Fashion Trends 2010: Gray Suits

Men, fashion experts say, should buy at least one new suit at the start of every year. Aside from just giving you more suits to rotate throughout the workweek, it also gives you the chance to expand the style collection that you use every morning. For 2010, you may want to explore a color that too many people have been ignoring for too long: gray.

Why Go Gray?
Gray, as far as many are concerned, is the color of suit for an old man or some cloistered power broker with a corner office. But the gray suit works as more than some statement of age or status. Paired with the right pieces, a gray suited look is formal yet friendly, appropriate yet amicable. In short, it's the kind of suit you'd want to wear whether you're going to the office or headed to late night cocktails.

One of the less known facts about gray is that, as a suiting fabric, it comes in a variety of shades and styles. There's the standard, businesslike gray in that light shade of slate that the working man has made synonymous with cubicle jobs. Darker, more formal species also exist, to the point of a dark gray the color of a 2B lead pencil. And then there are the quirky and casual styles, the subtle stripes and checks that inject a bit of fun into the suit.

Going to Work Gray
For the office, you can stick with the cookie cutter template of the aforementioned gray business suit paired with a solid shirt and a dark, strong necktie. You could opt to mix it up, though, with small check patterns like gingham that don't shout but can make a style statement nonetheless. The tie, however, should be kept as simple as ever.

Amping up the fashion factor usually works for impressing bosses and clients, especially if you're in a three piece gray suit. As classic as it's black counterpart but lighter and more dapper, adding the vest to the set lets you get away with certain choices that would have otherwise been silly. A bold colored shirt and a patterned suit are among those exceptions.

On the other end of the formality spectrum, you could also choose to ditch the full power broker vibe and go with something a little friendlier and more casual. A chalk stripe suit alleviates the gravity of the standard light gray suit without making it any less appropriate for business. Similarly patterned shirts like a strong preppy check make for good pairings while something quirky like a knit necktie should round out the look quite nicely.

Painting the Town Gray
Gray, however, is not just limited to the office. It's just as good a style option for going out to town as it is for heading to work. A darker suit should make you inconspicuous in the after work crowd, while a pattern like a subtle stripe should avoid any stuffiness. Pair that with a dark shirt in black or navy to make you nightlife-ready, and then skip the tie.

Another cool and casual way to skip the necktie look and unbutton for the weekend uses a bit of layering. A lighter gray works to keep up that less formal vibe of being tie free, while a light shirt literally keeps things from becoming somber and heavy. Layer a clean and dark, darker than the suit, at least, Vneck sweater to give you some heft without losing the light, fun mood.

Since you're going with a less-than-standard suit color, you may want to go all the way with the fashion statement and go with an atypical accessory color. Although gray works with black shoes and belts, it looks even more classic and gentlemanly with accessories in brown leather. It's not exactly a look for the nightlife with its Savile Row references, but it's just the thing you need, that combination of the gentlemanly gray suit and very sartorial brown accessories, to impress clients and superiors alike.