Wearing a suit is a true statement of manhood. It can prove to be the difference when applying for a job or even grabbing yourself a date. So this nerd is providing you with a simple guide to choosing the right suit to help you leave out the most common errors when choosing the most important item in your wardrobe.
Mismatched Collars and Ties
The trend for skinny ties involves shirts with pointed collars. The wide cutaway collar seen here requires a chunkier tie and a larger knot like a Windsor, not the half-Windsor! (Ties are another story)
Poor-fitting Jackets
This isn’t the 1980s guys! Shoulder pads should always sit directly on top of your shoulders and finish above your shoulder’s end. A jacket that is too large will swamp your frame, giving it little definition and making an expensive suit look cheap; a poor fit is why politicians often look bad in designer tailoring.
Tie Length
The point of the tie should just touch the top of the belt, and never hang lower. This basically means that you don’t want the tie flapping around and getting in the way when you use the bathroom. You also want to stay away from the nerdy school boy look by wearing your tie far too short. Not a good look men.
The point of the tie should just touch the top of the belt, and never hang lower. This basically means that you don’t want the tie flapping around and getting in the way when you use the bathroom. You also want to stay away from the nerdy school boy look by wearing your tie far too short. Not a good look men.
The Casual Belt
The darker brown leather is mismatched with paler shoes. The belt is also made from distressed leather, which is too scruffy and casual to be worn with a suit. Tailoring should be about clean lines. (And remember: women are like hawks when it comes to noticing details) so neglect the accessories at your peril!
The hem on your trousers needs to brush the heel of the shoe and sit on the upper third lace. While there is an emerging trend for rising hemlines and ankle-cut trousers, you have to be very “experimental” to pull it off as you run a major risk of making it seem as though your pants are having an argument with your shoes. Socks should only be visible when seated, never when standing. NEVER!
Suit Pockets
Only use your suit’s inside pocket and even then not for anything heavier than notes and credit cards. If the outer pockets are stitched shut, leave them so. Keys, wallets, phones and iPods distort the line of the jacket, pull on the buttons and shoulders, and stretch the fabric. Need I say more about that? Yuck!
Colored Socks
The sock should match the shade of the suit or be darker, which will help to make the leg appear longer. Patterned socks can be fine, but only if the background shade is the same tone as the suit, or the same tone as your shoes. Otherwise it’s like the novelty tie: drawing major attention to your questionable taste in accessories.
Shoes
Footwear should be of the same tone as the suit or slightly darker, like the socks, to elongate the leg. Light tan with a dark suit is too big a contrast and can make your feet look enormous. Men, as much as you think that's a good thing, its pretty dorky.
Happy Suit Shopping!
I've just emailed this to my son who is new to wearing suits for interviews- he's a senior in college. Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDelete