Tips for Wearing an Ascot

Though once a stylish accessory worn by any sartorially-inclined gentleman, today the ascot often reeks of upper class stuffiness and pretension – or worse, a costumey dandy affectation. However, there’s no reason an ascot can’t be worn casually as a daily accessory by the well-dressed man. You’ve just got to do it right. Here are five tips on how to wear an ascot.

| WEARING | Montezemolo quilted topcoat, Blazer c/o Reiss, Al Bazar shirt, Vintage Yves Saint Laurent pants, Vintage Burberry ascot, Christys fur felt fedora, J.Crew belt, Timex watch, Boots c/o Jack Erwin | PHOTOGRAPHY | by Rob McIver Photo

Keep your outfit simple. Even for the most effortless ascot wearer, it will make something of a statement. And as with any kind of statement piece or accessory, the best rule of thumb is to keep the rest of your look simple. Solid colors and minimal patterns. Let it complement your outfit, much as you’d do with a pocket square.

Tie it correctly. We touched on this in a previous post about ascots, but that post used a smaller silk scarf instead of a proper ascot like I’m wearing here. Tying an ascot is simple. Start just like you’d tie a tie with one end slightly longer than the other. Cross the longer end over the shorter end, loop it up and over, and adjust. Tuck inside your shirt. You can loop it again for more of a flourish, but I prefer the simplicity of how it looks doing it just once. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can add a pin to the knot.

Wear it low. An ascot shouldn’t be a choker. Wear it low under your shirt so it peeks out slightly. Much more appealing than a t-shirt or chest hair.

Be confident. Good advice for anything style-related, but even more timely if you’re going to be donning an ascot. Only wear one if it feels “right” to you. If you’re the least bit self-conscious and fidgety, it’s not going to work. Put it on, forget about it, and follow the next tip (see below).

Have fun. An ascot will only appear serious and stuff if you appear serious and stuffy. Smile, have some fun, and enjoy being the person who’s not afraid to show a little panache by sporting a classic menswear accessory.

Thanks for reading.

Stylishly Yours,

Brian
He Spoke Style