Owning a suit is an unavoidable part of being a true man. A man with bold character who is not afraid to show his true colors. Some men choose to wear a suit like they were born in one, it’s almost like it gives them superhero powers. And some although well aware of the advantages of wearing one tend to make mistakes here and there.
Nevertheless, if you are one of the first or the second ones, we could all use some knowledge when it comes how to properly suit-up. Nowadays it has turned into more than practical uniform to wear to work, as we mentioned, it has turned into a statement, and into a way to stand out from the crowd.
Here you can read the top fifteen rules when it comes to what you should and shouldn’t do when wearing a suit and all the details to pay attention to.
The Last Button Should Always Be Open
Nothing screams “rookie” like buttoning up the last button on your suit jacket. As weird as it sounds this is the most common mistake and probably the worst one. Yes, we know buttoning seems reasonable, natural, but simply don’t do it.
You might be thinking “Why would there be a button if I’m not supposed to use it?”
Oddly but true, in the world of fashion and style, the last button is there simply because of aesthetic purpose and not a functional one. Nevertheless, if you choose a suit jacket with classical single or an old-school double-breasted fastening, nor if you choose a suit with two or three buttons always remember to leave out the last one. Ignore it, like it’s not there in the first place!
Unfasten the Suit Jacket Buttons While Sitting Down
While we are at explaining what you should and shouldn’t do with the buttons on your suit jacket, another thing to remember just as vital as the first “rule” is to unfasten all of the buttons while sitting down. Don’t underestimate the “power” of this rule. Yes, it does sound simple but you will be amazed by the difference it makes. It’s the difference between looking sharp and looking like a “stuffed potato”. If you don’t trust us, try it out for yourself, you’d be amazed by the difference it makes.
Never Pair a Sport Watch With a Suit
The suit is the ultimate elegant piece standing high on the pyramid of each man’s business and formal attire. There is nothing that literally proves you have an impeccable style such as a suit that fits you like a glove. Wearing one is the perfect way to make a statement that you are true to your character.
Just as important as finding and wearing the perfect suit is matching it with the right accessories. Wearing a watch is more of an everyday habit and although you might not have a collection of branded watches, owning one that is just as elegant as your suit is the way to go! Leave the sport watch home when heading off for a wedding or super important business meeting and replace it with an elegant leather strap watch or a stainless steel one.
The Shoulders of The Suit Should Hug Your Body
Don’t even consider that you’ve done “the job” just by purchasing a suit. Any suit can be “a suit” but it takes time and effort that will result in finding the right suit.
The one that will compliment your figure, show your true sense of fashion, and enhance your overall look. One of the most important thing when purchasing a suit jacket as part of the overall suit combination along with the trousers is the way it fits your shoulders. Too wide and you will look saggy and silly, too tight and you won’t be able to raise your arms. Uncomfortable, right? But, no worries, we are here to help you.
In order for your suit jacket to look flawless on you in the shoulder area, you need to look for the two most important things. First things first, the shoulders of your suit should lie flat on your shoulders meaning no wrinkles around the collar nor around the front pocket. Additionally, your sleeves should start from the place where your arm meets your shoulder, anything other than this-again wrinkles or lumps.
Say NO to Baggy Trousers
Here we are at the second part of the equation called the flawless elegant suit combination. Not only should the suit jacket look like it was customized for you, but the trousers should enhance your figure too.
Nothing is worse than purchasing trousers for the sake of it. If they don’t fit you well, you don’t feel comfortable nor confident. You might as well throw them in the garbage or make a smart decision to get them tailored. Whatever you choose, in order to avoid unnecessary stress and additional inconvenience whenever you go shopping, look for men’s pants that will flatter your figure. Nothing too tight, nothing too baggy.
Have The Right Amount of Accessories
Choosing the right amount of suit accessories can either break or make your combination. Yes, although you might not consider it as that serious, going overboard with adding too many accessories will make you look ridiculous. After all, the rule “less is more” wasn’t created for nothing. If you want to keep the elegant and sophisticated look than you need to keep the entire combination including the accessories minimalistic.
Don’t get us wrong, they are a great way to add a dose of individualism, uniqueness, and a splash of color BUT always be careful, you don’t want to end up looking like a clown.
Your Shoes Should Always Compliment Your Suit
You should be careful not only when it comes to accessorizing and choosing some pair-able colors but when you are choosing the color of your shoes too. They should complement the color of your suit. Occasional mixing and matching might be an interesting way to give your combination a creative boost, but a cardinal mistake would be pairing a classic black suit/tuxedo with a pair of brown shoes and vice versa. The neutral earthy tones together with the navy blue and burgundy to go well with brown shoes while on the other hand black goes only with black.
Your Socks Should Always Cover Your Legs
Imagine going above and beyond to look superior, timelessly elegant and then out of nowhere all of your effort goes wasted. Wondering why?
Well as we all know it, the devil is in the details and when you choose to sit down, the details between your short socks and your trousers choose to make an appearance. We are talking about your hair leg. This should NEVER happen. Your socks should always be high enough to cover your legs. Another thing to avoid is wearing white socks. They will make you stand out from the crowd in a bad manner. Why not try out wearing colorful socks? Certain prints and patterns might be just the way of saying that although you are a serious and businessman, you can be fun too.
If You Wear a Suspender Don’t Wear a Belt
If you are wondering why, well they both have the same function so wearing both of them at the same time makes no sense. If you are aiming to create a semi-formal look suitable for more casual occasions than you can go with suspenders but if you want to create the elegant look than always use a belt. Or if you want your belt to be your statement piece than you can even choose some colorful woven belt. Carefully crafted from fine leather you will most certainly make an appearance.
Shirt Cuffs Shouldn’t Go Over The Hand
In order to create an exceptional suit combination, other than the jacket and the trousers, your dress shirt must fit you properly too. One of the most important things is its length or should we say the length of the sleeves. They mustn't go over the hand. Not only they shouldn’t be too long (saggy) they shouldn’t be too tight either-restricting your movement. Just the right length meaning that they should be smooth, ending just at the wrist, allowing you to move freely. Next time you choose to buy a shirt with longer sleeves consider the fact that the dress shirt is the basic layer to every seamless combination. Imagine your long sleeves “dripping” underneath while wearing your suit jacket, just terrible.
The Tie Bar Should Not be Wider Than The Tie
There are a few golden rules when it comes to wearing a tie bar respectfully and only one among them is that the tie bar shouldn’t be wider than the tie. Optimally it should extend ½ to ¾ of the total width of the tie but never beyond. Furthermore, if you are wondering where to clip it the answer is somewhere around the middle between the third and the fourth buttons on your dress shirt. A tie bar could be your statement piece, something that will make you stand out from the crowd.
No Gap Between The Shirts Collar And The Suit
If you want to look sleek and tacky than you should aim for your dress shirt and the suit jacket to fit together like two pieces of a puzzle. Although the collar gap can be caused by a number of reasons, most commonly, the collar of the jacket is too large for the neck size. This could be fixed by making a visit to the tailor but there is no guarantee. Owning at least one ill-fitting suit jacket is an absolute must for every stylish man out there.
The Jacket Should Cover The Zipper of Your Trousers
Your suit jacket’s length is quite important too, not only because too short jacket is rather not such tasty thing to be seen nor decent but because its length will determine the perception of your body’s proportions. Ideally the middle of your palms while your arms are hanging freely should be touching the hem of the jacket. When purchasing a suit jacket, buying one that is a bit longer isn’t such problem because it can be easily adjusted.
Always Button The Top Button of Your Shirt
This rule is old and well-respected among businessmen across the globe that tend to always suit-up when they go to work. Buttoning up the last button on your shirt and adding a suitable tie around your neck will make you look sharp, put together, and elegant. The entire attention will be toward your face of course, after your perfect suit-up combination.
Your Tie Should End at or Just Before Your Belt
Well, this is probably the trickiest rule of them all but with practice, you will overcome it. You might think that this is not important but you are wrong. The proper length of the tie will result in your body to be balanced and look aesthetic. Weird, everything achieved only by a tie. If you wear it too long it will make you look sloppy and on the contrary, if you wear it too short you risk looking clownish. Never forget to measure the right length of your tie while standing normally.
Conclusion
Here we’ve only tackled the surface of how to properly suit-up. Although the sense of fashion is something that you are born with, don’t despair if you don’t go hand in hand with the trends. Give yourself some time to adapt, to learn, and experiment. One suit after another, you will own it. You will level up your “suit-ing” game! Every single detail even more than from our list will become an everyday thing. Something that you don’t even repeat in your head when wearing a suit. The details will become your mantra that you can not forget.