How to Wear Layers: Spring Edition

Spring may represent hope and rebirth, but with increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, the transitional season can often seem more wintery in nature. A sporty windbreaker ideal for a breezy weekend afternoon in early May won’t cut it on a blustery morning in late March. At the same time, it’s far too late in the season to break out a heavy down parka that’s intended for mid-January. Enter the strategic art of layering. 

Staying warm despite unseasonably chilly temperatures is the first advantage of wearing layers. And while correct fit makes all of the difference in a well-dressed man’s wardrobe, layering also enhances an array of outfits. Yet balance is key: Excessive layers can constrict movement while appearing bulky and sloppy. Even worse, they tend to make any man look as if he’s gained 10 pounds (even on an athletic frame). 

Just as a formal table setting requires the placement of forks on the left and knives on the right, layering has its own set of practical ground rules: 

1. Wear thinner/lighter fabrics inside and thicker/heavier fabrics outside.
2. Wear prints inside and solid colors outside.
3. Wear light colors inside and dark colors outside.

For example, a button-up shirt works perfectly as an inside layer (closest to the body), followed by a lightweight sweater or vest as a middle layer and a jacket as an outer layer. Here are our style solutions as determined by the fundamental guidelines of layering. 

RULE #2: prints inside/solid shades outside

Here, some additional spring layering suggestions—i.e., what to wear from the office to off duty: 

Style-conscious layering is actually pretty simple: Just stick to the rules, make sure everything fits, and you’re sure to get the look right.