Men's Style and Fashion Trends – Suits
A Few Quick Tips to on How to Purchase a Fine Suit
Aug 29, 2008
The suit is a versatile piece of clothing that, when selected and tailored correctly, imparts to your peers that you are very discerning in your tastes and take a vested interest in your appearance and image. Without further ado, let us consider some primary options that one might be faced with when seeking to purchase an appropriate garment.
Selecting a Suit (Colour and Fabric)
When in the market to purchase a suit, one must first consider his existing wardrobe. If this is to be your first suit, it is highly recommended that you choose a solid black wool suit. The reasoning behind this choice is very simple – the colour of the suit (black) will match any shirt you care to wear with it and further, the nondescript nature of a basic black suit means that one can wear it a few times without drawing attention to the fact that it is indeed the only suit you may own.
The versatility of the black suit combined with the ability to wear it frequently without it becoming too stale are the primary reasons to consider it as your first option. As always, please remember that polyester suits are not an acceptable replacement for their wool counterparts unless you do not plan to get much mileage from your garment. Polyester is less breathable, wrinkles more easily, is typically heavier, and is not as resistant to damage and pilling. Ask an associate!
If this is not your first suit, perhaps a pinstriped suit may be in order. Pinstriped suits are very much in style and as a matter of fact are probably more popular than their solid counterparts. Always remember to try and purchase a suit in a base tone that you do not already own – until you start running out of colours. Black, brown, navy, charcoal, grey, taupe, and tan are the most common colours in the men's suit. Avoid colours such as maroon and olive if possible as they are primarily relics of decades gone by or considered to be eccentric.
Stylistic Details
The great majority of contemporary suits are single breasted, and while double-breasted may not be completely relegated to the history books, it is recommended that you follow the trend here. For men with larger midsections, a two-button suit is highly recommended, as a lower closure will mean a more complimentary fit around the shoulders, chest, and waist – though the two-button suit is also very dapper on men with other builds. Three-button suits are a bit more conservative but still very stylish, and a choice between the two is purely a matter of personal preference in many instances, though they will fit differently on men of different stature.
Suits come in solid backings, single vented, or double-vented in the rear. Contrary to a great deal of public belief, men with larger seats should consider a double-vented suit. The reasoning behind this is that it eases any amount of tension when the suit is buttoned up in the front, reducing the instance of such give-away signs of a bad fit such as pulled or strained buttons and allowing for a more comfortable wear. Stylistically, double-vented suits are probably the most fashion-forward variety as well; however all three varieties are still modern and very prevalent.
Pleats are always an issue of contention. For slimmer men, a flat front pant may be more flattering, however men with average-to-large legs, seats, waists, or thighs should at least consider wearing a pleated pant. The pleat allows for more room in the waist, seat, and crotch of the pant. Don't be misled by the flock of fashion magazines displaying men wearing extremely thin, flat-fronted dress pants. While these may look fantastic on paper, and on a great deal of slimmer gentlemen – pleated pants are by no means less fashionable, and trying to cram oneself into a pair of flat-fronted trousers for the sake of modernity will defeat the entire point of cultivating a professional and well-tailored image.
At the Checkout
Finally, when paying for a quality suit, expect to pay $300 at the very least, and scaling upward from there. Any respectable menswear store will have an on-site tailor, so ensure that your fitting is done with care and precision – your pants should fall to the back block of your shoe after alterations; your waist should be snug but not tight, and your sleeves should fall anywhere around the break of your wrist but before the creasing between thumb and forefinger. A fine fit makes for a sharp look, a sloppy fit makes one look unkempt and unprofessional.
With these pointers in mind your image and wardrobe will be enhanced a great deal, as will your understanding of fine clothing, style, and fashion.
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