Brought to you by Johnny Bigg
Spring is officially here, and so is spring racing season! And with spring racing comes fashion trends. The racing season is not just a major event in women’s fashion – it’s also a big event in mens’ style too. I’ve once again roped in my hubby to showcase an affordable, achievable, classic, yet on-trend look that would be perfect for a day at the races (or a wedding or work event, too), with the help of Johnny Bigg. Johnny Bigg is all about affordable and on-trend style for the big and tall man. Herman used to struggle to find outfits to fit his 183cm, 2XL frame – especially for dressier occasions. We discovered Johnny Bigg a little while ago and have been impressed with the quality and range offered so far – in fact he has just bought another suit he’ll be wearing to a wedding this weekend! (Read our previous Pretty Chuffed Man article on Johnny Bigg here.)
But first, I thought I’d chat about some of the big trends in mens suiting and special occasion dressing this year and provide some spring racing inspiration for you.
2016 spring racing fashion trends for men
This year we see the return of two major suit trends – the three piece suit, and the double breasted suit. While the double-breasted style is a little harder to achieve, the three piece suit is very easy and suits most men. I love a navy or grey suit with a waistcoat, shirt and if you’d like an even more formal look, try a tie with it, too. (Johnny Bigg has a range of waistcoats to suit each of their suits, here.)
In terms of colour, grey and navy suits are still big news, and keep a look out for maroon and brighter blues as well. Another big look is the dark pants and light jacket look – to achieve this look, try a chino pant in navy with a jacket in camel or grey (like this one at Johnny Bigg), with a simple white shirt. Pink is continuing as a spring racing trend; try a navy or grey suit with a pink shirt for a fresh spring look.
Before choosing an outfit, see if there is a theme for the race day you’re attending, and for extra points try to incorporate that theme into your outfit. It’s not essential, but always wins extra style points in my book!
(I’ve also put together a mens’ spring racing 2016 inspiration board on Pinterest, here.)
2016 Melbourne Cup Carnival
The four major race days in the Melbourne Cup Carnival are:
AAMI Victoria Derby Day: 29 October
(Black and white, offical flower is the cornflower.)
Emirates Melbourne Cup: 1 November
(Major race day, go for modern and fun, offical flower is the yellow rose.)
Crown Oaks Day: 3 November
(‘Ladies Day’, offical flower is the pink rose.)
Emirates Stakes Day: 5 November
(Family friendly day, relaxed glamour, offical flower is the red rose.)
Herman’s outfit
Herman decided to go with a classic light grey suit with black lace ups and a lighter check shirt in blue and pink hues for his spring racing outfit. Just add your favourite sunglasses and you’re good to go. A pocket square would also be an amazing addition to this outfit – try a bright contrasting colour or pick out a hue in your shirt and mis-match a print. This grey suit is a really easy to wear style and with the black button, it looks great with the black shoes and belt.
(All clothing and footwear Johnny Bigg) Ramsey Stretch Two Button Suit AUD$299 {Herman wears size 48} | Admiral Check Shirt AUD$29.99 (on sale) {Herman wears 2XL} | Bedford Lace Up Shoe AUD$69.99 {Herman wears size 12} | Freddy Reversible belt AUD$49.99 {Herman wears 42}
Do you get involved in the spring racing carnival? What’s your favourite mens’ suiting tyle trend at the moment?
All items were gifted by Johnny Bigg. This post was sponsored by Johnny Bigg, however all styling, words and thoughts are hubby’s and my own.
