Many men are quite lax when it comes to fashion, and more are opting to go for casual than formal attire. As a matter of fact, the research firm Euromonitor reported that revenue for men’s suits is tumbling down with only 8.6 million—or about 0.7 suit per man—sold in 2018. This data doesn’t just show the apparent decline of sales, but it also informs us how fewer and fewer men are exposed in the art of wearing a suit.
Thankfully, the golden rule that a man must own at least one suit remains unchanged. After all, casual wear can only take you so far, as it’s not the usual choice of clothes on occasions such as weddings, meetings, and interviews. It’s vital that you’re aware of the basic rules of how to wear a suit, especially if you’re not averse to settings where you normally wear one.
Wearing a suit is not as complicated as they make it look like in Hollywood movies and shows. While there are a couple of rules to follow when it comes to choosing patterns for ties and colors for dress socks, it’s actually pretty easy to grasp the concept of suiting up. To explain it better, here are a couple of tips to guide you on how to wear a suit properly.
- Have your suit tailored or altered to fit you perfectly.
The secret to looking regal in a suit is wearing one that accentuates your body. This is the reason why men who often wear suits opt to have theirs tailored to fit. However, this doesn’t mean that you should spend hundreds of bucks just to get a decent-looking one. Even if you’ve chosen to buy an ‘off the rack’ suit from the nearest mall, you can just have it altered to fit you as it should.
- Remove stitching on the vents before wearing your suit.
The purpose of a vent on your jacket is to make moving around a lot easier. These vents are often stitched up for new jackets or blazers. At all costs, never forget to remove the stitching before wearing your suit. Otherwise, your jacket will constrict movements like walking and sitting, making you look really awkward in the process.
- Match leather and accessories at all times.
When wearing a suit, every little detail is important. This includes your belt, shoes, and accessories. Always make sure that these items are color-coordinated. If you’re wearing brown shoes, then you must wear a brown belt and watch. The same concept applies to wearing black shoes as well. The color grade doesn’t really have to match perfectly, but as a general rule, avoid wearing a brown and black combination.
- Treat dress socks as an important part of your suit.
While baring your ankles when wearing a suit has been a trend nowadays, it can actually be quite distracting to other people. This is why dress socks are equally as important when wearing fine suit. To complete your attire, wear dark (never white) dress socks that are long enough to cover exposed skin when sitting down.
- Button your jacket the proper way.
Unbeknownst to many, there’s actually a rule about buttoning suit jackets and that is to leave the bottom button undone. This isn’t done merely because of tradition; by leaving your bottom button unfastened, you get a cleaner silhouette and more freedom to move around.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the rules if you’re not used to wearing a suit, but it’s not that difficult to get it right once you get the hang of it. There’s actually no point in suiting up if you’re not going to do it right, so keep these tips in mind the next time you need to look dapper in the workplace or a social event.
