ThatIsBeyond… Menswear at the Whats On Stage Awards.

I have just been lucky enough to spend my evening at the Whats On Stage Awards, hosted at the Prince of Wales Theatre by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst.

What struck me (as well as the cream of west end talent) was the vast array of amazing fashion on show. Preparing for this event, I can only say that I was stuck about what to wear. Formalwear I can do, Casualwear I can do, but finding a suitable blend is not an easy thing to achieve.

But looking around my fellow patrons, I decided to take note on what looks were really working!

SHOES
There was some truly spectacular footwear on show, from the glitzy to the incredibly stylish. Some of my favourites were some shiny black patent loafers that were paired with a slightly cropped grey trouser. The low cut on the side of the upper worked really well, and I thought to myself “I want those” immediately. Another shoe trend was a grey suede upper with brightly coloured sole. I particularly liked them paired with black trousers and a muted green velvet smoking jacket.

The DJ Jacket
For me all of the best casual/formal looks were based on an amazing formal dinner jacket.
This black jacket with glittered lapels, was paired with stiff jeans and a deep maroon t-shirt. The jacket was enough formality to pass the very casual rainier of the outfit as formalwear.
There was also a fair amount of plush velvet around, and I have to say that the play on colour and cut was the most noticeable way to pull the look together. This interesting grey/ green loose fit formal jacket just needs the basic black trou/ White shirt combo and a plain black tie.

PREPPY INFLUENCES
This was the route that I went down! And where this really worked, was when it was kept simple and collegiate. Pastel sweaters, fitted chinos and nautical tailored jackets. This was a layered look that is playfully safe in either arena of formality.
Again the fit was not as straight forward as you might expect, the cropped trousers were definitely featuring, and the fabrics were much more textures and therefore interesting.

BEST DRESSED MEN
In terms of celebs, then the two stand outs were:
David Tenant – who rocked this bright blue two piece suit to collect his best actor in a play award. (And gave an incredible speech about the arts too).

And Tom Hiddleston. Who was more classic in his outfit choice of a classic black suit and tie, and collected the award with Josie Rourke for best play revival, Coriolanus.

Getting the balance right is not the easiest thing, but as long as you feel comfortable you will wear whatever you wear with confidence.

TIB