Nothing like a friendly competition among friends!  Today, Jon and I go head to head with a little casual sartorial showdown!  Who wins?  The Blogger? Or The Entrepreneur?

Suited Casually on Jon Hwang

Looks like Jon has been reading the blog! He knows that one surefire way to dress down a suit is to ditch the button up and tie and wear a simple v-neck tee underneath.  Even though he’s dressed down, the sharply tailored suit helps him maintain an air of sophistication despite being simple and comfortable.

Minimal shoulder padding is essential when looking for a blazer!  It really accentuates your figure.  Just look at how sharp his shoulders look!  It takes this almost 80s-miami-vice into the modern times.

Notice those no break pants. Keeps his pants neat and shows off his incredible sock game!

Suit from Zara, Shirt from Express, Socks from Ross Shoes from Aldo 

Mixing and Matching on Ethan W. 

Instead of suiting up, I decided to keep each piece separate.  In fact, I do this much more than wearing suits; I find that wearing separates keeps things casual and sophisticated at the same time.  Even though most of the outfit is subdued tones, it gets better  the closer you get to it!

This is no ordinary blazer!  It’s a grey plaid piece with a subtle orange windowpane!  Pieces like these create instant character to any outfit.  If you find one by thrifting like I did or you purchase one, try to ground it with other neutrals like the essential khaki pants and a dark blue shirt.

If we were going to go by time period inspiration, this would definitely be a 1960’s-meets-2015.

Check out the ticket pocket (the second pocket on the right side)!  It was meant to hold theatre tickets, coins, and loose cash!  It was frequented in the 1960’s and can be found on vintage jackets if you look hard enough!

Also take note of the large lapels!  Today, most lapels are skinny and are frequently found on H&M suits and blazers.  In a world of cookiecutter suits, it’s good to be different!  Try doing what Jon and I do by picking suits with larger lapels!  We’ll explore how lapels work in another post.

I’ve been trying to get more and more into my sock game and what better way to do that by combining them with your loafers!  I know we tend to go sock less, but there’s really nothing wrong with wearing socks and loafers!  It works best on colder days!

 Thrifted H&M Plaid/Windowpane Blazer, Shirt and Khakis from H&M, Socks from J. Crew, Loafers from Aldo 

So who had the better look?  Did Jon kill it with his casual suit?  Or was my style of mixing patterns and colors on point as always?  Let us know by commenting below!

Thanks for reading!

Always a pleasure,

Ethan W.

Street x Sprezza

Photography by Jon Hwang