Late Desk, Early Dinner

The tee under tailoring only works if the tee is good and the trousers are serious. Heavyweight cotton and tropical wool, in that order — get either wrong and the outfit reads as someone who left in a hurry.

Black from the collar down, navy above the waist. The two are close enough that the eye reads a single dark column and the jacket floats on top of it.

Why it works

• No collar, no tie, no decision to make at six o'clock.
• Black wool trousers are the most formal thing here, which buys the tee its place.
• The glasses are the only warm colour in the outfit, so they do the work of a pocket square.

Swap it

Washed black jeans instead of the wool, and it loses a whole level of formality without losing the shape.