Whether you’re a suit wearer, or more of a casual dresser, every man should have a suit in his closet. Most guys don’t care for wearing suits because of the negative connotations of being a “Nerd” or “Loser” which they’ve received from their peers in the black community. Although, I think most guys are actually afraid of wearing suits because they don’t know how to wear them properly.
Wearing a suit is no longer for the 50-year-old man going to church; nowadays young men donning suits is the more hip and upscale thing to do. It’s time to get out of those oversized country suits that your “Great Uncle” used to wear, and slip into chic, up-to-date suits that will make any man stand out in the proper way, in any crowd.
I’m going to give you a couple of quick tips to make sure you stay young and fresh, yet remain professional.
Color Coordinate:
- Make sure you pair shirt and tie combo’s with the exterior color of the suit. This does not mean, “Matching”, this simply means, you need to pick colors from the same color palette and pair them with your suit. Mix-and-Match.
Insist on Quality
- For those of us who don’t dress for the business world daily, a quality suit is an investment. When purchasing your initial suits make sure you keep them to a minimum with color choices. Black, Navy, Brown, and Grey are the essentials. Anything after that is solely for fashion purposes.
Tailor
- Usually when you purchase a quality suit, the retailer offers tailoring services — please accept them. There is no such thing as a suit that fits properly right off-hand. Tailor the suit to your comfort, but make sure the jacket fits properly with no wrinkles across the shoulders/back and the pants have the minimum amount of slack and bundle in them. A good tailor keeps the suit size appropriate, and makes your investment last longer.
Complete Your Look
- To finish your newly refined look, pair with simple and classic accessories. Ties, Bow Ties, Cufflinks, and Shoes should compliment the suit, not take away from it. Save the flashy colored shoes, and loud print ties for your uncle.
You need to keep your look simple, and versatile. You should be able to go from class, do a presentation, go on a lunch date with colleagues, have meetings, stop through a forum and meet with your significant other, all in one day with one suit. Time to step it up men.
