You’ve found your perfect suit, you’ve got it in the right size, it fits, and you’re ready to wear it out for the first time. But is it actually ready for its debut? There are a surprising number of sartorial mistakes it’s possible to make when your don a new suit for the first time, but we’re here to make sure you don’t make them. Just follow our guide for total suit-wearing success.
New threads
One of the most common mistakes, and the most obvious, is when men don’t cut the vent threads on their jacket. The vent is the flap of fabric at the back, or sometimes a slit up the middle depending on whether it’s British or Italian tailoring, and is usually sewn shut on new suits. This helps to keep the fabric flat during transport, but beyond that serves no purpose other than to kill your panache stone dead if you leave them on. Did you also know the pockets on a suit jacket are also sewn shut? These are perfectly functional, carefully unpick the stitching and you're good to go. On the front left side of your suit jacket you may also have noticed that this pocket is sewn shut, for those who don't know this is known as a welt pocket. Again, remove the stitching and add a pocket square to complete the look.
Cuff up
A fast route to looking like you’re 14 and you’ve borrowed your dad’s suit is to misjudge your jacket sleeve to shirt cuff ratio. There should be around a half an inch of shirt cuff showing at the end of your sleeves. If there isn’t, your shirt sleeves are too short or your jacket is too long.
Labels
For men who don’t often wear suits it can be easy to overlook the brand label on your jacket sleeve. Don’t be the guy who leaves the label on, remove it carefully with a pair of scissors and don’t look back!
Ankle deep
Likewise, it’s important to get the length of your trousers right. Hopefully you addressed this when buying your suit in the first place, but you should make sure the hem of your trousers falls so it just touches the laces of your suit shoes and the fabric ‘breaks’ a little. If you want a trendier look, you can also go for the ‘no break’ style, where the trouser hem stops just at the top of your shoe leaving more of your ankle exposed. What you really don’t want is your trousers bunched up around your ankles like an accordion.
The irony
Once you’ve worn your suit you may be dismayed to find a few wrinkles have formed, and your instinct might be to reach for the iron to return it to perfect smoothness. This is a mistake, as applying heat directly to your suit will result in a flat, shiny surface as its fibres are squashed. Not a good look. Just hang your suit up and the creases will fall out after a day or so.
The perfect accompaniment
Accessories can make or break a suit, so choose wisely. If you have a total blind spot when it comes to style, it can be easy to make mistakes such as wearing brown leather with a black suit. It’s also easy to go overboard with tie bars and pocket squares and cufflinks end up looking like a parade float. Stick to a couple of well-chosen accessories to lift your look, such as a complementing colourful pocket square and tie, or block colour tie and a tie bar. Less is usually more.
Hang it up
If you’ve successfully managed to give your suit its first outing without falling into any of the fashion faux pas pits, then your final task is to hang your suit up properly so it looks just as good for next time. Many suits come with a properly designed suit hangar that supports the shoulders, allowing the jacket to hang naturally. If you use a thin hangar, the fabric will stretch and go out of shape, leaving marks or ruining the fit of your jacket.
FAQs
8 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Wearing a Suit 2020
- Getting the Wrong Sleeve Length. ...
- Buttoning Your Jacket Incorrectly. ...
- Settling for the Wrong Trouser Length. ...
- Going Over the Top with Accessories. ...
- Forgetting to Remove the Stitching. ...
- Choosing the Wrong Jacket Length. ...
- Buying a Jacket with Ill-fitting Shoulders.
If you look like you belong on set with Columbo, it's time for an update. The average man buys a new suit every two and a half to three years, according to national retail research firm NPD. We get it, it's not a cheap investment, and not one you'd like to have to make more often than necessary.
How many different suits should a man own? ›
Common Questions: What 5 suits should a man own? Everyman should own a black suit, a navy suit, a grey suit, a brown suit and a tan suit with white, powder blue or cream shirts. These can be mixed and matched to create 75 different combinations!
What makes a bad suit? ›
There are a couple of major signs that the suit you're wearing isn't the right fit: shoulder sag and shoulder bite. Both are bad, but sag is the greater of the two evils. These sins occur when the jacket's shoulder width doesn't match the shoulders of the wearer.
What is proper suit etiquette? ›
We always remember one simple suit etiquette rule when wearing a blazer: “sometimes, always, never”. If you have a three-buttoned jacket, 'sometimes' button the top one, 'always' button the middle, and 'never' button the bottom. With a two-buttoned suit, 'always' button the top button and 'never' the second.
What color suit should every guy have? ›
We recommend sticking with dark-colored suits, like black, navy, or charcoal gray for a formal event. For a day at the office, an all black men's suit is way too formal. Instead, we recommend wearing a gray or navy blue men's suit to work.
What is the first suit a man should own? ›
In almost every case (aside from needing a suit for a funeral which one will be a pallbearer) a man's first suit should always be navy blue or medium/charcoal grey. The reasons for this are numerous. First, navy blue and grey suits are appropriate for every occasion.
What is the lifespan of a suit? ›
Though the lifespan of a suit varies according to how well it's made and how often it's worn, with proper care a quality suit can generally last for years or even decades. Treat your suit well, and it could last so long it might even go out of style before you need a new one.
How many pairs of slacks should a man own? ›
Seven is a good number (excluding track pants, pajamas and shorts).
What are the best two suits to own? ›
This may sound like beating a dead horse, but a solid navy suit and a solid gray suit should always be your co-MVPs. These two suit styles are valued so highly because navy suits and gray suits are hands down the most versatile, all-purpose suits that you'll look to again and again.
One popular misconception is that every man needs a black suit. While a black suit may seem like a versatile option, it's not as flexible as you may think. Black is often seen as more formal and may not look as good with a colored tie or dress shirt.
How should I wear my suit jacket? ›
The jacket should taper in at the waist to accentuate your shoulders. While the hem should fall where your fingertips end naturally when you have your arms at your side. The sleeves should also sit at the top of your wrists and allow a quarter to a half inch of your shirt cuff to show.
How should the back of a suit jacket look? ›
The perfect jacket Center Back Length should cover your rear and end at the base of your seat for a stylish, universally appropriate look. For a more modern look, a slightly shorter Center Back Length is acceptable. For a more traditional, classic look, the Center Back Length can end slightly below the seat.
Should a suit jacket feel tight? ›
Chest/Torso
The lapels should lie flat on your chest (not bow out) and you should be able to slide your thumb between the button of the jacket and your stomach without it feeling too tight or loose. In terms of length, the bottom of the jacket should end where your thumb knuckle is.
