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.
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