TV series Suits is a lesson in sharp dressing. Whether you’re more like Harvey or Mike, this is how they get their looks – and how you can too.

There’s a reason Suits is called Suits, and it’s not just because Lawyers would fall a bit flat. The suit is a timeless symbol of power, which is what this series is all about. In fact, Harvey sums it up a treat in the very first episode: “People respond to how we’re dressed, so like it or not this is what you have to do”.

But the stark contrasts between how the two main characters Harvey Specter (Gabriel Macht) and Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) dress goes to show that smart doesn’t mean the same for all men. Here’s how dressing for power and personality looks like for each of them.

ARE YOU AN ULTIMATE CLASSIC LIKE HARVEY?

As senior partner, Harvey shows he means business in everything he does, including what he wears. You can tell he spends a lot of money on his suits, and not just because he’s a VIP customer at a high-end New York tailor.

Harvey goes down the traditional route with his outfits. You’ll often see him in a 3-piece, finely tailored for breadth across the shoulders and chest, and slimmer around the waist. He usually wears a dark plain or pinstriped material, with ticket pockets for that classic finish. And he always goes for a wide peak lapel – he clearly wants to get noticed.

His entire look says ‘bigger is better’. He selects the widest silk ties he can find and often goes for a thick spread collar. You’ll also rarely see him without a pocket-square folded presidential style – the definitive business look.

GET HARVEY’S LOOK

To follow Harvey’s lead, go for a tailored fit suit, or go all out with a suit made just for you. Our Moss 1851 suits are cut in a tailored fit, as are Ted Baker’s, which also have a loud lining for extra impact. Look out for ones with peak lapels, and choose a silk tie that mirrors the width of your lapel to complete the look. Harvey wouldn’t waste his time with a schoolboy knot either – a full Windsor is a far more refined choice for those at the top of their professional game.

…OR ARE YOU MORE LIKE MIKE ROSS?

Young Mike, however, isn’t your typical lawyer – in fact, he doesn’t even have a law degree. He goes for a much more laid-back style in line with his place in the firm’s pecking order and his more carefree attitude.

Mike’s slim fit suits with narrow lapels have a younger feel. He tends to keep things pared back with plain 2-pieces and notch lapels. After all, he’s the more understated character and he’s less inclined to show off.

Like lots of millennials, he keeps his ties skinny. And when he wants to dress up, he goes for a tie bar – simple but it makes a statement.

GET MIKE’S LOOK

Want the look for yourself? Reach for a slim or skinny fit suit in navy or grey. Our Moss London suits are skinny fit, or you could go for brands like French Connection or DKNY for a slim fit. Finish the look with a close-fitting white shirt and a simple skinny tie – easy.

Tailoring doesn’t have to be all buttoned-up – the right suit can set you free.

There’s an idea floating around that tailoring isn’t comfortable. But who said a suit has to be restrictive? Break free from outdated rules with our Moss London stretch suits. Designed for motion, they’re woven with just enough elastane to hold a strong shape yet let you move freely.

Carve out a more relaxed style with stretch tailoring in unconventional colours. A suit in cappuccino and khaki is more flexible than you think, while a twisted yarn stretches a black and white check suit beyond the traditional.

What’s more, the addition of a little stretch gives our Moss London skinny fit even more hug for extra streamlined style.

For full movement, wear your suit with a stretch shirt. Cut close around the back, chest and shoulders, our stretch shirts are designed to give as the body moves and bounce back to their original form.

STRETCH THE RULES

A good suit has the power to make your style go further.

One of a suit’s many powers is its versatility. To prove it, here are some key suits for the season, each with a trio ways to wear them.

NEUTRAL

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, a sandy-toned suit will have you on surprisingly solid styling ground. Bag a three-piece in a neutral shade and prepare to power through all your spring/summer dress codes with ease.

Your new neutral-hued friend will get along with most other colours, but will really come into its own worn with blue. Try a button down denim shirt to play down the formality of your full three-piece, or lose the waistcoat and wear your jacket open over a tropical print for a relaxed summer wedding. Need something in-between? Your neutral jacket will have your back for any smart-casual event worn together with navy chinos and a crisp chambray shirt.

PATTERN

Some men are wary of patterns for fear that they offer limited styling options. Not so – as illustrated here. Yes, your patterned suit will work hard at the office paired with a white shirt and a tie that matches in tone but, with the right styling, a checked suit will put in the extra hours in the evenings and weekends too.

Make your grids work for tricky smart-casual by swapping your shirt for a tonal tee and adding spotless white trainers. Or try cuffing your trousers and tucking in a polo shirt as a step up from your usual jeans and jumper combination.

BLUE

You’ve likely got a blue suit of some description in your wardrobe, and for good reason: they are universally flattering and a trusty option for just about any occasion. But blue can also make a statement in this season’s light, bright shades without losing any of its famed versatility.

A wedding is an obvious occasion to pull out a pastel suit. Keep things modern by partnering yours with a soft-hued shirt and a paisley tie to bring out those tonal shades. Not heading to any nuptials? Go all out on a night out with a bold and bright shirt, or style with a striped t-shirt and casual turn-ups to add French Riviera-style to your weekend-wear (even if your plans are not quite so jet-set).

SHOP NEW SEASON SUITS

We sit down with Brit actor Dino Fetscher to discuss dressing for the part and shutting out your inner critical voice.

Getting dressed is a ritual we all partake in to set ourselves up for our day, and the right outfit can instantly make you feel more confident and capable, no matter what you do for work. So who better to delve into the transformative power of what we wear than someone who literally gets into costume to do his job?

In the third edition of our series, The Interviews, we talked to actor Dino Fetcher about how what we wear affects how we act.

Dino, tell us about the role of your costume as an actor. What effect does getting into costume have on your work?

It’s a massive part for me, definitely. It’s weird, with costume it’s not just a superfluous extra addition to your character, it feeds so much into the creation of your character. I see a costume as another character; before you even get to things like script or text, it tells a story about what time of year you’re in, your social class, what’s happened.

Straight away from rehearsals you always try to have as much costume as you can, because things like shoes or a top, it’s amazing how they can inform you physically and lead to other choices with the development of your character. So yeah, in that regard they are definitely important and an essential part of the whole process.

That’s interesting because it’s very natural for us all to make assumptions about people based on what they’re wearing, so we’re all essentially wearing a costume that tells the world something about ourselves.

Yeah, exactly. Well, with clothes, I always think everything you put on, there’s an intention behind it. So, it says a lot about your psychology, it’s like why did you choose to wear this top? Is it to impress someone? Is it for comfort? And that when you’re thinking as an actor from that psychological point of view, you can think about the choices that led your character to need these kinds of clothes and why they might wear these kinds of things.

Which of your costumes has been the most transformative?

I’m doing Humans at the moment and my costume is made for me. It’s a bit of a nightmare because it’s made from neoprene, so it’s skin tight and we had so many fittings for it, but it was so important to get just right. And now that it is, it informs so much about my physicality. It allows me to suspend my disbelief, to elevate it to a much higher level so that I can really be in the moment, and really believe even more that I’m in that world, totally submerged.

It literally is so tight, it holds me – we have a choreographer and we work very physically to get the perfect kind of posture – so it gives me tension in my shoulders. It’s not very comfortable, but for the role it’s perfect because it really helps me imaginatively feed into that character.

Do you have any rituals that help you get into character or prepare yourself before you go on set?

I’ve been doing ten minutes of meditation every day, which for me, is about always being in the moment. That’s the most important thing for acting, being present, being able to shut your ego up, that voice that’s criticising as you go.

Focusing on the story really helps me too, because I think when I was less experienced it was really easy to be in that moment before the scene and you’re thinking ‘how am I going to say this line’ or ‘this is an emotional bit’ but if you’re focusing on that I think you’re completely in the wrong area. If you put all your energy and focus into the story, why the character is saying this, like what’s actually happening, it comes naturally I think. So that’s what I do – I tend to take ten seconds before, just shut people out and really put myself imaginatively into that situation.

We all have roles to play off-set too, so have you learned anything from acting that’s influenced how you take on real life?

As an actor you only have yourself and your imagination, so every character I’ve created has always come from me and comes from what I’ve imagined into it. Lots of times you’re presented with characters who are far from you or who think differently to you or behave differently to you, so it’s my job to understand why that’s the case, to really get inside their head to delve deeper to ask those questions, to figure out a way for me to believe why I would say that.

Then you play them for so long, they never really leave you, they stay with you, so I feel like every character I’ve played has taught me something about myself in my day-to-day life. I played a detective called Alec in a show called Paranoid and he was sort of calmer and a lot more mature and pensive than me, so I did that for six months and it did make me sit back in situations where I may be hot-headed or passionate about something, maybe to just take a second and stop to think about it. So, I think it lets you question yourself a lot more and inadvertently makes you learn a lot more about yourself.

And what about what you wear – does that have any influence on how you act off set?

Yes, totally. I think clothes, say so much and they can make you feel a particular way. It’s like if you were caught out in your joggers and a hoody and you bump into an ex and how you feel about that versus going to an event in a suit. A nice suit immediately gives you a stronger sense of confidence and allows you to kind of be a different version of yourself.

When did you last feel most powerful?

When I’m in a place where I don’t care about what people think of me, when I’m in a place where I’m not self-conscious and I feel no judgement, that’s when I feel truly powerful and I feel like I can do anything.

But it is tricky in an industry like the acting world because it’s hyper-critical, very hyper-critical and tough and competitive, but I think it’s my life’s work really, always working to that place of being free so you can kind of soar. Be it in performance or in life, being able to shut that critical voice off. You know, I think we all have it, but yeah that’s when I feel most powerful.

GET DINO’S LOOK

The Interviews: Galih, Fashion Influencer

Hat-enthusiast and fashion influencer Galih talks to us about standing out, signature looks and pushing yourself to be your best.

The power of the suit is all about the boost of confidence you get from presenting yourself at your best. Whether we’re navigating boardroom negotiations or digital terrains, work requires us to put our best selves forward to get the job done.

In the second of our series, The Interviews, we meet Galih Richardson, one-third of the creative trio, The Outlanders, to discuss the power of dressing sharply.

As an influencer, you’re followed for your personal style and you’re rarely seen without your signature hat. Tell us why it’s such an important part of your look?

I think the hat is a very Outlander signature, and it’s just another way to create individual style in an outfit. So many people can wear a suit and so many people can wear workwear and all this sort of stuff, but when you add a hat to it, it finishes it off – it makes it a little bit more, it elevates the style and it takes it to another level.

You’re also often wearing tailoring. How do you feel when you put on a suit? Does it play any part in how you present yourself to your audience?

If you wear a suit, it’s a coat of armour, it’s your suit of armour. It becomes your layer against the rest of the world, you know what I mean, and it becomes your sort of signature power to push what you believe in to the rest of the world. It’s like your signature – your signature is yours, your body shape is yours and, with an outfit, if you’re wearing a suit, it’s got to fit, it’s got to be yours, it’s got to be your signature.

Do you have any rituals that put in the right mindset for your work? Is there anything you do that makes you feel confident or in control?

I mean meditation is huge because Outlanders is all about Asian influence and with us meditation is really important to centre yourself before a busy day. Or, if you’re struggling with something in life, to meditate yourself to centre yourself again. And also, you know, confidence. Believing in yourself and having the confidence to stand out. Standing out isn’t about showing off, it’s just about being yourself, I think that’s what’s important.

At Moss Bros., we believe in the power of putting your best self forward into the world. What have you learned about creating a look that’s authentic to you?

I think knowing you are an individual, knowing your body more than anything is the most important thing about dressing yourself. Everybody is different, I don’t believe in a small, medium, large, extra-large, I don’t believe in that. I don’t believe people can be categorised into medium or small or whatever it is. I believe that we are all individuals, so each of us has our own shoulder width and waist size, and we need to dress accordingly to that. If you need to buy an outfit, get it tailored, whatever it is. It costs so little to get each bit tailored, so to do that, that’s the important part.

When did you last feel most powerful?

Power to me is a combination of where you’ve been and where you’re heading into the future. Being able to see what you’ve done and to push yourself forward and to do better every day. I’ve come to realise that we’re born alone and we die alone but in between is all bridging those relationships with people who are close in your life and the last time I felt powerful was helping someone else who was close to me who needed help. That’s all it is. That’s the easiest way to feel powerful in life, because that way you know that during your lifetime you are sort of working on the relationships you have and you’re not alone.

GET GALIH’S LOOK

The man behind our campaign track talks to us about the suit as an equaliser and being the lord of your own manor.

Whatever we do for work, we all need to get our heads in the right place, make the right impression and get on with the job at hand. From the business world to the arts and even for life online, what we wear and the small acts we do have the power to transform how we take on our days.

Over the next few weeks, we’re sitting down with three men from different professions to discuss the power of the suit and the things we can achieve when we’re feeling our best.

First up in The Interviews, we meet music producer J Science.

Let’s start with the track you wrote and produced for our new campaign, ‘the power of the suit’. Tell us what’s behind the lyrics?

When I saw the visuals, it was all about the manor thing – you know, the dual meaning of ‘manor’ and that typical, quintessential kind of London gent. But that can be anything – there’s a line in there that says  ‘from tower block to penthouse’. The idea is if you’ve got a suit on, it doesn’t matter where you come from, who you are, what your background is, what you do, everyone is equal and, you know, that empowers you.

How do you feel when you put on a suit?

I love it. I mean, I’m into clothes anyway. I end up wearing a suit a lot. Strangely, when I was a child I kind of said that I would never work in an office or wear a suit… I’ve failed miserably on both of those at many stages in my life. But no, it feels good. It’s a good feeling to be smart. It sharpens you up and you feel a difference.

You know, if you go back to when they used to put a suit of armour on they must have felt powerful, so it’s kind of like modern day suit of armour. You get up in the morning, scrape your hair back, and once that suit’s on and you’re out of the front door that’s it, you feel ready to go and take the world on, which is what I try and do every day.

Are there any particular situations you wear a suit for?

It’s the times that I need to make an impression or need to put myself over as something in particular. There are connotations of a suit that people recognise – professional, successful, you know, there are things that you emit when you’re wearing a suit.

I think in those situations where that’s the message that you want to put across, you know, I am successful, I am professional, I can do what you want me to do. I think a suit instantly puts that message over so in those situations where I want to do that, that’s where a suit will definitely come out my wardrobe.

What does being able to express yourself musically mean to you?

When it comes to music it’s an amazing thing for me, a very personal thing for expression, whether that’s an expression of how I feel or how I want to make people feel. I believe music is almost magical, it’s such an amazing thing for that emotional content and what it can do to people.

You know, like if you’re feeling sad, it can make you feel happy. It can do so much, so I’m blessed to be fortunate enough to do that with music, even if it is just a simple chord or something that evokes an emotion and then actually seeing that translate, seeing people then receive that and seeing how it affects them. I believe it is a miracle because it’s free, you know, what would the world be like without music, and yet we have it for free so yeah I find it very empowering and a very good thing.

Are there any rituals you have to get yourself in the right frame of mind before you do a set, or perhaps before you start writing a new track?

I’m a bit of a control freak in a lot of ways anyway so I like kind of routine things to be right. I’m quite diligent. I think if things are worth doing then you do them well, so I just make sure everything is the best that it can be in whatever I am doing. It doesn’t matter what I am preparing for– if I am going to the studio or if I’ve got a gig or anything at all – I want to know that when I go out there it’s the best that I can do.

Is there anything you do when you do get writer’s block?

That’s a tricky one actually, kind of no, it’s a really odd thing because you can work with it and then it becomes a very different thing. You can make music, you can still make things that fit. You end up making random music, which I’m not a fan of, you know, you look at the world it’s kind of full of it. If you look at adverts, people write music to fill the gaps, it’s not really what I would do because I think it needs to hold a lot more.

So what do I do in times like that? I kind of take a breather, go out and soak up some air, some sunshine, you know, even if it’s raining go by a window – anything that lets you reflect and think about things then go back down with fresh ears and try again, again and again. It’s that persistence overcoming resistance kind of thing.

When did you last feel most powerful?

I don’t want to sound cliché, but every morning when I wake up, you know, I just feel powerful and blessed I guess for being alive and being grateful for what I’ve got. Simple things, humble things. More for the opportunities that I have and have had and yeah just being able to do it again and being in the situation where I can realise my dreams to some extent.

I am very fortunate to be able to do what I love every day. A lot of people don’t have that, so just the simple fact that I have that is enough to feel powerful.

GET J SCIENCE’S LOOK

Suits are the ultimate power trip – this is why.

A TRIP DOWN TAILORING’S MEMORY LANE

THANK YOU, BEAU BRUMMELL

HIGH WAISTS AND HEAVY FABRIC

TIME FOR REVELRY

SILVER SCREEN STYLE

A SYMBOL OF POWER IS BORN

WHERE WE’RE AT NOW

A great suit says you’re somebody, not just anybody.

Wearing a suit is transformative. Not just physically, giving you broader shoulders and a leaner frame, but mentally too. It makes you feel empowered, important and ready to take on anything. In fact, we did the research and over a third of British men feel most professional and powerful in a tailored suit.

What’s more, 56% of the men we asked said wearing a suit helps to positively influence the way they are perceived by society. In other words, great tailoring has the power to change how a man sees the world – and how the world sees him. Confident, capable, in control. In the right suit, there’s no limit to what you can achieve.

Prepare to reach new heights.

FEEL THE POWER OF THE SUIT

Going out this New Year’s Eve? You’ll need to get your barnet in order, then.

We asked Gavin Hoare of Richard Ward Hair & Metrospa to give us his top four styling products and an expert’s guide on how to use them.

THE HAIRDRYER

Gavin’s top styling tip? Get to grips with a hairdryer. Not just for long locks, the hairdryer should be your go-to tool for putting a good foundation in place before you even think about adding product.

As Gavin says, “Not just for drying your hair, blowdrying your hair is about getting shape, volume and, if your hair’s a little bit unruly, it’ll give you a smoother, more refined finish.”

DUST

Need a little more help in the volume stakes?  Gavin’s number one product for thinning or fine hair is hair dust. Though it comes in various guises, Gavin says the way you use it is what matters, and advises you “apply it straight to the roots to add volume where you need it”.

WAX

Next, we move on to dressing your hair. There are loads of waxes on the market in all sorts of consistencies and the key to choosing the right one is to think about what you want to achieve – are you looking to add volume, style your hair into shape or smooth your overall style? Whatever one you choose, Gavin says you want something that gives you “flexibility and control, but even more key is that you can touch your hair throughout the day.”

GEL

And finally, Gavin’s fourth pick for your hair styling line-up is a good gel. This is what to use if you’re after a super-slick finish, but beware of the cheaper versions you’ll find in the chemist – they’re usually too watery to give you any real control. Gavin’s top tip is to “pick a hair gel that has a certain amount of stickiness to it”.

As he explains, you’ll want to use it on dry hair and evenly work your gel in section by section for the best result. It’s much harder to take gel away than it is to add a little more at a time.

They may be ruthless gangsters but those Peaky Blinders sure know how to dress.

HOW TO GET THE PEAKY BLINDERS LOOK

THEY MAY BE RUTHLESS GANGSTERS BUT THOSE PEAKY BLINDERS SURE KNOW HOW TO DRESS

via GIPHY

via GIPHY