Suit yourselves!

For a multitude of occasions, suits become essential for a man’s wardrobe and for every professional, it is a must have. However, sporting this attire perfectly is not that easy as an ill-fitting suit can be spotted from miles away and can give a twisted image in personality or outlook.

"Being a business professional, I am required to wear suits almost every day. Therefore it is very important for me to make sure that I’m comfortable in it. For me, a suit is well fitted if I am able to stretch and bend in it easily. So whenever I get my suits tailored, I make sure that I have free movement of my arms and the rest of my body", says Santosh Pokharel, operations officer at the World Bank.

Truly, comfort is essential for suit wearers and this feature can only be achieved by getting the right fit and having it tailored properly. The first thing to do, if you haven’t already, is getting properly measured. This includes: neck, shoulders, sleeves, chest, waist and inseam. Once you know your size you are free to hit the dressing rooms. And when you do go shopping for men’s suits, there are few things you must keep in mind and they are as follows:

The fit of your trousers
Make sure that the waistline of your trousers is comfortable and that you can stick two fingers into the waist while you’re wearing them. And as far as pleats are concerned, it’s usually a personal preference. However, as a general rule, pleats are better for those with larger tummies and not a good idea for those who are thin. This is because flat front trousers highlight your tummy if you have one and pleats help cover it up. And conversely, pleats make a skinny guy look skinnier, and not in a good way.

The hem on your trouser
Nothing says ‘sloppy’ more than a pile of fabric at your ankle. Your pants should reach your shoes and have a slight break. Cuffs or no cuffs is your choice, but keep in mind that trousers or pants without cuffs makes you look taller if you happen to be shorter and cuffs looks better on someone with long legs. Cuffs also appeal to a more mature consumer.

The length of your sleeves
Make sure your sleeve length is correct, otherwise you will look like you borrowed someone else’s suit. If the sleeve covers your shirt’s cuff, it is too long. It should just reach the base of your thumb, revealing a half inch to an inch of your shirt cuff.

The Waist of the Jacket
The jacket should fit easily across your stomach. The traditional American cut suit with two buttons, which has been a mainstay for many years, is being replaced by suit jackets that fit more and have three and four buttons. However, the classic two-button style remains popular, and some two-button jackets offer a fresh twist with higher button placement similar to the three-button style and is often more flattering.

Suit up perfectly

Mixing and matching suit separates
Sometimes you can buy separates but they look great together. But when you buy a suit either navy blue, brown, or detailed black suits, it’s better to stay away from mixing and matching. “Generally I don’t attempt to mix and match suit separates because I find it extremely difficult to do so”, says Mr. Sabin Shrestha, proprietor of Kunsa Laxmi Cooperatives. “However while matching suit separates I try not to match similar fabrics, for example, a black blazer and black pants in different materials because I feel that such mixings look slightly off from each other and make you look like you are trying to match but failing miserably”, he adds further, “I’d suggest when mixing and matching, not consider the colors alone but also the texture and detail of the suit. Sometimes the material is different and it is noticeable. I know a lot of people who mix match colors of suits but that’s not really my taste so I don’t do that”.

Color coordination
Be careful when coordinating the colors of your business dress apparel or suit. Pair cooler dress shirt with tie colors such as grays, lavenders, greens and shades of blue together for a consistent and pulled together look. Likewise, mix-and-match warm business dress colors such as burgundy, camel and gold for a classic effect.

Insist on quality and value
Ensure that you have a classic suit that offers uncompromising fit and incredible quality to keep you looking your best. Complete your business dress wardrobe with a variety of fine men’s suits in versatile colors such as navy, brown, gray and black.