A Gentleman’s Guide To Suit Up

When it comes to clothes, we rarely see our male counterparts burdening their minds with all the fuss of dressing up. But with evolving times, men seem more concerned with their trousseau.

Nothing showcases the gentleman in you more than a well-fitted suit. If you can’t tell your wing collar from the spread one or your Derby from your Oxford shoes, it might be good idea to bookmark this page so that your foray into the formal regalia does not turn into a disaster.

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Clothes make a man, A suit makes a gentleman

The Jacket

Make sure your jacket is a nice fit. Your jacket sleeves should cover your wrists when your arms are on your sides. Concerning the length: it should cover your bottom. The jacket should not appear overstretched across your chest when it is buttoned. The shoulder seam should end at the edge of your shoulder; no more, no less.

When it comes to buttons; follow the SOMETIMES-ALWAYS-NEVER rule

TOP BUTTON-You should sometimes button it

MIDDLE BUTTON-You should always button it.

BOTTOM BUTTON-You should never button it.

The Cuts and The Pockets

Knowing which type of cut in your jacket suits you, help you shine through the suit. Prior to knowing what suits you, you need to be familiar with the cuts-

The English Cutthe British cut has two vents at the back which was made so to pinch better at the waist. It makes you look taller, slimmer and younger. Since it is difficult to find a perfect fit it usually needs to be tailored.

The Italian Cutthe European cut has no vents so it has little space. It gives an inverted triangle impression at the perfect shaped waist of European me; hence the name. It makes you look like you are aware of fashion and portrays an image of power.

The American Cutthe American cut is more about comfort than style with a single cut at the back of the suit. It might be the perfect choice for a first suit.

Single-breasted –These suits are much more common and available in various patterns and fabric. They usually have a single line of buttons.

Double-breasted-These suits are more formal and have often two lines of buttons. If you are planning to buy a double-breasted one, the fabrics and patterns need to be paid more attention.

The shirt, suit and tie matchup

The shirt should be well fitted too with collars just grazing your neck and not constricting it. The cuffs should end around beginning of your palm and shoulder seam should be at shoulder bone. The shirt should not be too short such that it comes out of your pants when you bend over.

Knowing your arm-length and neck size is the way to a perfect fit shirt. Matching colors is easy and may come naturally to your instincts. Matching patterns is the tough call which adds character to your suit.

The pants

One of the least attended to part of suiting up is the pants, yet makes a huge difference. Your trousers should hang just below your navel at the top of your hip bones. It should not be giving the impression of loosely-fitted pants or give the sore sight of pant-eating bottoms.

The break in your trousers should be between a Half-break and a Quarter-break .Its best to avoid pleats in front. If you do have, then wear the pants at your waist and not hips to avoid the bulge.

The shoe wagon

A wise man said that it is impossible to suit up well with cheap shoes to pair with. You cannot definitely wear sneakers with them so let’s enrich your vocabulary with the various types of shoes and help you put your best foot forward while suiting up.

Oxfords may be the best option to go for formal suits but there are others to chose from.

Basic types of cuffs include Barrel cuffs which are rather informal and may be single buttoned or double buttoned and French cuffs which are more formal. Both of these cuffs can be standard rounded or angled.

Cufflinks are still a baffling mystery for most people so don’t be embarrassed. Let’s help to understand this basic skill. While Barrel cuffs give the impression of longer arms, French cuffs are suitable for wearing cufflinks.

Tie and Tie Bars

Tie should end at the belt-line is the basic rule regarding ties. Tie bar should be pinned between the third and fourth button of your shirt.

The width of the tie should match the width of your lapel. First and foremost the suit and shirt are matched after which we match the tie. The tie should have the primary color of the shirt you have chosen. Risks are not bad but make sure not to go overboard to impress the fashion police.

 

Collars and Lapels

Collar is the first number your tailor jots down when you are getting your suit tailored so make sure to get it right the first time. Collars are of various types like club collar, spread collar, wing tip collar and more. Your collar should match your face type. It could be a little queer unless you know which type matches which face type.

As previously mentioned lapels should be deciding factor for the width of your tie and vice-versa. Thin lapels are a modern concept while older generation saw wider lapels compared to the recent fashion. So which one are you, new school or old school??

Pocket Squares

Pocket squares is probably the only field in suiting up where you could be a bit more creative so although conservative is good, do try new.

Folding of pocket squares is not really difficult be it the casual fold or the three peaks fold

Belts and Bows

Belts may not particularly be the part of the suiting up scenario but it sure can add the oomph factor! The belt should be fairly thin and it should match the color of your shoes.

Technically, bow ties can be worn most of the time a neck tie needs to be worn. It just adds a formal touch to the attire. The most common bow types that you should know how to tie include Butterfly, Batwing, Big Butterfly, Diamond point and the Club Round.

There are certain dos and don’ts for wearing anything. If you have not been giving the same impression like James Bond or Barney Stinson in a suit, maybe you are wearing it the wrong way. Even if you are not, let this guide and tips make you look smarter and sharper with more attention to the minute details of wearing a suit. It might be the perfect guide if you are a beginner.

Be confident and set out to turn some heads gentleman.

Published by
Sree Lakshmi