24th June 2023

How to style a cream suit this summer

Courtesy of the cultural icons who embraced its stark effect

Summer has well and truly settled, and with it comes the arrival of our latest ready-to-wear collection – within which sits our cream tan dogtooth suit. Woven in a luxury linen and silk blend, it’s half-lined, falls with a delicate drape for a breathable fit and is shaped with broad notch lapels, a 3-roll-2 button position and deep patch pockets at the front. Put simply: it’s the ultimate symbol of summer elegance.

This being said, we understand that head-to-toe cream is a bold sartorial shade to embrace, but we encourage you to do so because its silhouette communicates an assured sense of confidence and unapologetic style which will instantly make you stand out in your setting of choice. The key to doing it correctly, like with any staple wardrobe piece, comes with the surrounding styling. So to kickstart your summer suit journey, here’s five of our favourite cultural icons who called upon cream for a masterful menswear move…

Tony Leung

With the summer wedding season fast approaching, there’s truly no greater excuse to embrace lighter tailoring, and Tony Leung is a top case in point for doing so with flair. Pictured here in Jean-Jacques Annaud’s 1992 drama L’Amant, the Chinese actor was shown to emit pure style and confidence in a three-piece linen suit, similar to our own current style thanks to the single-breasted structure, broad notch lapels and deep front pockets. To faithfully emulate the timeless sense of class portrayed by Leung’s sartorially-conscious character, start with our current cream tan set and pair it with a personal tailored shirt (be sure to stipulate the longer collar length) and an opulently-printed tie.

Nick Valensi

If said head-to-toe sartorial statement is a bit much for your personal style inclination, good news: its upper component carries stylish weight on its own. For a top reference on how to wear it right, take a cue from The Strokes’ guitarist: Nick Valensi. For the band’s critically acclaimed MTV Concert in 2002, the indie musician opted to pair a slick cream blazer with a graphic yellow t-shirt (a smart way of popping some colour into summer style) and high-rise indigo jeans. One look at this silhouette confirms cream tailoring as a perfect port of call to elevate all casual ensembles this season.

David Bowie

Since David Bowie was known for going against the grain of a stereotypical style game, it’s no surprise that a stark light suit was often pulled from his wardrobe. In this case for the Cannes Film Festival of 1978, the musician and menswear icon paired this incredible single-breasted suit (note the high waisted cut of the trousers) with a less obvious under layer: a grandad polo shirt, above which he rested a simple silver chain. Thanks to this alternative approach to the formal suit, Bowie brilliantly stood out in a sea of dark tuxes, for which we can only commend him. If you’re looking for a slightly more insouciant way of wearing our latest dogtooth set, this is the man to follow.

Tony Wilson

The good thing about cream tailoring is that its blank canvas offers a scope for any styling direction – especially when it comes to considering texture. To those who tend to keep things casual, you’ll be pleased to hear that denim is a perfect underlayer, nicely demonstrated here by Factory Records’ founder Tony Wilson. The key to keeping things cool lies in the fastening; leave the first few buttons undone and layer the collar over your broad lapels for a charming off-duty effect. If you want to show a bit more of your sturdy shirt fabric, lift the sleeves of your jacket up a little to show off the hem of its cuffs.

Serge Gainsbourg

When it comes to eternal icons of style, few can compete with the mastery of Frenchman Serge Gainsbourg. The genre-bending musician liked to play with all classic components of a menswear wardrobe, including a single-breasted cream suit which he loosely partnered with a matching shirt and striking striped tie. Since the lined motif is best associated with summer, be sure to take note of this for a like-minded sartorial move which reflects the sun-kissed sensibilities of Southern France. And just to note: if your partner embraces the same attire à la Jane Birkin, even better.