Style Tips: Anatomy of a Suit

My first Style Tips post happens to be my first post for men! Neat. I promise, for all the dude readers (if I even have any), that I’ll try to post for guys more often. ‘Try’ is the keyword here.

A man in a suit is quite different than a man in a suit that fits. I prefer the ladder. Think James Bond, Donald Draper, Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Ryan Gosling. Now, imagine them all wearing baggy suits from Ross? It doesn’t work.

A suit that fits—regardless of your preference of cut or color—emits confidence, sexiness, and masculinity. A suit that doesn’t fit, which is usually pulled straight from the discount racks and made from less expensive material, is obvious whether or not you think it is. If it’s cheap, you’ll look cheap.Trust me.

I think every grown man should own at least one nice suit and a pair of fancy kicks because you never know when you’ll need it. Think of it as an investment because a quality suit will last for years.

1. It probably won’t be quick and easy. You have to spend time trying them on to find out which cut works best for you and which fabric hangs nicely, depending on your stature.

2. Most of the time, it probably won’t fit you perfectly. Get a tailor! This is where the work of a specialist comes in. Even if you skimp on the suit, spend the extra money on a professional tailor and make it look perfect.

3. Two button versus three button. Three button suits are generic and will most likely fit nicely on any man. Two buttons usually work best on men who are slim and tall (5’10” or up).

4. Get your measurements and try your luck online. A visit to the tailors and a few bucks might save you money on a custom fitted suit if you hop online and visit stores like Indochino. They’re all affordably priced.

5. If a custom-fitted suit is too pricey, try big-box stores that carry modern/contemporary clothing. Topman, Nordstroms, Banana Republic, H&M, J.Crew, Zara.

6. Look under the collar for felt lining. If you want to make the best of your investment, suit jackets with a felt lining can also double up as outerwear.

7. Suits can also have thread counts. Just like women counts their threads on the sheets, men can pay the same attention to detail to their suits. The higher count, the softer the fabric. But be careful, this also means that it’s more delicate.

There are many more tips I can provide, but for the sake of lengthiness, I’ll cut it at it’s knees here. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.