Because any man can throw on a two-piece and feel stodgy, suity, and all-around ill at ease. But thanks to a handful of designers who believe every suit can, and should, do more for a man, it’s never been easier to find a suit that fits and feels like you need it to. Here’s how.
Rule No. 1: There is no crisis of sartorial indecision so confounding that it cannot be solved by simply going with the blue suit.
Rule No. 2: “Blue” need not mean dark navy. Brighter and bolder blue suits can work wonders, provided you go neither too bright nor too bold.
Rule No. 3: In descending order of versatility: bird’s eye, pinstripe, chalk stripe, herringbone, windowpane, houndstooth, glen plaid, seersucker, madras.
Rule No. 4: It is impossible to look pulled together when your jacket isn’t buttoned. (Three-button jackets: middle button only; two-button jackets: top button only; one-button jacket: that one button.)
Rule No. 5: Working buttonholes : suit jackets :: seat warmers : cars. Not wholly necessary, but real easy to get used to.
Rule No. 6: The darker the cloth and the more restrained the pattern of the suit, the more whimsy you are permitted in your choice of shirt and accessories.
Rule No. 7: That said, easy on the whimsy, pal.
Rule No. 8: The collar of your jacket should never stand away from or conceal your shirt collar. A half inch of shirt collar should be visible at the back.
Rule No. 9: There is a variety of suit that squeezes a man’s torso and legs and tightens his profile. It is called a wet suit, and unless you intend on catching some tasty waves, we recommend a suit with some ease in the legs, arms, and chest.
Rule No. 10: The wider the lapels on a man’s jacket, the better he is at ordering dinner in Italian restaurants.
