There's no denying the fact that every man needs to own a suit. Granted, some men work in jobs that require them to wear a suit on a daily basis, in which case you'll need several suits in your wardrobe. Even if you don't have to wear a suit to work, though, chances are other occasions will arise that call for one. Whether it's attending a wedding, going to a formal party, or just going out to dinner at an upscale restaurant, there are certain times during which you'll need to wear a suit.
With that said, you should still take a few extra steps to enhance your appearance when wearing a suit. A men's suit typically consists of a few basic items, including trousers, a matching jacket or coat, a dress shirt, and necktie. You can certainly accessorize your appearance (we'll get to that later), but this is the fundamental structure of a men's suit. Now if you want to set yourself apart from the pack and stand out (in a good way), you should follow the tips outlined below. These tips will enhance your appearance while wearing a suit, giving you the upper hand.
Watch the Wrinkles!
What's the fastest way to turn an otherwise clean suit into a mess? Wrinkles. When a suit becomes wrinkled, it looks awkward and messy, in which case you shouldn't wear it. So before wearing a suit, make sure all of the garments are pressed and wrinkle-free. You can find out which de-wrinkling methods work best for your suit by reading the care label. Here you'll find the manufacturer's recommendations on how to clean and care for the suit, including how to de-wrinkle it. If the jacket and trousers say "dry-clean only," you should heed this advice by taking them to the dry-cleaners. If you're in a pinch, however, and don't have time to take your suit to the dry-cleaners, you can often smooth out minor wrinkles by hanging your suit in the bathroom with a hot shower running. The steam produced by the shower will smooth out the wrinkles, leaving your suit looking clean and smooth afterwards. Of course, this only works for minor wrinkles, so don't assume it's a catch-all solution.
Match the Colors
You have to be careful when wearing a suit, checking to make sure the colors match and flow cohesively with one another. An all-too-common mistake that men make when wearing a suit is wearing both black and brown together in the same outfit. While this may seem harmless enough, it's a serious fashion faux pas; thus, the combination should be avoided. Going back to the basics of fashion 101, brown and black are two colors that do NOT go together. You can wear black in your suit, or you can brown, but you can't -- or at least shouldn't -- wear brown and black together.
A good rule of thumb to follow when wearing a suit is to match your shoes with your belt. If you wear brown shoes, for instance, try to stick with a brown belt. If you wear black shoes, stick with a black belt. This otherwise simple rule will go a long ways in enhancing your appearance and preventing fashion faux pas like mixing brown and black.
Stay Away from Off-The-Rack Suits
While tempting due to its convenient availability at most retail stores, off-the-rack suits are generally a poor choice, and as such, they should be avoided. So, what is an off-the-rack suit and why is it a bad choice? Off-the-rack suits are made using standard sizing, without any customizations. Being that no two men have the exact same body shape or size, it's often difficult (or impossible) to find an off-the-rack suit that fits just right. You can search at countless retail and department stores, all to no avail. A smarter decision is to buy a made-to-measure suit, such as those sold here at StudioSuits. You can specify your measurements when checking out, and we'll use these measurements to customize your suit so it fits perfectly.
Pocket Square
There aren't many accessories that you need to wear with a suit, though it's often a good idea to sport a pocket square. This square-shaped piece of fabric is placed in the breast pocket of a suit jacket or coat, adding new color, style and depth to the outfit. There's no functional benefit in wearing a pocket square. Rather, they are worn strictly for aesthetics. The pocket square helps to define the wearer's outfit by adding new designs. Even if it's a single-colored pocket square, it can still prove useful in defining your appearance and enhancing your suit. Like a necktie, though, it's important to choose a pocket square in the right color. Avoid colors that blend together with your shirt or jacket, and instead choose a contrasting color that stands out and grabs your attention.
Match Socks with Trousers
A good rule of thumb to follow when wearing a suit is to match the color of your socks with the color of your trousers. If you're wearing gray-colored trousers, you should also wear gray-colored socks. Why is this necessary? Well, it's another unwritten rule of fashion that helps to improve your appearance. This is because sitting down often reveals the top of your socks. When you sit down, the bottom of your trousers will rise just slightly, revealing the top of your socks. If your socks and trousers don't match, it will look awkward -- and not in a good way. You can easily prevent this problem, however, by wearing the same colored socks and trousers.
Leave Bottom Button Undone
Unless your suit jacket or coat only has 1-2 buttons, you should leave the bottom-most button undone. Most suit jackets and coats have at least three buttons, in which case you should button the top two while leaving the bottom one undone. This rule should be followed when wearing any suit jacket or coat with two or more buttons. Doing so not only enhances your appearance, but it also gives you more space to move around.
