Suave And Sophisticated: Achieving The Style Of Idris Elba

There’s no denying that Idris Elba is a style icon of the modern age – after all the man is tipped to be the next Bond. The London actor carries his trademark screen presence equally well in formal and casual wear alike, accentuated by his notable height. As well as looking at the type of clothing he wears, there are some golden rules he follows when it comes to style – meaning that if you want to achieve his look, you should be following them too!

Formal Wear Idris Elba style

You can’t make a good Bond if you don’t look good in a suit, and Elba never fails to do so. A lot of this is down to the fit – nothing looks smarter than a well-fitting black or midnight blue dinner jacket, with a pristine white dress shirt and smart tie to help carry off the effect. Because of his height, Elba does well to avoid lapel notches, vertical stripes and overly slim lapels – given that these all often accentuate height, it’s an unnecessary detail and could cause you to look thin and lanky. On the other hand, peak lapels draw the eye somewhat and add a sense of horizontality to your suit, helping tone down the effect and letting the style of your suit neatly offset your height.

While Elba’s suits often use the traditional colour schemes of black, white and grey – perfect for the red carpet and other black tie events – a blue suit is also an option for the marginally less formal affairs, such as weddings or dinner parties hosted by friends. It’s more charismatic than the more monochrome formal wear, but isn’t loud enough to cause offence. Just remember, the brighter the blue, the less formal the suit.

Informal Wear for the Idris Elba look

Idris Elba is famed for looking as good in his casual clothes as he often is in his suits. There’s a very simple principle behind this – like his formal clothes, he dresses for his body weight and size. Being tall and muscular, he avoids clothes that are too tight; which could not only make him look vain, but also highlight any unflattering bulges or beer bellies as soon as they appear. On the other hand, he doesn’t go with clothes that are too baggy either, which can look lazy or unflattering. He knows his shape and his size, which is more than half the battle. This then gives him a wide margin of error to experiment in terms of colour and actual style. Of course, being a multi-award winning Hollywood actor probably doesn’t hurt there either.

Our Suggestions to get the Idris Elba look with Acorn Fabrics

For muscular men like Elba, heavy fabrics are best, as they can help head off that too-tight look across the chest. For darker shirts we recommend the exquisite Malham 60 Navy, while the classic white dress shirts look fantastic when made with the Malham 140 white. For casual wear meanwhile, the Hampton 106 red check fabric combines smart and vibrant colours with a certain amount of respectful reserve.

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter: @acornfabrics