How to Wear A Grey Suit: 5 Different Ways To Style A Man's Classic Outfit (2024)

The Grey Suit

In the previous post with the help of Daniel Craig we established that a Navy Suit should be your first suit.

A Grey Suit is another wardrobe staple. Are you unsure how to style it thought? Our “How To Wear A Grey SuitIn 5 Different Ways” Guide will show you how with 5 stylish combinations.

A Grey Suit can be the backbone of a man’s wardrobe because it is quite versatile. It is essentially another workhorse in your interchangeable wardrobe just like the Navy Suit. The bonus part is that they also work very well together because of that.

Whether you pair a Grey Suit with a Pink Shirt or a Blue Shirt it is very easy to style it up or down for business or everyday life.

When choosing I would take into consideration the climate as well as frequency of use. A general rule is that you should go with a Super 110 or Super 120 Wool fabric. It is reasonably thick and durable. Everything above this territory becomes more expensive and “fragile” while you can always turn to Flannel for colder climates.

As always, remember that fit is very important!

There Are 3 Main Types Of Grey Suits

In my opinion there are 3 main types of Grey Suit depending on the colour. All have their purpose in your wardrobe and the choice depends on your environment and lifestyle. As for the style you can choose either a double or single breasted version. The former is a bolder choice while the latter can suit everyone.

Light Grey Suits

Light Grey Suits tend to be more youthful and modern. These suits can be perfect for warmer climate, summer months or dressed down with sneakers. I am not particularly fond of trainers, but it can definitely be pulled off. If you want, you can even use a black turtleneck to pair it for a more casual, fresh evening.

A think to note though is due to the light colours of grey means that it is more prone to stain. I would be very careful while holding a glass of red wine!

Medium Grey Suits

The Medium Grey palette sits between the light and charcoal spectrum. It is a bit harder to dress it down, but wear a polo shirt and it can be done. You can also wear a bolder colour that compliments grey, like red or burgundy shirt to make a statement. Or you can use a light blue or pink shirt and be ready for a business meeting.

In addition, I really like how a grey suit looks with a dark green or brown tie because these colours compliment it perfectly.

Charcoal Grey Suits

Here is where things get interesting. A Charcoal Grey Suit is a timeless statement and with Navy sits second in the formality ladder under the Black Suit. You will look sleek and you will turn heads. Wear a well fitted Charcoal Suit and you will command respect and attention.

Wear it with a red or burgundy tie and you will show power. You can add a vest and I can guarantee you that people will look at you. This type of suit looks clean, crisp and it will help you stand out.

Finally, I would advise not to try and dress down a Charcoal Suit. but once you know the rules you are free to break them.

Pinstripes, Checks Or Solid Colours?

If this is your first or second suit and you are new to classic menswear I would suggest beginning with a solid colour and no patterns. A pinstripe suit is very beautiful and powerful, however if you only have 2 suits people will notice you wear it often.

Checks on the other hand are also fantastic, but always less formal unless we are talking about a Prince of Wales pattern.

In my opinion, start with the classics and later begin to experiment.

How To Wear A Grey Suit – 5 Different Examples

Let us begin showing how to wear a grey suit in style.

1) The Three Piece Grey Suit

In my opinion this is the pinnacle of formality for a really masculine serious look. People will know that you mean business. In these occasions I would use a lighter colour dress shirt such as light blue or light pink. For the tie I would choose either a navy silk tie for a cleaner look or a burgundy/wine red tie for a more powerful look.

Do not wear a tie bar with a waistcoat since serve the same purpose: to hold the tie in place. Darker colour shoes like black or even burgundy tend to compliment the look better, but the right shade of brown shoes can look great in my opinion.

Pocket squares should compliment your tie or shirt, but should never match exactly their colour. There is a big room for experimenting here with styling, but I am a big fan of the presidential fold.

With A Vest And No Suit Jacket

If you simply remove the suit jacket, you get a whole new outfit. It can be perfect for warmer times, when you need some extra protection but a jacket is too much.

Removing or changing the tie has the same effect because it changes the focus of your outfit. I love wearing this combo at work and it makes me feel confident and I project that.

Waistcoats are timeless pieces and you should consider going for a 3-piece suit instead of a 2-piece. Wear a crisp white, light pink or sky blue shirt, get into a room and close that deal.

Pro tip:Just like the suit jacket, leave the last button of the vest unbuttoned. Just do it. It shows you care about your look and the little details.

With A Shirt And Tie

Sometimes you just have to keep it simple. Need to be formal? Wear a crisp well ironed white shirt and a navy tie. More relaxed? Use light pastel colours and pair your Grey Suit with a pair of Goodyear Welted Chelsea boots.

It is worth mentioning again that the Pink Shirt – Grey Suit combo works phenomenally well! It is a great colour that you should have in your wardrobe.

This combination leaves more room to experiment since many things depend on the fabric and design of your suit. You can also go for checks and stripes but make sure their width are of different proportions to the shirt or tie!

This look is perfect for a daily business environment because you will look very professional with or without the jacket.

Pro tip: If you wear your jacket and need to sit down, remember to unbutton it. It prevents unnecessary strain on the buttons and reduces the chance of them popping out eventually.

With A Dress Shirt And No Tie

Are you at work in a business formal or casual environment? Maybe you are invited in an after-work party or you have a date. Simply take the above outfits, remove the vest and the tie and voila! You will still look very smart but not be overdressed.

Here is where one can experiment a bit more with patterns such as checks or stripes. Just make sure you understand the basic rules and solid colours before you try this.

Sneakers or even a black turtleneck can compliment this look if you are looking for something even more relaxed. However, I would stick with the classic combinations as they are always more elegant.

Mixing It With A Navy Blazer Or Suit Pants

Finally, one of my favourite categories. Remember when I talked about versatility?

Blue and grey go great together. You can use the same combination of shoes and dress shirts while mixing the top and bottom of two suits, creating endless outfits.

One day you can use a blue blazer with grey pants while the next day, grey blazer with blue pants. Change the tie or the shirt and it becomes a whole new outfit! I think by now you have started to get the point.

Now get out there and experiment!

How To Wear A Grey Suit – Summing Things Up

Here is a quick summary of everything we went through today:

• A Grey Suit has many colours but 3 main ones: light, medium and charcoal.
• A Grey Suit is an important versatile suit that every man needs.
• It can be dressed up for the most formal occasions, or down for a more relaxed environment.
• Bold warmer colours like red or burgundy go well with it in a less formal situation.
• Pink and grey is a match made in heaven, same with light blue.
• A vest will elevate your style to the next level.
• Blue and grey compliment each other so well as suit separates.
• Darker shoes are great, brown shoes can work.
• Tie colours can vary. I love dark green, navy, red, black or brown and pink/purple.

Clothes Used In This Post

Suit: MatiniqueDark Melange 3-piece suit
Shirt: Eton Light Pink
Blazer: Brothers Sverige
Shoes #1: Loake 1880 Chatsworth Dainite Brown
Shoes #2: Loake 1880 Dark Aldwych Oxfords
Watch: Vincero Kairos Series White/Rose Gold
Tie: Brothers Sverige Navy Blue Grenadine
Socks: Brothers Sverige
Handkerchief: Brothers Sverige

I Promise It Is Over

This concludes our “How To Wear A Grey Suit” Guide. Hopefully you got an idea of how versatile and important it is to have one in your closet. It might even serve as inspiration to try different outfits and really make the most out of your clothes.

Finally, here is a short story. I was driving the company car to the local Volvo dealership here in Stockholm while wearing my Grey Suit with a red power tie and brown oxfords. I step into the dealership to leave the car for service and the woman in the reception tells me:

“Hi sir, the more expensive cars are to the left”.

It was pretty funny, but I would be lying if I said that I did not feel great. It boosted my confidence and gave me an idea of how people perceive me. They see me as a confident man, capable of closing any deal, commanding power and success.

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Thank you for reading,

Kostas Mandilaris,
Misiu Academy