Used to be, your dress watch was meant to blend into the background—a tasteful afterthought that ceded the limelight to the rest of your ensemble. These days, though, a new breed of spiffed-up tickers is delivering unignorable wallops of funk: sometimes subtly, as in the case of Parmigiani Fleurier’s pistachio-faced Toric; sometimes not so subtly, as exhibited by the 151 diamonds encrusting the dial of this Cartier Tank.
Cartier
Tank Louis Cartier Watch
Omega
Constellation Moonshine Gold Watch
Chopard
L.U.C Flying T Twin Perpetual Watch
Timex
Q Timex 1972 Reissue Watch
Seiko
Essentials SWR Watch
Flowy Suits
Boxy suits on the runways of Fear of God, Emporio Armani, and Bottega Veneta, top, plus a trio of tailoring gods in Elle Fanning, A$AP Rocky, and Bill Nighy, above.
Elle Fanning: Kate Green. A$AP Rocky: Mike Coppola. Bill Nighy: Simon Ackerman. All: Getty Images. Runway photographs: Vogue Runway (3).
The raddest suits right now aren’t all that loud—they’re largely conservative textile-wise, sticking mainly to time-tested gray wools and crisp dark pinstripes—but they do have the volume cranked way up. Trousers are cut looser and longer. Jackets are strong shouldered and wide lapelled. That’s not to say you’re meant to drown in all that extra fabric, however. Tailored just right, with the waists cinched and the hems adjusted, these bigger rigs will accentuate and enhance your physique with astonishing grace.
Saint Laurent
Yves Light Wool Tuxedo Jacket
Saint Laurent
High-Waisted Light Wool Pants
Valentino
Prince of Wales Checked Wool Suit Jacket
Valentino
Straight-Leg Prince of Wales Checked Wool Suit Trousers
Tom Ford
Dyllan Double-Breasted Silk and Linen-Blend Twill Suit Jacket
Tom Ford
Dyllan Straight-Leg Silk and Linen-Blend Twill Suit Trousers
Dior Men
Classic Checkered Jacket
Dolce & Gabbana
Stretch Wool Sicilia-Fit Jacket
Dolce & Gabbana
Stretch Wool Twill Pants
Todd Snyder
Italian Linen Silk Donegal Wythe Jacket
Todd Snyder
Italian Linen Silk Donegal Wythe Trouser
Fear of God
Oversized Double-Breasted Wool and Silk-Blend Suit Jacket
Fear of God
8th Straight-Leg Pleated Virgin Wool and Silk-Blend Suit Trousers
Go-Anywhere Mary Janes
This month’s wardrobe upgrade from GQ.com’s team of shopping experts. Hit “Add to cart” pronto.
You never want your dress shoes to be doing too much. Broguing, antiquing, superfluous tassels—all potential threats to the clean lines of your tailored wear. These polished Mary Janes, however, have just enough extra juice. Hailing from the storied British shoemaker Solovair, they’ve got a familiar, endlessly wearable derby shape, only leveled up by a T-bar strap that’ll give your socks an extra chance to shine. Simple enough to pair with the soberest of suits, striking enough that no one’ll ever mistake you for a suit.
A version of this story originally appeared in the March 2025 issue of GQ with the title “How to Suit Up Right in 2025”
PRODUCTION CREDITS: Photographs by Bowen Fernie Styled by Haley Gilbreath Grooming by Melissa DeZarate using Maria Nila Prop Styling by Sharon Ryan at Halley Resources