How to combine garments, how to match fabrics and colours: finding the right combinations for the perfect mismatched outfit is an art that requires simple rules to follow in order not to make mistakes and be smart in every situation.

An increasingly popular choice on the contemporary scene, the mismatched suit allows you to experiment and give free rein to your creativity. It responds to the most diverse needs for versatility.

However, a mismatched look doesn't mean casual, nor does it necessarily mean only casual. The art of finding the right combinations of colours and fabrics is based on simple rules and allows you to create smart sophisticated outfits for any occasion, whether formal or more refined.

To achieve a result that guarantees an uniform and harmonious look, it is important to choose the elements that make up the outfit - usually a jacket, trousers, and a shirt, paying attention to detail.

ASPESI underlines some simple steps to create your perfect mismatched outfit, with an elegant allure and an elaborate vibe.

Choosing the colours for the mismatched suit

The first step in creating a mismatched suit is the choice of colours, which must be made very carefully: they should never be more than three and they must be consistent with each other and with the season. For example, for a spring-summer mismatched suit, favouring colours from the 2023 season palette will help to make everything fresh and contemporary.

Focus on the two main colours first. This will make it easier to define the style. This will make it easier to define the style. It is better to focus on neutral and balanced shades, such as two different shades of blue, like navy and mélange, or two earthy nuances, like khaki and desert. This will give you more freedom to choose the third colour by contrast or harmony, which are two equally valid methods.

Matching by contrasting colours means choosing what stands out from the others two, such as a very bright or unusual colour that adds a touch of vibrancy and flair to your look. On the other hand, harmonising with the other two shades means, combining a similar colour to create a more consistent and uniform effect, such as a pale blue with the two other shades of blue.

How to match fabrics in a mismatched suit

The second step is focus on the choice of fabrics, which must be of high quality to ensure durability and optimum performance over time.

You can mix different fabrics to create interesting contrasts, but it is essential that the fabrics are of similar quality and consistent. It is important to balance the weight of your clothes to avoid that the suit seems unbalanced: for example, combined with a wool jacket in winter or a linen blazer in summer, whereas it would be inconsistent to combine linen trousers with a velvet jacket.

It is important that fabrics are seasonally consistent. For a summer mismatched suit, the perfect choice is among linen, silk and some types of cotton, particularly fresh and light, such as the cotton poplin or the Oxford cotton, especially used for shirts. For the autumn/winter season, jackets and trousers in wool or velvet can be combined with shirts in heavier cotton.

Finally, if you choose a garment with a particular print or texture, it is better to choose simpler fabrics for the rest of the outfit so that everything looks harmonious and elegant.

Mismatched suit: define your look with details

Whether the desired effect is a casual and relaxed look or a more chic and elegant, the perfect mix-and-match for a mismatched suit requires careful attention to the choice of cut. An elegant but not too formal look requires clothes with a more classic and simple cut, while for a more casual result, you can dare more contemporary lines, such as a Korean shirt or a jacket with unisex cut.

The important is that everything is the right size to obtain a harmonious, elegant, and professional outfit.

Finally, accessories are essential to complete the look and add personality. They must be coordinated with the other elements of the look, and it is advisable to choose a belt matching to your shoes or a scarf mismatching with the blazer and is in the same shade of the trousers.

The strength of the mismatched suit is definitely its versatility and the possibility of adding your own personal touch. Unless a formal dress isn't explicitly required, the mismatched suit can be the right outfit to show up at your best in different contexts, from a romantic outing to a job interview.