Living in Los Angeles is not quite like living anywhere else. We're a city that never sits still, sometimes literally when San Andreas decides to give us a shake. Anyway, the point is that everything that's really happening is found in Los Angeles.
One of the great things about LA is that we have a more relaxed business atmosphere compared to the eastern cities. We're even more easy-going than San Francisco. But that doesn't mean you can afford to skimp on your suit choices. You do need to put in a bit of thought, and it's still a fact that a suit will get you more places than jeans and a T-shirt ever will.
The one thing that really stands out about LA is our fantastic weather. It's sunny almost every day, and rarely gets too hot or too cold. In these conditions, you need a suit that can help you look and feel as cool as possible.
The best fabric choices for this environment are cotton and linen. Both materials are light weight and have a weave structure that allows air to circulate more freely through the fabric. This will help you stay comfortable on really warm days. Linen is a slightly more expensive material than cotton, but it is harder wearing and will last you a long time. Both cotton and linen require a bit more maintenance than wool suits do, because they have more of a tendency to develop creases. This leads to a perplexing problem.
Dark colors are much better at hiding creases and wrinkles than light colors, but when you want to keep cool, it's better to have light colors which will reflect more UV light. Dark colors allow UV rays to penetrate deeper into the fabric, which weakens the fibers and also brings up the temperature quite a bit more than you'd expect.
Therefore for LA, it's recommended that you choose lighter colors, but always make sure your suits are properly pressed and cared for. In general a few wrinkles won't matter too much as long as the suit is of good quality and properly tailored for your physique.
As stated earlier, LA is typically not a stuffy and formal kind of place to do business. Unless you're some kind of big shot movie producer, you don't need to spring for a double breasted suit, as a single breasted version will usually be sufficient to keep you looking good. Notched lapels are preferred over other types, because it will give you a more relaxed look. Peak lapels are a bit lofty, while shawl lapels are just overdoing it for day-to-day business or casual wear.
The accessories you choose to go with your suit are also important. Shirts should be also ideally of cotton or linen, and properly pressed. Although some synthetic shirt fabrics claim to be "easy care" they have the disadvantage of potentially trapping heat, which will make you feel less comfortable. Complete your look with a good choice of belt and shoes, making sure to color match. Wrist watches are to be preferred over pocket watches unless you're a station master at Amtrak or something. Your watch should be somewhat elegant, and analog watches are always a better choice when it comes to business attire.
You can get more advice about choosing and buying suits from Studio Suits. They offer a very interesting service which allows you to get a custom tailored suit at close to rack prices, with plenty of choices available to help you get exactly the suit you need.
