The Perfect Suit Guide

The Men’s Suit Checklist

checklist-mens-suitsA lot of men tend to misunderstand suits. The two- and three-piece suit styles are staples in men’s fashion; almost every guy over 20 has at least one. Most, however, believe that merely wearing the jacket and the pants is enough to make your outfit formal. Not all are aware of all the other little details that go into making a suit a style statement of elegance, sophistiation, and even authority.

Tradition is at the heart of the suit, and the traditional way of wearing it involves much more besides the jacket, pants and even vest. In order for the suit to be most effective as a status symbol, you have to stay true to those traditional roots. Staying true to those roots in turn means wearing all of the requisite accessories.

Suit Style Basics
You should start with the most fundamental pieces: the jacket with the pants and, in a three-piece set, the vest. In addition to these basics, you should also have a crisp shirt to add color and contrast to the strong and often too somber tones of the suit.

Note that not all dressy pants are pleated. Men’s fashion today is moving increasingly toward slim fit slacks that feature a flat front to further emphasize a trim physique. If the pants didn’t come creased from the store or the tailor, don’t add your own creases. Not only will the creases look unsightly (they were omitted for a reason), but you’re giving your pants a completely different drape than originally intended.

A necktie should be your next order of business. A formal shirt with a suit is like a blank piece of canvas mounted on an easel. It doesn’t look bad, but it doesn’t look like much either. It’s the colorful palette of mens ties that will turn the mundane to the memorable.

Since you’re wearing a suit, it should also be safe to assume that you know how to tie a proper necktie knot. It’s a requirement that every man spending his own money ought to satisfy as a rite of passage. There’s that, and the fact that no self-respecting guy should be caught dead wearing one of those childish elastic-equipped duds.

Dashing Details
A crisp shirt and a silk necktie with a jacket and slacks is a sufficient suit, but it’s by no means perfectly complete. The whole, optimal suit also makes extensive use of other accessories that are sometimes functional, sometimes frivolous but always traditional.

Cufflinks, for example, aren’t always seen as necessary, what with the dominance of the barrel cuff style that doesn’t need them. The more sophisticated French cuff takes a lot more effort to master, but the requirement of cuff links is exactly what makes them seem so professional. It’s about as traditional as the modern suit ensemble can get.

Haberdasheries are one of the fast fading niches in men’s fashion, what with the sheer dominance of one-stop department stores. One, however, should never forget the value of haberdashery, of the perfectly paired socks and the pristine pocket square. They’re small details that are often belittled and even overlooked. It’s only the truly style-conscious guy who knows how to pay them the right kind and amount of attention.

When it comes to suits and formal men’s fashion, it’s all about the details. No sock color and necktie pattern is too inconsequential for you to overlook. The experienced dresser knows that even the smallest of these elements can throw an entire look off kilter.

Other Suggested Articles From Our Fashion Blog
Finding the Perfect Tie Length
Silk Tie Cleaning Tips

Your Mens-Ties.com Team

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