When shopping for a suit, you don't have to restrict your options to a solid color. Solid-colored suits are undoubtedly popular. Many men prefer black suits, whereas others prefer navy or beige suits. An alternative idea, however, is to choose a plaid suit. With multiple colors arranged in a checkered pattern, plaid suits are incredibly stylish. Below is a complete guide to plaid suits, including how to choose one.
What Is a Plaid Suit?
A plaid suit is a two- or three-piece formal outfit that's characterized by the use of a checkered pattern. The former consists of trousers and a matching jacket, whereas the latter consists of a pair of trousers, a matching jacket and a waistcoat. Regardless, all plaid suits feature a checkered pattern.
If you inspect a plaid suit up close, you'll notice it has a uniform arrangement of many horizontal and vertical lines, which are often arranged as small squares. These lines aren't the same. Rather, they typically different colors. A typical plaid suit consists of anywhere from two to four colors, which are reflected upon the individual lines in its checkered pattern.
Benefits of Wearing a Plaid Suit
With a plaid suit, you can include multiple colors in your outfit. As previously mentioned, all plaid suits feature an arrangement of multi-colored lines. They still have a base color that covers the majority of their surface area. Along with a base color, though, plaid suits have about two to four secondary colors. These secondary colors are used to form the horizontal and vertical lines.
Another benefit of wearing a plaid suit is the perception of a slimmer figure. Plaid suits won't necessarily shrink your waistline, but they will make you look slimmer nonetheless. The checkered pattern within plaid creates the illusion of a narrower body.
You can rest assured knowing that plaid suits are better protected against stains than traditional suit designs, including solid colors and stripes. They don't actually resist stains better. Instead, plaid suits conceal stains. The multicolored lines essentially hide stains.
You should still try to avoid spilling beverages and other stain-causing liquids on your plaid suit. Nonetheless, small and minor stains should go largely unnoticed on a plaid suit. If you discover a stain on your plaid suit, you can spot clean it using a washcloth, warm water and some liquid laundry detergent.
While they've been around for decades, plaid suits have become more popular in recent years. More and more men are switching to plaid suits as their preferred choice of formalwear. With their checkered pattern featuring multiple colors, plaid suits are stylish. They offer a new and unique appearance that's not available elsewhere. As a result, plaid suits are a popular choice of formalwear -- and they will only become more popular in the years to come.
Choosing a Fabric for a Plaid Suit
Like most other types of suits -- including those in solid colors -- different plaid suits are made of different fabrics. You can't buy a plaid suit without considering the fabric. Some plaid suits are made of linen. Linen is a soft and lightweight fabric that comes from the flax plant. With these properties, linen plaid suits are a great choice for the warmer months of the year.
During the cooler months of the year, on the other hand, you may want to choose a plaid suit made of cotton or wool. Cotton is slightly thicker and heavier than linen. Therefore, cotton linen suits can be worn year-round, including the spring and summer. Wool, of course, is unmatched in its ability to protect against the cold weather. Wool plaid suits are heavier and better insulated than both their cotton and linen counterparts.
Don't Forget the Color Combination
In addition to the fabric, you should consider the color combination used in a plaid suit's design. All plaid suits have a combination of multiple colors, which is reflected in their checkered pattern. The plaid suit depicted in the photo above, for example, features red as the base color, along with various secondary colors for the vertical and horizontal lines.
You can choose any color combination for a plaid suit; just remember to stick with colors that complement each other. Yellow and blue, for example, is a popular color combination for plaid suits. Yellow and blue don't clash with each other. They have the opposite effect by enhancing each other.
Consider Lining
You should consider getting a plaid suit with lining. What is lining exactly, and why does it matter? Lining is a layer of soft and thin fabric that's sewn into the inside of a suit jacket and trousers. It won't affect the appearance of your plaid suit. Lining will, however, make your plaid suit more comfortable to wear.
Viscose is commonly used as lining for suits, including plaid suits. It's a cellulose-based material that's particularly soft. Not all suits have lining. Lining is an optional feature that's only found in select suits. You can order plaid suits with viscose lining here at StudioSuits.
Single or Double Breasted
Most if not all plaid suits can be classified as either single breasted or double breasted. Single-breasted is the most common type. Single-breasted plaid suits receive their namesake from their use of a single column of buttons. If you inspect the front of a single-breasted suit jacket, you'll notice it only has one column of buttons.
Double-breasted suit jackets, conversely, have a pair of columns. Rather than one column of buttons, they have two columns of buttons on the front. Plaid suits are available in both styles. If you're going to buy a plaid suit, you'll need to choose between single or double breasted.
Plaid suits look amazing, regardless of how many columns of buttons they have. With that said, single-breasted plaid suits offer a more modern appearance than their double-breasted counterparts. You can still choose a double-breasted plaid suit. For a modern style, though, a single-breasted style is the way to go.
