Shawn Mendes came up on Vine (R.I.P.), and now he’s evolved into a prince of pop music. And when you’re one of the most in-demand musicians around, red carpets become a piece of prime attention-grabbing real estate. Like at Sunday night’s MTV Europe Music Awards in Manchester, England, where the Canadian singer showed off another mega-chill suit.
Up top, Mendes threw on a double-breasted jacket cropped just below his waist, keeping the silhouette symmetrical throughout. It was boxy, louche, and the lapels nodded to the Wall Street chaos of the 1980s in the very best way. Underneath, he subbed out the tie for a white wide-collared Western shirt, accented with gold cowboy-style collar tips.
The beauty of this suit is that by subtly altering the length of the jacket, you avoid things becoming too top-heavy. Sure, a straight pant would have looked pretty sick, but instead the singer wore loose-fitting trousers, which broke over polished leather tassel loafers to double-down on the chill vibes into the bottom half of the fit and keep things in proportion.
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Mendes’s look was packed with menswear workhorses including a solid pair of loafers that look good with just about anything (including baggy suit pants); an open-collar shirt that slaps just as hard with jeans as a suit jacket; and a timeless double-breasted jacket. The look played with tradition in a subtle yet impactful way. And by rocking an open collar, he’s following the many Hollywood guys who are ditching the ties.
Mendes has worn this kind of ensemble just a couple months ago when, in the thick of September’s VMAs madness and faced with the option of dressing like a Dorito or a menswear king, he chose the latter. Again, the jacket was cropped, and the pants loose. Basically, the MTV EMAs was just another day in the office.
If we can learn anything from Shawn Mendes’s red carpet fits, it’s to pay attention to cut and silhouette, and find your uniform. Once you’ve got it, lean into it (and let the compliments roll in).
This story originally appeared on British GQ.
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