Black Suits for Men: Should You Wear Them? Smarter Outfit Options

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Aside from gray, blue, and brown, there is one other color in the world of men’s suiting that’s fairly widely seen, and that’s black. But for how popular and ubiquitous it’s become, the question remains: is it truly a good look for most men?

As a general rule in suiting, brighter and bolder colors are seen as less formal, whereas various shades of gray, blue, and sometimes brown are seen as more formal and therefore, business appropriate. And yet, the black suit persists. But why?

Why Are Black Suits So Widely Seen Today? 

The answer has a lot to do with the fact that the typical dress of the general populace around the world, especially in the United States, is largely dictated today by what famous and other notable people are wearing–be they celebrities, politicians, or people in similar fields. And to focus in on men, what do we see these famous individuals wearing? We see them wearing black ensembles at award shows, black ensembles in music videos, black ensembles at political debates and other state functions. In short, the color black is everywhere. 

With that said though, the presence of black ensembles in these various situations can ultimately be divided into three camps; appropriately formal, high fashion, or ultimately misguided. 

Prince Charles and Prince Willian in black suits

Appropriately Formal

When we see men wearing black ensembles at awards ceremonies and other similar functions, they aren’t wearing–or at least shouldn’t be wearing–conventional black business suits. Rather, they’re adhering to historical dress codes where the formality of black is appropriate. These, of course, would be black tie or tuxedos, white tie or tailcoat ensembles, or formal day wear or morning dress (featuring cutaway coats). In these kinds of formal situations, a black business suit wouldn’t be formal enough in its details and styling, and would therefore be an ill-advised choice to wear. 

Christian Bale once again in monochromatic all black with necktie
Christian Bale once again in monochromatic all black with necktie

High Fashion

Of course, black is the bedrock of the fashion world for both men and women. You don’t really need to look any further than the little black dresses that women wear to award ceremonies, or in movies, and on runways and so forth. And for men, there are all kinds of black garments as well like black turtleneck sweaters, black leather jackets, and black suits. As an example, famous designers like Tom Ford and Karl Lagerfeld have made black suits their signature ensemble over the years as a way to look stark and chic but there’s an important distinction to be made here too and it can actually best be summed up in famous words from another designer Yves Saint Laurent. He said “Fashion fades, Style is eternal.”

What we mean by that is this, if you’d like to look hip, trendy, on point and so on, there’s nothing wrong with you wearing an ultra skinny fit black suit, white shirt, and black necktie. More power to you if you’d like to do it! But on the whole, black suits and especially monochromatic all black looks don’t have a place in the traditional style canon of the early 20th century which, of course, is our focus here at the Gentleman’s Gazette. Phrased another way, black suits, black shirts, and so on, undeniably have a place in modern fashion but they’re harder to implement well in a classic gentleman’s wardrobe.

Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone administering the oath of office to Harry S. Truman in the Cabinet Room of the White House, April 12, 1945
Chief Justice Harlan F. Stone administering the oath of office to Harry S. Truman in the Cabinet Room of the White House, April 12, 1945

Misguided Wearers of Black

The main culprits in this camp are politicians. Now, I know what you’re thinking but hold any specific political beliefs because that’s not what we’re talking about here. When we say misguided, rather what we mean is that most politicians from various political parties all across the Western world but again, particularly in America, have adopted the black business suit as a sort of default uniform over the last 30 years or so. Why is it that they’ve done this? Probably, it’s an effort to look as serious and businesslike as possible and in reality, while a black suit certainly is serious, it’s not all that appropriate for most business settings and so it ultimately looks somewhat out of place.

President Harry S Truman with Polka Dot Jacquard Tie
President Harry S Truman with Polka Dot Jacquard Tie

If we look back further though to presidents and other political figures of the early to mid 20th century, we’ll see that they weren’t afraid to wear suits in various different shades of blue, gray, brown, and other colors. As a notable example here, we can look at President Harry Truman who, believe it or not, was actually once a haberdasher before he eventually ascended to the Oval Office. 

So to sum up these points, the reason that black suits are so ubiquitous in society today is largely as a result of various adjacent figures coming together on society as a whole. 

Should You Wear A Black Suit? 

Our answer, in a nutshell, is not often. As we laid out above, there are better choices for most scenarios. 

  • Formal events should be given their proper due with adherence to formal daywear or black and white tie. More politicians should feel free and confident enough to shun the confines of the black suit uniform and while high fashion can have its own trends, we believe that classic menswear follows a different set of guidelines. 
A contrasting white shirt with a black suit
  • It all comes down to a matter of contrast. While it is true that the stark contrast of a black suit, white shirt, and black necktie can have a flattering effect on the silhouette of many men, it’s also true that there’s a downside to this. In that stark contrast between the black and white can also wash out the complexion of many fair skinned or fair haired men. This, of course, is especially true when out and about during the day and in direct sunlight. Of course, men who have darker complexions or darker hair could probably get away with wearing a black suit more easily but the fact of the matter remains that for a large amount of men, black suits in the daytime are just going to wash you out.

When Are Black Suits Appropriate?

Dark suits are obligatory for funerals
Dark suits are obligatory for funerals

Funerals

The first situation, as you may have guessed, would be funerals. Black has a historical association with mourning and while formal daywear or evening wear would probably be seen as too celebratory in tone, a black business suit can strike the right somber tone that would be appropriate for a funeral

Academy of Music 156th Anniversary Concert and Ball (courtesy of Stephen Sader)
Academy of Music 156th Anniversary Concert and Ball (courtesy of Stephen Sader)

Musical Concerts

While the world of classical music does have an association with white tie and black tie that’s still ongoing today, a more contemporary and popular alternative to these dress codes has been the rise of the so-called Concert Black dress code. The objective here is that the musical ensemble look as uniform and consistent as possible so that what the audience will focus on will be the music itself. 

Religion

Worship leaders such as priests and pastors will often wear black suits as will adherence to certain sects of religious tradition like Hasidic Jews or the Amish. 

How To Look Good In A Black Suit

Fit Is Everything

We do believe that a slightly trimmer cut in a more modern style, though not ultra skinny, will help you to wear a black suit during the daytime without it looking like it’s swallowing you up. Just make sure that all of your bases are covered in that your shoulders, chest, and midsection are well fitted and that your trousers aren’t baggy or puddling around your ankles. 

Preston Schlueter elevated his black suit with pops of color
Preston Schlueter elevated his black suit by adding color to his accessories

Incorporate A Bit Of Color

The black suit, white shirt, black tie look is one that’s only going to flatter a very small fraction of men. Therefore, wearing a shirt, tie, or other accessories that add a bit of color to liven up the outfit will take some of the somber tone out of the black suit. 

A shiny suit definitely has no place in a gent's wardrobe
A shiny suit definitely has no place in a gent’s wardrobe

Stay Clear Of Shiny Fabric Finishes

Nothing is going to make you look more like a teenager wearing his first suit than an all-black ensemble in a cheap shiny finish. Suits with a more matte finish are going to look more refined and you should try to opt for wool or wool blends rather than synthetics. Also, a slightly textured weave will help to give the black suit a bit more character. On a related note, patterned black suits can look more lively than solids; you should avoid bold stripes unless you want to look like a Mafia Don at halloween but something like a pinstripe or wide check pattern could look good if it were subtle. Just keep in mind that if you are wearing a black suit with a pattern, it should be done confidently. 

Wear It With Confidence & Cool

We laid out numerous reasons today why a black suit shouldn’t be your first choice very often. A navy or charcoal colored suit would be much more versatile and indeed more elegant in many situations. Therefore, wearing a black suit in spite of all this knowledge requires the confidence to say “I know the rules well enough to flout them.” As with any ensembles, you want to have the effect that you’re wearing it rather than having it wear you.

To sum everything up then, while there are certain situations where a black suit would be appropriate, we don’t believe that it should be the primary suit in any gentleman’s wardrobe.

How often do you wear black suits? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Reader Comments

  1. Don’t forget Masonic meetings, where a black suit is appropriate (at least here in England).

    1. While instances are given where a black suit may be apropo, no options are listed for those of us who feel ‘washed out’ in black

    2. Absolutely. I’m also a Freemason in London. I had the black suit tailored a few years back by Gieves & Hawkes. I liked it so much that I had a second one made and wear it on a regular basis, for all occasions, with a variety of colored shirts, neckties or bowties, boutonnieres, and handkerchiefs.

  2. I agree completely. Other than tuxedo for black tie events, only wear black for funerals.

  3. The only time I wear black is in a formal outfit. I follow classic Savile Row taste: no self-respecting Savile Row tailor would sell anyone a black suit. Period. And as for funerals, dark grey or navy is somber enough.

  4. I remember overhearing a conversation many years ago between a salesman at Brooks Brothers and a customer asking for a black suit, with the salesman gently trying to explain that BB doesn’t sell them without making it sound like a style faux pas. (Legend has it that because Lincoln was assassinated in a black BB frock coat, out of respect they had not made black suits since. No clue if that’s true or not.)

    1. Brooks Brothers does indeed make black suits (I have one from them; I had to special order it). The sales person did however ask if I was sure that was what I wanted (and as soon as I said that I worked in finance in Asia thanked me for buying it from them rather than in Hong Kong or Shanghai).

  5. I must respectfully disagree. Perhaps a black suit does not fit the ‘classical’ definition of the early- to mid-20th Century canon, but if you haven’t noticed, we are now firmly in the 21st Century, and I have yet to find a business or semi-formal occasion in which a black suit is not appropriate. For social occasions, I find that blue is too “business” and grey is too bland, whereas a black suit, appropriately accented and accessorized, can be both striking and appropriately subdued. Also – a lot of men just plain look good in black, and that is more important to me than necessarily representing the fashion ethos of a bygone era, in which women were subordinate to the all-powerful rich, white man (OK – just a little tongue-in-cheek there). Black is back – like it or not!

  6. Around forty or so years back I went to see Tony Benett in concert ; he wore a lovey black mohair suit , white shirt , white silk tie , polished black shoes plus silver tie bar . He looked fantastic . All of it perfectly under stated .

    1. When you’re a legend of Mr. Bennett’s stature, you can get away with almost anything–but I’m sure he did pull off the ensemble with class! As fate would have it, I had the good fortune to see Tony in concert just a few weeks ago; he’s still going strong at 93. Would that we could all be so lucky!

  7. There is a cultural and professional aspect to this as well. In Asia (for example Shanghai and Tokyo), especially in the finance industry, black suits are the norm. Before retirement when I was a consultant to senior managers, in the US I did not wear a black suit, but in China I usually did (especially if the client was Chinese and not a western expat).

  8. Black Suits on the whole well it’s just boring – try a little colour at least. I tend to wear either Grey or Blue suits.

  9. Stresemann? A.K.A the stroller suit? I think this is the most correct and stylish black ensemble in daytime. Plus it’s semiformal, elevating you further.

  10. Interesting article.

    Is there something weird with Preston’s pants legs and the way they hang? It almost looks like he is wearing bicycle clips on his legs. They kind of pinch in a few inches above the ankles.

  11. Hmm interesting and here I thought that black is an all occasion wear. Thank you for sharing!
    Can you then suggest a few better colors for business meets?

    1. Navy blue is always appropriate for business. Charcoal (dark grey) is also better than black.

  12. I wear black suits to funerals,other wise, I wear grey suits with thin pin stripes. I also wear brown
    Sports coat with grey pants, which is usually casual.
    .
    ..

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