Many companies require their employees to wear a suit as part of their dress code. Of course, there's a good reason for this requirement: suits instill a higher level of trust, confidence and professionalism, all of which reflects positively on the business itself. Businessmen and women have been wearing them for decades, and there's no indications of this trend slowing down anytime soon. On the contrary, more and more companies are adopting business suits as part of their dress code, attesting to the popularity of this fashion trend. But not all suits are "suitable" for business work. Furthermore, many workers are guilty of making some critical mistakes with their suit. If your job requires you to wear a suit, you should familiarize yourself with some of these common mistakes. While some of these mistakes may seem harmless enough, they can have a severe and lasting impact on your professional image. Learning to avoid these mistakes, however, will set you miles ahead of the rest. And it can also help to enhance your appearance, which is exactly what you should be trying to accomplish with your work attire. So, ask yourself the following:
are you guilty of making these mistakes with your business suit?
Wearing a Blazer
What's wrong with wearing a blazer? Well, you have one of three options when wearing a suit: you can wear a blazer, a sports coat, or a jacket.
Sports coats are the most formal option, characterized by high-end craftsmanship and equally high-end materials. Sports coats are slightly less formal though still acceptable for use with a suit. The least formal option of the three is a blazer, which typically lacks the level of style and quality needed for the workplace. You can still wear a blazer, but it's usually best to keep it outside of the workplace. Blazers, for instance, are a great style of outwear with dark indigo jeans. When getting dressed for the workplace, however, it's recommended that you stick with a suit jacket or sports coats, either of which are a better choice.
Mismatching Trousers and Jacket
Another all-too-common mistake to avoid is wearing mismatching trousers and a suit jacket (or sports coat). If your suit trousers are dark gray, for instance, your jacket should also feature a similar dark gray color. Wearing a pair of the dark gray trousers with a black suit jacket or sports coat isn't exactly appealing, nor is it appropriate for most workplaces. The good news is that most stores sell suits with both matching trousers and a jacket, in which case this shouldn't be a problem. Nonetheless, you should only wear a suit with matching trousers and a jacket or sports coat, as this is the backbone of a traditional suit.
Wearing a Suit That's Either Too Big or Too Small
Don't make the mistake of wearing a suit that's either too small or too big. You can usually tell if a suit is too big by checking the shoulders. If it's too big, the shoulders will have excess fabric that looks "bunched up." Not only is this a visual eye-sore, but it's also makes the suit uncomfortable. And you can tell if a suit is too big simply by wearing it and attempting to move your body. Undersized suits restrict your movement, which is downright uncomfortable when wearing it for long hours at a time. You can avoid these and other problems associated with sizing by ordering a custom-sized suit from the suit experts here at
StudioSuits. When ordering, simply specify your own body measurements and we'll use these measurements to create the perfect fit.
Not Pressing Your Suit
Check to make sure your suit is wrinkle-free before wearing it. No matter how hard you try, there's simply no way to achieve a clean and formal appearance with a wrinkled suit. Pressing your suit with a hot iron or having it professionally dry cleaned, however, can eliminate stubborn wrinkles.
Not Wearing the Right Colored Socks
You might be wondering why it's important to wear the right colored socks with a suit, especially since few people will even see your socks. While it's true that most people will never see your socks, they'll be exposed and visible when you are sitting down. When you are walking and/or standing, your trousers should conceal your socks, preventing anyone from seeing them. But when you sit down, the top of your trousers will rise just slightly, exposing the top of your socks. If you wear the wrong colored socks, it could clash with your suit and ultimately hurt your appearance. A god rule of thumb is to wear the same colored socks as your suit trousers. In doing so, your socks will appear to "blend into" your trousers, helping to conceal them whether seated or standing. If your suit trousers are dark gray, you should also wear dark gray socks, for instance. Wearing bright red socks with dark gray trousers will make your socks stand out -- and not in a good way, either. To prevent this from happening, only wear socks in the same color as your trousers.
Forgetting the Necktie
If there's one accessory that you don't want to forget when wearing a suit, it's the
necktie. Although small and simple, the necktie plays an important role in the appearance of a suit. It helps to achieve a more formal appearance while also adding valuable color and style to the outfit. There are countless different colors and styles in which neckties are made, ranging from plain black to pinstripes, polka-dots and more. For the workplace, however, it's best to stick with simple styles. So, which of these suit mistakes are you guilty of making?
