Every Man Needs a Black Suit—So Get Yours Right Now (2024)

Matching Suit Pants: Ludlow Slim-fit suit pant in Italian wool

$225 at J.Crew

When J.Crew launched the Ludlow suit a little over a decade ago, it set a new standard for formalwear. Men were already starting to dress up again, and the store brand provided an approachable entree to great tailoring. We've come a long way since then, but the Ludlow remains a steadfast example of how a suit should fit and feel. What was once game-changing suit is now a reliable classic.

Matching Suit Pants: AirSense Pants

Uniqlo is known for great looking basics at very friendly prices and this black suit is a perfect example. With a lapel that isn't too wide and not too skinny, a relaxed body, and a comfy soft shoulder, you've got an easy to style and easy to wear suit. To keep the price down, Uniqlo used 100% polyester, which will also save you dry cleaning bills because it is much easier to clean than traditional suiting wool.

Matching Suit Pants: Straight Leg Linen Trousers

$195 at Percival

While most men go with lighter colors with their summer suiting, go rogue with some black linen. Patch pockets and an unstructured finish place this black suit on the more casual side, which makes it perfect for warm weather parties and events. A shirt and tie will always work, but you can keep it chill with a camp collar shirt and loafers.

You don't need to go full athletic fabric to make a suit optimal for travel. In fact, sticking to mostly wool will retain the shape of the suit longer and provide a more refined look. Bonobos built their travel suit almost entirely out of wool, with only 3% elastic. Comfort is key to travel, and Bonobos offers three different cut options to nail down your most comfortable fit. An extra large interior pocket to stash your passport, wallet, or anything else is a nice little bonus.

Read more: Best Men's Travel Blazers

Matching Suit Pants: New Venture Trouser

$148 at Lululemon

With snaps instead of buttons, no chest pocket, and no cuff buttons, this suit almost resembles a coach's jacket. The lightweight and flexible fabric feels like activewear as well. Yet a knock lapel, soft suiting shoulder, and matching pants make this a proper suit. Trading formality for comfort isn't always a bad thing. This is a great set for a business casual dress codes or mixing it up on the weekends.

Matching Suit Pants: Signature Italian Hopsack Suit Pant

$200 at Banana Republic

Hopsack is a weave that makes suits wrinkle resistant without any added material. It also causes a nice natural drape where it hangs from the body, where most suits can be rigid. Banana Republic makes a beautifully cut black hopsack suit with a square shoulder, medium lapel and and slim fit. This is the perfect wedding suit because it gives you room to dance while still looking formal. It also makes a great work suit because of its hard-to-wrinkle fabric.

Read more: Best Wedding Suits

Hawes and Curtis Black Twill Slim Suit Jacket

Matching Suit Pants: Black Twill Slim Suit Pants

$100 at Hawes and Curtis

A sturdy wool twill suit works great double duty as a casual fit. The distinct weave matches well with sneakers, denim shirts, and t-shirts. Of course, the matte texture also provides a nice finish with a dress shirt and tie.

Indochino Highbridge Herringbone Black Suit

Zara 100% Wool Suit

Robert Graham Robert Graham Wool & Mohair Slim Fit Suit Jacket

Matching Suit Pants: Wool & Mohair Slim Fit Suit Pants

$248 at Bloomingdales

Blending wool with mohair gives a rougher looking texture that is actually soft to the touch. You don't see it often in suits and it adds a nice little detail to a well tailored fit. The wool/mohair blend is also warmer than a full wool, so this is a great fall and winter suit. A soft rope shoulder and medium width lapel add a classic look.

Mango Slim fit double-breasted suit blazer

Matching Suit Pants: Suit Pants

$90 a Mango

Double breasted jackets are definitely back and better than ever. More often than not, you'll find them in navy blue, but black is the sleekest option. You could dress it up with a shirt and tie, but wearing a crew neck t-shirt or sweater lets the jacket do all the work. A great fall and winter look is to wear a turtleneck underneath.

Fit and fabric are the top priorities for any color suit, but none more so than black. It doesn’t matter if you go with a soft shoulder or fully padded, a slim fit or boxy fit, tailored pants or wide leg, as long as fit and proportions complement your body then you’re good to go. If you are unsure of your side, most brand websites have a size chart. Which is always good to reference anyway, since sizing can fluctuate from brand to brand.

For maximum versatility, stick to a black suit that checks all the fundamental boxes: two button front, notch lapel, double vent, and flat front trousers. Smaller details can vary, but as long as you have those classic suit elements included, you can do anything you want with your black suit.

Black suits are absolutely not too formal. They have a reputation for formality because black is just the easiest color to use for work uniforms and the best color for blending in. Black is also the color of choice for pretty much every high fashion brand ever. However, that doesn't mean you can’t make black suits light hearted and fun. Anything you can do with a navy suit, you can do with a black suit. Ironically, you will stand out by going semi-casual in a black suit because most men haven’t tried it yet. Once you do though, you'll have it in your repertoire for life.

Read more: How to Wear Suits With Sneakers