How to wear men's suits

The suit is still the most elegant item of clothing a man can wear so long as its cut, colour, fabric and style suit the occasion, time of day, the season of the year and the climate.

The Cut

By a good cut, we mean the basic pattern that has been used again and again since the 1930’s, irrespective of fashion and trends. The cut of a tailored men's suits should look natural and bring out the best in its wearer. A thin, small boned man should go for suits with a narrow cut and no shoulder padding, narrow lapels and close-fitting trousers. An athletic, broad shouldered man will not require shoulder padding either and the suit should be cut to his natural measurements. If the wearer is a large gentleman, it is even more advisable to avoid anything in the cut that will make him look larger, opting ideally for XXL sizes and king size tailoring.

The Colour

Traditional colours regarded correct for a suit are dark blue, dark gray to very light gray and black. A brown suit should be worn only at the weekend or for sporting occasions.

The Fabric

Todays men's suits are much lighter than those of the past, but there are still considerable differences in the weight and thickness of the material used. You should start by thinking about where you will be wearing the suit, i.e. the climate, temperature and how often you will wear it. If you wear your suit frequently, it is advisable to purchase a machine washable suit as they are usually stain resistant, crease free, durable and extremely comfortable.

Formal Dress

The name Tuxedo stems from Tuxedo Park, New York, where the jacket is said to have been first introduced in 1886. In German speaking countries, it is called a “smoking” and in England it is a “dinner jacket”. “Black tie”, “White tie”, tails or tuxedo are all classic invitations to a formal occasion which always indicates what the guest is expected to wear. As the name suggests, a black bow tie is traditionally worn with a tuxedo and the indication “black tie” means that this is the correct form of evening dress. A white bow tie should be worn with tails, and “white tie” thus indicates this.

The Right Shoes It is often said that a man’s shoes are his most important item of clothing. On most occasions, a man with a decent pair of shoes on his feet will find that his cheap jeans, budget shirts and bargain sweaters will be benevolently overlooked. Suits, sports jackets, ties and overcoats can be bought later. All that matters is to have a classy, well broken in pair of shoes.