This pea coat from Tip Top Tailors sells for $280.Mackenzie Duncan
Even the smallest touches can help transform everyday men's wear for the festive season.
Whether you wish to keep your spending to a minimum or simply need a piece to cap off your look, accessories are a surefire way to refresh an ensemble.
Rob Cannon, senior vice-president of merchandising at Tip Top Tailors, said plaid ties offer an update to a wardrobe. Same goes for cufflinks in both novelty and holiday-inspired varieties which can add a bit of sparkle and customize your look.
Cannon said there's a noticeable resurgence of luxury fabrics this season, such as cashmere in both sweaters and sport coats, which can be paired together or layered overtop a sport shirt or tee.
"It's just a really soft touch when you pick it up, but also when you actually put the jacket on because of the fabric – it's high quality and wool," he said. "When you wear it, you feel like you're wearing something special."
Cannon said an Italian merino sweater is another potential addition to a wardrobe, offering both luxury and a variety of colour options for the holidays.
"It's a great piece because it can be worn with a sport shirt, worn underneath a suit or can be worn on its own. … It's a very, very versatile piece."
The garment can also see its wear extended well after the lights go out at the season's final festive fete.
"[It's]very lightweight, it can be worn right into the spring season, so it's not limited to the holiday season."
For dress shirts and sport shirts, Cannon said purple and lavender are the "new blue," with a wide variety of options in solids and check prints for men wanting a bit more colour in their holiday attire beyond go-to festive hues such as red and green.
For traditionalists, Cannon said a great dark suit with a slim fit is a timeless piece for the office party and can be paired with a nice white shirt, tie and accented with a pocket square to polish off the ensemble.
For the more daring style fan, Cannon suggests a velvet jacket. The lushly textured piece is a trendy item that can work equally well dressed up with a bowtie for a more formal look or simply layered overtop a shirt without a tie. To transition from formal to casual, the velvet jacket can team with grey wool pants or dark wash jeans.
Here are few more of Cannon's key points on how to dress for the holidays:
— Don't be afraid to wear a suit to your holiday parties just because you wear one to work every day. Men are generally dressing up just a little bit more these days (a key menswear trend) and a terrific suit is going to take you everywhere.
– Black is great but charcoal is a little newer.
– Make sure the suit fits you well. It's important that guys buy a suit that's a little closer to the body: still comfortable, but a little more fitted.
— If it's an evening event that requires a tie, you can't go wrong with a classic white shirt.
The Canadian Press