All about Suits

The Silhouette: The Cut or Shape of a Suit
The shape you are in goes a long way toward determining what shape you should be in suit-wise. Well-built men appear elegant in just about any cut. A rather thin, small-boned man will look best in a suit with a narrow cut, narrow lapels, and close-fitting trouser legs. Large men have to be more careful, though they still have choices, even in double-breasted. One possibility for tall men: the six-to-one double breasted (a six-button jacket that fastens at the bottom button), because the longer roll of the lapel makes it flattering. If that trait doesn't apply, try a four-to-two. The freshest look double-breasted is the new six-to-two silhouette, which work best for almost all men, no matter how compact.

In the realm of single-breasted, the three-button suit offers a very modern line, but broad men, beware. The higher the button stance, the greater the risk of looking likes a man in a barrel. To prevent that, we recommend a classic two-button. The deeper V of the lapels shows more shirt, creating a fit that fits just about any physique.

Colors
The traditional colors regarded as correct for a suit are dark blue, dark to very light gray, and black. It should certainly be in one of these colors if it is to be worn for business in such fields as finance, the law, commerce, or politics. While other colors such as brown or green can be used for sporting occasions.

Vents
The center vent is the hallmark of a traditional American suit. Side or twin vents are very English and smartly complementary to a fitted double-breasted. Vent allows freedom of movement, and you can put your hands in your trouser pockets comfortably without pushing the jacket out of shape. Unvented jackets are a European styling detail and generally make the body seem taller and narrower; they look good on men with rather flat behind. If you have full behind, vented jacket is most flattering.

Note: The double-breasted jacket always has either two side vents or no vents at all, never a vent at the back of the jacket.

How to Wear the Trousers.
There is much to consider when buying trousers:

The Cut
Crucial points affecting the cut of a good pair of trousers are the size of the wearer's stomach and behind, the length of his legs, the desired height of the waist and the width of the trouser bottoms. If you have a flat stomach you have a wide choice in the cut of the waist area. Slender men who do not like front pleats will look good in a pair of trousers cut to fit close to the stomach. If they do like pleats, one pleat to each trouser leg is best. The pleats will ensure that the trousers are still comfortable when they are sitting down, and will conceal anything they have in their pockets. If you are rather large around the waist, then a pair of trousers tapering slightly downward will be best, since straight-cut trousers will quite obviously end in disproportionately wide trouser bottoms.

The Waist Area
Pleats are there for drape and comfort; they give necessary roominess. Trousers with no pleats, clean fronts allow a neater fit. If you cannot quite manage without pleats, trousers with one pleat to each leg provide a neat and comfortable fitting. However if you prefer a more generous cut, trousers with two pleats offer a larger, baggier, and more comfortable fitting. A man with small hips and rather flat behind will look good in pleated trousers.

The Rise
The rise, the distance from crotch to waistband, has to allow you enough room. The waistband should situate itself just below your navel, not down on your hips. People have always worn their pants at the natural waist.

The Cuffs
Cuffs are an optional fashion idea. They look appropriate with suits, sports jackets, and blazers alike. They not only give the suit a finished appearance but their added weight makes the trousers hang better. However if you do not like cuffs, there is no need to have them on the trouser, particularly if you prefer trousers without front pleats, since these look better without cuffs in any case.

Rather short men can also have their trousers cuffed. The difference between cuffs for a short man and for a man a few inches taller is the recommended width. While the cuff for a man of average height now measures from one and three-quarter inches to two inches, a short man will do better with a narrower cuff - about one and a quarter to one and a half inches

The Length
The proper length for trousers is a full break or slight break in the crease. A full break means trousers are hemmed to reach the top of the heel of a standard dress shoe, naturally breaking over the front of the shoe. Trouser break is not mandatory. Some customers often request a slight break. So it is all a matter of taste.

All about Shirts

Dress shirts can make or break a fine suit. Shirts with straight-point collars are standard with single-breasted jackets. Button-down and rounded collar shirts look best with textured jackets. Double-breasted suits require a spread collar shirt.

Shirt collars must balance the shape of the wearer's face. A long narrow-spread collar will accentuate a thin, elongated face. A round collar will accentuate a rounded face; counterbalance with a medium to long point-spread collar will help. A man with a broad face and thick neck should avoid tiny rounded or spread collars.

The correct height for a properly fitted shirt collar is about one-half inch above the jacket collar. The cuff of a shirt should always be seen when wearing a jacket, with approximately one-quarter to one-half inch showing.

Tips to Dressing Well
Know Your Body Type

Heavy Men:
Accentuate vertical lines. Choose vertical stripes and herringbones to create the illusion of thinness over plaids, which make them, look heavier. Clothes should be cut generously. Shirt collars should not be round. Select collars with points that lead away from the face at a slight angle, but never a spread collar.

Short Men:
Jacket length is critical. If it is too short, it will cut the body in half. Too long will make the legs appear shorter than they are. A jacket with a trimmer shape, high button stance will be most flattering. Trousers should be tapered at the bottom a bit more than normal. Allow for extra wreck on cuffed trousers and avoid excessive fullness. Stay away from high set collars with long points.

Tall Men:
Horizontal lines should be accentuated to stress breadth. Jacket should be cut with a loose waist and extra width in the shoulders. Trousers should always be cuffed. A spread-collar shirt takes away some height, whereas a long, straight-point collar would accentuate it.