Let’s get something straight here: I freaking love the black suit. It’s The Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night. It’s Marcello Mastroianni in those cool Fellini films. It’s JT in his new music video rocking that tux. Black just has that right touch of the dramatic and sophistication that will always make it a classic.

Yet, I think that one of the most essential steps to dressing well is realizing that there’s much more out there beyond your comfort zone. In an increasingly casual world, I think that the solid, single-breasted black suit has become a bit of a sartorial crutch for most of us college students. I mean, this suit is your one shot at feeling like a million bucks and standing out, whether it’s for your next interview or for your best friend’s wedding; why would you want to look like everyone else? I think that the suit, the quintessential piece to almost any man’s wardrobe, should be more than your answer to that “business professional” dress code, but rather an opportunity to really express your personality. Here are three alternatives to get you started on kicking that black suit and find the right one that suits you.

#1. Pick a different color!

It’s really that easy. You don’t let black dictate your shirts, or your jeans, why do the rules change when you’re dressing professionally? Take note of the picture to the right. A favorite of New York Fashion Week street style, I think what we can most immediately take away from this snapshot is how comfortable and natural these men feel, and they do so by choosing colors natural to them. The man to the right exudes a sense of youth, charm, and even ease just by picking that bold shade of blue.

Now, I know what you have to say. You’re picking out your first suit that you’re mostly going to wear to impress your next boss or your to-be professional fraternity. It needs to be both versatile and relatively conservative, which is why you went with black in the first place. That’s absolutely okay. The ironic part is, in the most traditionalist sense of men’s style, black is really the most limiting color you can go for. It’s by far the most formal, and was originally left to either evening black-tie events or funerals.

Go for gray or navy instead! Either option has even more flexibility than black. I’m a personal fan of the gray, which is my go-to suit at the moment for any business professional venture of even a fancy date, if it’s really called for. A light heather gray is the perfect intersection between the classic and the modern that is the goal of men’s fashion. It just feels so fresh and youthful. It’s Frank Sinatra, and it’s Cary Grant, but it’s also the new standard that most men’s sartorial publications are all about. A light gray can really make a bold shirt and tie combination pop. At the same time, you can keep it minimalist and elegant with a gray-black-white theme.I mean, do you really not want to look like Ryan Gosling?

#2. Throw in the vest.

Beyond just throwing around a different color, whether it be a basic gray or totally out there like that awesome bold blue, a ridiculously simple yet sophisticated variation is the vest. With the help of the genius of stylistically acclaimed shows such as Mad Men and Boardwalk Empire, as well as the magnificent JGL shown here, three-piece suits have made a come back. While the heather gray two-piece mentioned earlier was all about keeping it youthful yet classic, go for the three-piece if you want to make a much more powerful statement of confidence and composure. Think of the difference between the three-piece and the two-piece as the difference between Old Money and New Money. Pair the three-piece with cuff links for that extra punch of Art Deco and you’ll have a look to last for centuries.

#3. Mix up the materials: go for tweed.

Maybe you already have the gray suit, even the three piece, and it’s old news for you. Well it’s time to add an extra dimension with different materials such as tweed. The coarse texture that fashion bloggers die for adds such a distinct, impeccable contrast to a crisp, clean shirt and well-knit tie. It represents the same cross between tradition and youth that the gray suit achieved, except it takes this cross to a whole new level. When you think of tweed, the material’s images ranges everywhere from countryside gentry to the Kennedy Brothers. The greatest part yet about tweed is that it adds touch of intelligence that you can rarely achieve with any other fabric. Think your typical English professor with his cool vintage elbow-patches. While what I’m mentioning seems so stuffy and old school, tweed is trending again, and 21st century designers have updated and freshened the look while keeping its cool air of tradition. If hopping straight into a tweed suit seems a bit daunting, ease into it with a tweed jacket! Well, if you’re prep enough for the challenge, that is.

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