It's a whole separate story

How to put jackets and trousers together confidently

So what are men’s separates?

Separates are simply the garments (generally tailored blazers and trousers, but also knitwear) that you combine to create a wide variety of smart-casual outfits. And smart-casual is a useful look to nail. Just think of all those occasions, business and social, day and evening, that call for easy-to-wear, eye-pleasing, not-too-formal, not-too-casual outfits.

Get the hang of confident ‘mixing and matching’

Get the hang of confident, stylish ‘mixing and matching’ and you can instantly breathe new life into your smart-casual repertoire using the clothes you’ve already got in your wardrobe. You’ll also be able to choose a few select new pieces secure in the knowledge that you’ll get the most out of them – and out of what you already own. We've put together a few tips and ideas for the easiest, most effective colour and fabric combinations.

Dark blazer with trousers of a lighter shade

This is a combination that’s as easy as it is versatile – and stylish. Think Cary Grant! It’s also one that enables you to get lots of different looks with just one navy jacket. There’s the all-time classic navy blazer worn over a pressed, plain pale blue or white shirt’ option. With grey flannels (aka tailored wool trousers) this is a real winner for more formal occasions. Choose either traditional pleat-fronted trousers or their more contemporary, slim-fitting and flat-fronted counterparts – according to your particular style and preference.

When you want to dress down a bit…

When you want to dress down a bit, the navy blazer with plain shirt combination works brilliantly with smart chinos. Shades of stone and tan make for a striking colour contrast. We also have a slim fit version cut from a subtly different fabric.

And for your most casual of smart casual occasions…

And then, for your most casual of smart casual occasions, simply swap the chinos for denim. At this point you might also choose to swap the pressed shirt for a plain crew-neck T-shirt. Or, you can turn things the other way around and pick a light-coloured jacket to wear with dark trousers…

Light-coloured jacket with trousers of a darker shade

Probably the easiest way to put together a stylish, timeless, light-coloured-jacket-with-dark-trousers outfit is to pair a grey jacket with navy trousers. For a traditional look, pair a classic grey wool blazer with navy flannels. And for a more contemporary edge, pair a slightly more relaxed grey blazer (like our Savile Row company grey melange knitted slim fit blazer) with smart navy chinos. We’re suggesting grey jacket and navy trousers. But the whole point of separates is that you shouldn’t feel in any way limited … Try swapping the navy flannels for black twills and pulling it all together with a check shirt.

Tweedy sports jacket with plain trousers

The tweedy sports jacket; a great classic British look that’s enjoying a big revival at the moment. We love the way that these traditional tailored wool pieces happily translate into the most contemporary of wardrobes. Wear them with tailored wool trousers, with smart chinos or with jeans. The only limitation is that your trousers must be plain. Wear them with knitwear or with shirts. Knits, again, should be plain, but if you fancy a spot of pattern clashing with your shirts, go for it! Mix things up and wear them your way! We’ve dramatically extended our collection of separates this season. To see all our jackets, blazers, wool trousers and knits, go to savilerowco.com. *not all of these items are now in stock*