Even if you are not a fashion connoisseur, you can likely tell the difference between a professional and a pauper just by the clothes being worn. Sharp bespoke clothing makes a man look professional, successful, self-confident, knowledgeable, fashionable and sexy; and that’s why the ladies love a well dressed man. The first thing potential employers, clients, customers and women will see of you is how you are dressed, and even if you have a great personality or are perfect for the job, that first impression will set you apart from the rest.
The suit has distinguished the gentleman for more than a hundred years, and though trends may change, a classic suit with your own personal flare will give you the edge. Looking too casual can make you seem unprofessional, unprepared and not serious about your career or clients, and even if you are not at the office, a too casual appearance will send the same message. So what should you look for to be that sharply dressed man?
The first thing to consider when buying a suit is the fabric. There are different types, but most people agree the best fabric for a suit is wool. Wool is durable, it breathes well, and it gives a classy look. The different types of wool to choose from are tweed, flannel tropical and worsted.
Tweed is the heaviest of the wools, and is likely too heavy for normal everyday use at the office. It is not ideal for heavier men as it will make you look bulky. Tweed will give a very mature look and tends to be associated with old professors or long evenings in the foggy English countryside.
Flannel is the heaviest wool after tweed, so it is also most likely too heavy for everyday use in the office. It is corded wool making it durable but it will be awfully hot in the summer.
Tropical is a wool crepe and is quite lightweight so it is good for the summer, but because of this, it is easily wrinkled. If you are a busy man, you probably don’t want to be running back and forth to the dry-cleaners because of a constantly wrinkly suit.
Worsted is the best and most ideal. It is durable without the heavy weight of tweed and flannel, and not so easy to wrinkle as tropical; and it can usually be worn all year round.
Some of the other types of fabrics suits are made out of are silk, cotton, linen and polyester. These are not necessarily bad fabrics for suits, but they are inferior to worsted wool. They are lighter materials which would be good for summer wear, but make sure they are of good quality or they could crease and wrinkle making them not good candidates for traveling. Polyester is durable and cheap, but it often looks it. So be careful when choosing these fabrics. And of course all of these materials including the wools have different blends and qualities.
It is a good idea to have at least three suits so that even when one is being cleaned, there are still two to wear in your rotation, though if suits are a staple of your wardrobe, and they ought to be, you may wish to have more than that in some different materials to choose from for various seasons and occasions.
The second thing to consider when buying a suit is the colour. The main colours for suits are navy or business blue, charcoal and various tones of grey and brown. These colours are all good choices and can also be worn in pinstripe. You can’t go wrong with them, though the brown tones tend to be better for more casual wear. Black suits are more formal as they tend to be for weddings and funerals, but they also give a sense of authority, so if you are the boss, you may like what a tapered black suit says about you. You can also wear not so classic colours to show your own personality, but be careful as they may make you look less professional, and therefore, are more casual. For instance, if you want to wear a purple suit, go ahead, but be prepared for comments about the Joker if you do.
All the best fabrics and colours won’t mean anything, however, if you look sloppy or as if you have borrowed someone else’s suit. Knowing your measurements will help give you a proper tailored look, and even if you are looking for a casual suit, it should still fit you correctly. The measurements to know are neck, shoulders, sleeves, chest, waist and inseam. You can measure yourself or have a friend help you, but any reputable shop will be able to measure you. As you try on suits from off the peg or are being fitted, make sure you are comfortable, being able to stretch, bend, move your arms, sit down and of course stand with ease. Most peg suits adhere to the six inch drop size, which means that the waist size of the trousers is six inches smaller than the chest size of the jacket. Since most men do not personify this model; however, it would be most ideal to have a suit tailor made. Of course most people cannot afford this so there are two options after buying a peg suit: have either the trousers or jacket adjusted to fit you properly, or to mix and match. For the man on a budget, this is a good option because you can still look good without the high prices. Also, since you are buying the pieces separately, you can buy two pairs of trousers to go with one jacket and alternate between the pants so that all pieces wear evenly. This means that your suit will last longer, and so that you do not have to attempt to find the same style, size and colour later. But make sure your mixing and matching doesn’t leave you looking like you are wearing the jacket from one suit and the trousers from an entirely different one as this will appear sloppy.
So let’s move on to the individual pieces of the suit. The trousers should fit being able to fit two fingers into the waist for comfort. Braces or suspenders will not ruin the flow of the trousers, but since most men will prefer a belt, make sure it will not cinch the fabric making an awkward flow. The length of the leg is better a bit too long than too short, though it should be a little beyond the ankle resting on the tops of the shoes and not trailing on the floor or under the shoes as this will quickly ruin them and look sloppy. The style of trousers is up to the individual, though pleats tend to better cover the stomach. So if you have a flat stomach, flat trousers are well suited. Cuffs on trousers tend to be better for taller men with long legs.
And now the focus of the suit, the jacket. It should fit easily across the stomach and you should have no trouble buttoning it. As stated previously, you should be able to move your arms with comfort, though don’t make the mistake of buying a jacket too long in the sleeves. The jacket sleeves should just reach to the base of the thumb to reveal a half inch to an inch of the shirt cuff when your arms are by your sides. It is unnecessary to have padded shoulders in a proper fitting suit, unless your shoulders are particularly small, as the padding often looks 80’s dated and silly, but sometimes a soft and light padding can be used to simply square out the shoulders. The main styles of the suit jacket are single and double breasted. They both have two buttons, but can have as many as four, and they can have wide, thin, long and short lapels. If you are tall and thin, long and thin lapels might make you look gangly, but if you are large, these same lapels might make the suit appear too small for you. Most jackets will be in between regarding the lapel length and size which works for most people. The normal length of the jacket should reach to just before the tips of your fingers when standing. The single breasted jacket has the buttons in a straight line at the centre, and this is the most common and easiest to find off the peg. The double breasted jacket has two sets of buttons and fastens farther across the front of the jacket. Some argue this will make them less suitable for the heavier gentleman, and some argue it will make him look mighty. If you opt for the handkerchief in the front pocket, this should be classic white or match the colour of your tie.
One style of suit this author would like to see make a true and full come back is the three piece suit complete with cufflinks, pocket watch and fedora. This suit is often associated with prohibition era gangsters because of the movies, but let’s face it, gangsters or not, those men looked good, stylish, and sharp. And gangsters weren’t the only men wearing them. So were the detectives, bankers, doctors and lawyers to name a few. Some people would only wear this style of suit for Hallowe’en, but they wouldn’t make sure such a costume were proper fitting and of good quality. The full three piece suit when worn correctly is sure to raise eyebrows, but it doesn’t have to be old-fashioned, nor does it require those certain mentioned accessories.
Which fabric, colour and style you choose is up to you, but consider the purpose each suit will be used for. Try them on and look at yourself in front of a mirror to decide which is best for you. The suit is the staple of the sharply dressed man, so don’t ruin it with an unsightly shirt and tie, scuffed shoes, or a bad hair cut. Consider all these aspects of your wardrobe to make sure you give a great first impression.
The suit has distinguished the gentleman for more than a hundred years, and though trends may change, a classic suit with your own personal flare will give you the edge. Looking too casual can make you seem unprofessional, unprepared and not serious about your career or clients, and even if you are not at the office, a too casual appearance will send the same message. So what should you look for to be that sharply dressed man?
The first thing to consider when buying a suit is the fabric. There are different types, but most people agree the best fabric for a suit is wool. Wool is durable, it breathes well, and it gives a classy look. The different types of wool to choose from are tweed, flannel tropical and worsted.
Tweed is the heaviest of the wools, and is likely too heavy for normal everyday use at the office. It is not ideal for heavier men as it will make you look bulky. Tweed will give a very mature look and tends to be associated with old professors or long evenings in the foggy English countryside.
Flannel is the heaviest wool after tweed, so it is also most likely too heavy for everyday use in the office. It is corded wool making it durable but it will be awfully hot in the summer.
Tropical is a wool crepe and is quite lightweight so it is good for the summer, but because of this, it is easily wrinkled. If you are a busy man, you probably don’t want to be running back and forth to the dry-cleaners because of a constantly wrinkly suit.
Worsted is the best and most ideal. It is durable without the heavy weight of tweed and flannel, and not so easy to wrinkle as tropical; and it can usually be worn all year round.
Some of the other types of fabrics suits are made out of are silk, cotton, linen and polyester. These are not necessarily bad fabrics for suits, but they are inferior to worsted wool. They are lighter materials which would be good for summer wear, but make sure they are of good quality or they could crease and wrinkle making them not good candidates for traveling. Polyester is durable and cheap, but it often looks it. So be careful when choosing these fabrics. And of course all of these materials including the wools have different blends and qualities.
It is a good idea to have at least three suits so that even when one is being cleaned, there are still two to wear in your rotation, though if suits are a staple of your wardrobe, and they ought to be, you may wish to have more than that in some different materials to choose from for various seasons and occasions.
The second thing to consider when buying a suit is the colour. The main colours for suits are navy or business blue, charcoal and various tones of grey and brown. These colours are all good choices and can also be worn in pinstripe. You can’t go wrong with them, though the brown tones tend to be better for more casual wear. Black suits are more formal as they tend to be for weddings and funerals, but they also give a sense of authority, so if you are the boss, you may like what a tapered black suit says about you. You can also wear not so classic colours to show your own personality, but be careful as they may make you look less professional, and therefore, are more casual. For instance, if you want to wear a purple suit, go ahead, but be prepared for comments about the Joker if you do.
All the best fabrics and colours won’t mean anything, however, if you look sloppy or as if you have borrowed someone else’s suit. Knowing your measurements will help give you a proper tailored look, and even if you are looking for a casual suit, it should still fit you correctly. The measurements to know are neck, shoulders, sleeves, chest, waist and inseam. You can measure yourself or have a friend help you, but any reputable shop will be able to measure you. As you try on suits from off the peg or are being fitted, make sure you are comfortable, being able to stretch, bend, move your arms, sit down and of course stand with ease. Most peg suits adhere to the six inch drop size, which means that the waist size of the trousers is six inches smaller than the chest size of the jacket. Since most men do not personify this model; however, it would be most ideal to have a suit tailor made. Of course most people cannot afford this so there are two options after buying a peg suit: have either the trousers or jacket adjusted to fit you properly, or to mix and match. For the man on a budget, this is a good option because you can still look good without the high prices. Also, since you are buying the pieces separately, you can buy two pairs of trousers to go with one jacket and alternate between the pants so that all pieces wear evenly. This means that your suit will last longer, and so that you do not have to attempt to find the same style, size and colour later. But make sure your mixing and matching doesn’t leave you looking like you are wearing the jacket from one suit and the trousers from an entirely different one as this will appear sloppy.
So let’s move on to the individual pieces of the suit. The trousers should fit being able to fit two fingers into the waist for comfort. Braces or suspenders will not ruin the flow of the trousers, but since most men will prefer a belt, make sure it will not cinch the fabric making an awkward flow. The length of the leg is better a bit too long than too short, though it should be a little beyond the ankle resting on the tops of the shoes and not trailing on the floor or under the shoes as this will quickly ruin them and look sloppy. The style of trousers is up to the individual, though pleats tend to better cover the stomach. So if you have a flat stomach, flat trousers are well suited. Cuffs on trousers tend to be better for taller men with long legs.
And now the focus of the suit, the jacket. It should fit easily across the stomach and you should have no trouble buttoning it. As stated previously, you should be able to move your arms with comfort, though don’t make the mistake of buying a jacket too long in the sleeves. The jacket sleeves should just reach to the base of the thumb to reveal a half inch to an inch of the shirt cuff when your arms are by your sides. It is unnecessary to have padded shoulders in a proper fitting suit, unless your shoulders are particularly small, as the padding often looks 80’s dated and silly, but sometimes a soft and light padding can be used to simply square out the shoulders. The main styles of the suit jacket are single and double breasted. They both have two buttons, but can have as many as four, and they can have wide, thin, long and short lapels. If you are tall and thin, long and thin lapels might make you look gangly, but if you are large, these same lapels might make the suit appear too small for you. Most jackets will be in between regarding the lapel length and size which works for most people. The normal length of the jacket should reach to just before the tips of your fingers when standing. The single breasted jacket has the buttons in a straight line at the centre, and this is the most common and easiest to find off the peg. The double breasted jacket has two sets of buttons and fastens farther across the front of the jacket. Some argue this will make them less suitable for the heavier gentleman, and some argue it will make him look mighty. If you opt for the handkerchief in the front pocket, this should be classic white or match the colour of your tie.
One style of suit this author would like to see make a true and full come back is the three piece suit complete with cufflinks, pocket watch and fedora. This suit is often associated with prohibition era gangsters because of the movies, but let’s face it, gangsters or not, those men looked good, stylish, and sharp. And gangsters weren’t the only men wearing them. So were the detectives, bankers, doctors and lawyers to name a few. Some people would only wear this style of suit for Hallowe’en, but they wouldn’t make sure such a costume were proper fitting and of good quality. The full three piece suit when worn correctly is sure to raise eyebrows, but it doesn’t have to be old-fashioned, nor does it require those certain mentioned accessories.
Which fabric, colour and style you choose is up to you, but consider the purpose each suit will be used for. Try them on and look at yourself in front of a mirror to decide which is best for you. The suit is the staple of the sharply dressed man, so don’t ruin it with an unsightly shirt and tie, scuffed shoes, or a bad hair cut. Consider all these aspects of your wardrobe to make sure you give a great first impression.
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