Formal Business Attire

November 16th, 2007

“How to Buy a Business Suit”

As you begin to flourish in the workplace, your wardrobe must expand along with you. Always consider the atmosphere of your office, what your position is, and the long-term goals you have as you choose your business attire. And remember that what you see on the following pages needn’t be accumulated immediately or even one year. A wardrobe, like a career, tales time to build.


DO MY CLOTHES MEAN BUSINESS?

Navy Interview Suit + 3 Suits = Work Wardrobe

As with your interview suit, the suits you buy should be the best quality you can afford in classic styles.
Following these guidelines will allow you versatility and will make your budget go further.

Dark gray suit

Just like a navy suit, gray is basic but vital. Everything looks good with gray and everything mixes with it. The fabric should be worsted wool that can be worn nearly all year-round. A two-or three-button style is best there button is just as traditional and can often be more slimming, either with a single rear vent or without.

The world, of course, is not black and white, it’s gray and with good reason. It’s elegant and formal. A man in gray is serious and unassailable. The tailoring on this suit should be the same as with the navy suit .Make sure the trousers are cuffed, and if they have little buttons on inside of the waist, they’re for suspenders.

Light Gray Suit

For a third suit, light gray is a smart option. It is just as versatile as its darker cousin, and can be worn further into the summer months. A khaki suit is an alternative for this as well.

Opt for some variation between your gray suits. For instance, if the dark one is two-button, make this one there.

Khaki Poplin Suit

A warm weather essential for any man, the khaki suit is like navy for the summer. Split this suit in half when on the road and you have a pair of khaki pants or a khaki pants or a khaki jacket.
The khaki suit is slightly more casual than darker suits, Dressy and polished poplin is also lightweight, which makes it ideal for summer. Because the fabric is so lightweight, be sure the suit is pressed (or at least steamed) often. Otherwise, you can look like an unmade bed.

Bullet proof:

The most formal sport jacket there is, a blazer is appropriate for any work environment and arguably the hardest-working item in your closet. A blazer with a little bit of structure in the shoulders and lining will fit more like a suit jacket than a more casual coat. Traditionally, the blazer has gold buttons (it began as a nautical uniform), but almost any store will offer dark navy buttons as well, or replace them free of charge. Go for this option.

The Blue Blazer

The blue blazer is like the remote control: Quite simply, man cannot live without one. Perfect for the office, business lunch’s travel, and weekends, a blazer can dress you up and take you anywhere.
As with your suits, try to get a wool blazer that’s enough for summer and heavy enough for winter.
Two-button single-breasted is best but three-button is perfectly acceptable.

COLLAR
The collar of a jacket or suit should be lined with wool. This will help it lie flat against the neck and shoulders.

BUTTONS
Look for quality stitching around the buttons, meaning the thread is wrapped around itself many times to anchor them.

POCKETS
The pockets should be lined with rayon or cotton. This will help the jacket maintain its shape better. To ensure this even more, don’t open your jacket pockets.

Sport Jackets

When a suit isn’t called for, a sport jacket is. While not as dressy, it is certainly appropriate for the workplace. Indeed as dress codes for the workplace have relaxed over the years, the sport jacket has become not only acceptable, but necessary; it provides flexibility and credibility. Paired with nice trousers and a shirt and tie and sometimes without one, the sport jacket still looks extremely polished.

TESTING PATTERNS

Many patterned jackets trace their origin to the hunting and fishing pastimes of Scotland, which explains the names of those sporting-inspired designs: Hounds tooth, herringbone, etc. Sport jackets provide an excellent opportunity to get some color, particularly earth tones, into your wardrobe. Since the patterns are often more casual looking, pay more attention to the therefore preferable.

HERRINGBONE
An excellent way to begin patterns because it’s tweedy without being stuffy. The chevron design comes in large and small, but smaller is subtler, and therefore preferable.

HOUNDS TOOTH
Like herringbone, hounds tooth comes in large and small variations and, again, smaller is better. Black-and-white is classic, but shades of brown are no less traditional.

CHECK
Whereas hounds tooth is more ragged (but not ragged-looking), the square check is neater and usually more bold.

PLAID
In a suit, plaid sometimes knows as a prince of Wales plaid can be formal, but in a sport jacket its well, sportier. Here, variations of brown are more versatile than black-and-white.

TWEED
Whether flecked or heathered, simple tweed adds color and texture to your wardrobe. And some of the other patterns, a tweed is more seasonal, ideal for cold weather.