How to style a red suit better than Santa

One of the brilliant things about the Christmas season is that it has its own very distinct colour scheme, ranging from silvers and golds to greens and reds. The red suit of Father Christmas is an iconic image in our national consciousness, and looking at how well he pulls it off, it can be easy to forget that red is a particularly tricky colour to integrate into your personal style. Here at Acorn, we stock a wide range of red and wine coloured cotton shirting fabrics, so it’s fair to say we’ve got a lot of experience in how to style this famously bold colour. Read on for some style inspiration on how to model your own red suit this Christmas, and perfect your festive style.

The important aspects of red to remember

The first thing to know about red is its most obvious quality – scientifically, our eyes are drawn most to it. It’s one of the most distracting colours, it’s an attention grabber, and it doesn’t always plays nice with other.s if you’re not careful, it’s all too easy to accidentally make your outfit too garish. You can avoid this by simply using it in moderation. Once you’ve picked out a single red item to take centre stage, (whether that’s a cotton shirt or a blazer) you’ll need to pick everything else in the knowledge that it’ll all be playing second fiddle to that red item, not fighting it for attention. For a red shirt for example, a yellow tie would be a little hard on the eye, but a silver one may well complement it more fittingly.

Another aspect to be aware of with red is a rule that holds more or less universally true throughout the seasons. Namely, brighter colours tend to be regarded as less formal, which puts their popularity at its peak throughout the accordingly vibrant seasons of spring and summer. Throughout the current seasons of autumn and winter, though, darker or more neutral colours such as forest green and burgundy tend to favoured in most outfits.

So if you want to incorporate more red into your outfit, it’s difficult to go wrong with a burgundy blazer, as it distinguishes itself brilliantly but while retaining that precious element of subtlety. Alternatively, if you like the idea of wearing red but you’re understandably nervous of choosing a block colour, you might opt for a patterned type to take the edge of the intensity.

Three ways to wear a red suit

Understandably, it can sometimes be difficult to visualise through general advice alone, so here are some three examples of ways you can style a red suit.

Power and confidence

If you want to exude a sense of confidence and control, you might want to experiment a red suit and burgundy dress shirt, which will create a very distinct silhouette. It takes a certain conviction to pull off successfully, as you might find it breaks our rule above about using red in moderation. However, by experimenting with different shades and maybe some other styling options like ties and pocket squares, you may be able to find the perfect combination that works for you.

Class and sophistication

A crisp white dress shirt can be paired with a bold red suit to create a sense of class and sophistication. It’s an ideal personal style to air at any formal Christmas parties, or even New Year’s celebrations. We’ve said time and again that every man should have at least one white dress shirt in his wardrobe, and this timeless ensemble is a brilliant testament as to why.

Elegance and reserve

You can switch your white shirt for a black one to effortlessly transform the entire look of your red attire, creating the very image of poise and elegance. It’s the perfect look for attending black-tie events over the festive season, or to put your own respectful spin on a formal dress code.

Of course, you may well already be developing your own ideas on how to wear your own red suit! If so, you’re in exactly the right place. Here at Acorn fabrics we stock a huge range of cotton shirting fabrics for your delectation, including our formal collection, and a wide selection of other fabric colours to suit your style! You can place your order right here on our website, or simply give us a call on 01282 698662.