At some point in time, every man on this campus must wear a suit. Whether it’s for a presentation in class, an interview or job of some sort or a special occasion like a wedding or a funeral, it’s essentially something that every man should have at least one of in his wardrobe.
There are many aspects that go into purchasing and wearing a suit, though. It’s important that men are aware of these things when they’re dropping hundreds of dollars on a piece of clothing. If a man is going to spend that much money on something, it better look good and be worth the investment.
The first step in buying a suit is asking yourself what the use for the suit is going to be. Basically, what color is appropriate for the occasion the suit is being purchased for? Is it for work or for a wedding? Is it for an interview or for church on Sundays? Purchasing a royal blue suit with bold white pinstripes would be inappropriate for work or for an interview but might be great for a cocktail party. When it comes down to it, the safest route is to buy neutral colors such as charcoal, dark navy or black with soft pinstripes. With such colors, one can work in a variety of different shirts and ties and wear the ensemble multiple occasions without standing out.
The second step is actually looking for the right suit and purchasing it. This all depends on how fat the wallet is at the time of purchase. With suits, what you pay for is what you get. A $150 suit isn’t the same as a $4,000 suit, but Knoxville isn’t the Hamptons. There are various men’s stores around town that could probably provide what most guys need in terms of suits and price. Before shopping, have someone measure your chest so you know what size to look for.
When trying suits on in the store, the most important aspect of fit to pay attention to is in the shoulders. The shoulders on the jacket should cover the shoulders on your body and nothing more. The fit should be relatively close and tight on the shoulders. There shouldn’t be too much padding in the shoulders either unless you’re lining up at offensive tackle this fall. Make sure the waist doesn’t pull excessively when the jacket is buttoned. Also, look for high armholes in the sleeves so the whole jacket doesn’t lift up when your arms do. In general, consider slimmer, more athletic fits when shopping because suits are meant to contour the body, not drape or hang off it.
After you’ve purchased your suit, you need to take it to a tailor. A $150 suit can look like $4,000 if it fits like one. This is the most important part of buying a suit and should be figured into the budget beforehand. There are a variety of things that you should tell your tailor. First, the jacket should have a fair amount of waist suppression. It is unlikely that it came with that characteristic off the rack, so tell the tailor you’d like him to bring in the waist to a reasonable amount. Next, the sleeves should not go past the hinge of your wrist. You should be showing a minimum of one-fourth inch of cuff on your shirt, so inform the tailor as such. The pants will likely need altering to some extent as well. This is because most suits come with a “drop-7,” meaning there is a 7-inch difference between chest in the jacket and waist in the pants. Unless your proportions exactly match the suits (unlikely), the waistband of the pants must be taken in so they can sit on your waist without a belt.
Also, the pants should not bunch up at the shoe, so tell the tailor you only want one break in the pants. To avoid looking like an older man in baggy suit pants, specify that you want the pants slimmed to anywhere between a 7.5-inch to 8-inch opening on the bottom. With a good fit in the shoulders and the basic alterations listed above, your suit will look sharp and be ready to go.
Too many young guys walk around looking silly in ill-fitting suits. It is a poor reflection on yourself and your ability to look nice. It’s not a matter of being a male fashionista but simply buying clothes that fit. If you’re going to spend the money on something, it should make you look your best. After all, that’s the purpose of a suit, isn’t it?
— Oliver Casey is a junior in enterprise management. He can be reached at [email protected].
