and maybe, just maybe, you took notice of something beyond the rabbit fur glove. That Christian Grey? He’s a super sharp dresser—and a big part of that is absolutely his ability to pull off a snappy sharkskin suit in a range of different shades (50 might be pushing it, but then again that guy had a big closet).
To get a little technical, grey is achromatic and falls immediately between black and white, putting all of its shades squarely in the camp of non-color. This neutrality is pretty great news, because it means grey goes with almost anything, which makes wearing it fairly foolproof. Sharkskin, on the other, hand, is a little trickier to pull off—it’s all about finding the right shine and shade and keeping everything else you’re wearing clean and super crisp.
A bit of background: First off, sharkskin suits were not at any point made of actual sharks. Highly popular in the ‘50s and ‘60s, the two-tone material was a favorite among the Frank Sinatra set; it went to the back of the closet during the Dark Age of Polyester and then made a resurgence in the boxy ‘80s. These days, sharkskin—which is defined by its sheen rather than its shade—mostly appears in sleekly tailored slim suiting that channels playboy Mad Men execs.
We are, in a phrase, really into it.
How to wear sharkskin this season:
HOW TO WEAR
If you’re feeling a full suit, remember sharkskin requires a tailored, slim fitted cut. So if you wouldn’t wear a slim suit in a matte material, you definitely should steer clear of suiting that’s shiny.
Because sharkskin refers to a range of grey hues from light to dark, follow the same suiting rules you would otherwise—the colder it is outside, the darker your suit should be—while keeping in mind that this material best lends itself to spring and fall because of it’s super lightweight pure wool. Pair it with simple accessories in colors like navy blue and lavender . Everything else you’re wearing should be matte. We love this look with a classic white shirt and shiny black shoes—let expertly tailored suiting speak for itself!
In a full suit
WHAT TO PAIR
If you don’t want to go for the whole shiny shebang, you can still make sharkskin work through accessories like pocket squares and ties: It’s a great way to take a basic black or navy suit up a notch without it feeling like too much.
In Your Accessories
WHEN TO WEAR
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Wow, I’m liking this color!
With regards to incorporating interesting textures, I’ve bought myself a chambray bomber. It’s a refreshing change from my usual denim jacket. Perhaps in the future, I’ll probably be getting a suede bomber/biker in an relatively unexpected color since most suede I know is brown.
a chambray bomber? ooh, we’re intrigued! where is it from?
From Old Navy, baybeeeeee!
ow oww!!!
a chambray bomber? ooh, we’re intrigued! where is it from?
Wow, I’m liking this color!
With regards to incorporating interesting textures, I’ve bought myself a chambray bomber. It’s a refreshing change from my usual denim jacket. Perhaps in the future, I’ll probably be getting a suede bomber/biker in an relatively unexpected color since most suede I know is brown.
brown shoes with that blue suit would rally make that suit pop – I do like those blue shoes though. never thought to wear dark navy shoes. interesting.
brown shoes would definitely look good too! You know we’re just all about that outfit *inspiration* here on SG 🙂
brown shoes would definitely look good too! You know we’re just all about that outfit *inspiration* here on SG 🙂
brown shoes with that blue suit would rally make that suit pop – I do like those blue shoes though. never thought to wear dark navy shoes. interesting.
I’m always a fan of patch pockets and it’s good to see black shoes with a grey suit. I think people take the brown with grey rule too literally.
That floral tie is pretty awesome for spring as well.
yes, I love that tie too! it’s a nice nod to the season without being overly pushy about it
yes, I love that tie too! it’s a nice nod to the season without being overly pushy about it
I’m always a fan of patch pockets and it’s good to see black shoes with a grey suit. I think people take the brown with grey rule too literally.
That floral tie is pretty awesome for spring as well.
I have a grey sharkskin suit I wear with a mix of lavender and teal. My favorite color combo!
love it!
love it!
I have a grey sharkskin suit I wear with a mix of lavender and teal. My favorite color combo!
[…] Style Girlfriend discusses how to wear the sharkskin suit, and created this lovely infographic to help visualize preferred palettes. […]