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As you develop in to manhood, one of the other things that you should purchase is a suit.
As the majority of this board is under the age of 30 and possibly 25, I feel that there is some basic knowledge in this area that can be spread.
I've always found that the fit of the suit is the most important aspect. A Savile Row suit that isn't fitted to you will often not look as good as a off the rack suit that has been fitted and altered by a tailor.
Unfortunately, this also means that your body can't go through a lot of size changes unless if you want to pay tailor fees or buy new suits all the time.
If you have a good tailor, he will fit it right for you but a couple of small things to notice for whether you need tailoring is that the dress shirt sleeve should extend about 1/2 inch past the suit sleeve. The suit should drape well and fit well in both buttoned and unbuttoned mode.
Color :
For things like job interviews, the suit should be navy. navy is the color of formality.
For events like a night out on the town, a special date, etc....I prefer either grey, charcoal, or tan. White is a bit too flashy for me but if you feel that you can pull it off then go for it. Black is way too somber. I am not a huge fan of pin stripe suit as I feel that it gives a mobster type feel but this is certainly not a hard rule and some people can really pull it off.
Usually a lot of guys in the early 20s crowd hate dressing up but honestly you can look very casual yet stylish in a suit. The other fear is that you'll look too old wearing a suit but there are some simple tips to avoid this.
1. don't wear a vest.
2. don't wear a tie and unbutton the top button on your dress shirt.
![[image loading]](http://s2.thisnext.com/media/largest_dimension/567DA637.jpg)
Something like this can be fairly casual and yet very stylish.
or a more well known example
![[image loading]](http://www.scene-stealers.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/brad_pitt8.jpg)
Buttons:
A fairly universally known rule is that if you are wearing a 2 button suit, just button the top button.
If you are wearing a 3 button suit, either button just the middle button or button the top 2.
  
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I'm glad I got a job without having to buy a suit.
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I never bought a suit, but I've always wanted to wear those jackets casually. I can never find one for a reasonable price, so the closest thing I wear is a nice buttoned-shirt, a good tie and a classy sweater.
Y'know, a la university student. Makes me feel confident.
I just don't have the arms or the personality to pull off the full suit.
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United Kingdom2695 Posts
On January 29 2011 08:43 lixlix wrote:..... .....
personally i hate 3 buttons, looks too high and tight (i know they don't feel that way, but it is the look that counts!)
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couple other tips.
If you got a pin stripe suit, avoid getting a striped shirt or its going to turn in to some magic eye shit.
A pocket square can be a good addition. It should be an accent but not be a huge beacon so I would avoid say a white shirt and a bright red pocket square if you aren't wearing a tie.
I like either a flat square fold, a single peak, or a double peak. Any more and it looks too damn ridiculous IMO.
![[image loading]](http://www.deoveritas.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/pocket-square.jpg)
This is a bit much.
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On January 29 2011 08:49 kerpal wrote:
personally i hate 3 buttons, looks too high and tight (i know they don't feel that way, but it is the look that counts!)
3 buttons are good on tall people. But if you are under 6'2 I would stick with 2 button.
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I have a $200 (read: cheap) charcoal suit that i had custom fitted and it looks great! I definitely agree about getting it custom fitted, it's not all that expensive and makes the suit compliment you so much more when it's designed to fit YOU.
It's a 3 button by the way, 6'6" though so if it's a height issue then i guess that's why it never bothered me.
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On January 29 2011 08:43 lixlix wrote:
A fairly universally known rule is that if you are wearing a 2 button suit, just button the top button.
If you are wearing a 3 button suit, either button just the middle button or button the top 2.
If you're not supposed to button them, then why are they there? I'm being very defensive about this because I realized I've been wearing them wrong.
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On January 29 2011 08:58 pubbanana wrote:Show nested quote +On January 29 2011 08:43 lixlix wrote:
A fairly universally known rule is that if you are wearing a 2 button suit, just button the top button.
If you are wearing a 3 button suit, either button just the middle button or button the top 2.
If you're not supposed to button them, then why are they there? I'm being very defensive about this because I realized I've been wearing them wrong.
Well, would the suit itself look okay without the 2 or 3 buttons? With just one instead?
The biggest thing about the suit is the way it looks. It's meant to look good. If there's only 1 button, it really isn't going to look as good IMO.
But also, I think having 2 buttons done up on a 2 button'd suit looks fine. -shrug- Just really depends on what you look like, how you're wearing it, and how you present yourself.
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I completely agree with the OP, when i was growing up I HATED getting dressed up. (Ive owned a suit since I was 10 gogogo church parents!) However as I got older and not so.... round... ya that works, and high school started and we had formals. I soon discovered that girls really dig a guy that cleans up well in a suit. The golden age of high school tail started with a suit. Gentlemen my only semi recent photo of me with one of my suits
![[image loading]](http://imgur.com/b8T6T.jpg)
Photo is of my mom's wedding when she got remarried last Janurary. Did not have a picture of my other suit I wore to my sisters wedding in November.
EDIT: image context
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A subtle brag there eh Maple Fractal? But yeah you both look very nice.
Hehe, but yeah I work in a field in which I don't need suits even for interviews but as I grew older, I began to enjoy dressing up to go out at night.
pubbanana , think of the button thing like a polo with a top button on the collar. you pretty much never button that top button but its there.
The technical reason why you don't button the bottom button on a suit is that it pulls the bottom of the suit together too much and 1. constricts your movement a bit much and 2. stretches the material.
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couple other tips.
If you are wearing a tie, either go without a tie clip or if you must get a tie clip, go with one that isn't gold.
The tie and pocket square should match in color but doesn't have to be exactly the same color.
So a dark blue tie and a light blue pocket square or a light blue tie and a dark blue pocket square or a dark red tie with a purple pocket square, etc....
Since I love watches, a couple of tips for watch wearing.
get a watch that will fit under your shirt sleeve. Your watch is a tool and an accent, its supposed to compliment the man, not be the focus.
If your watch has a leather strap, try to match the leather color to your belt and shoes which should be matching already.
In general, in a less formal setting, metal bracelet watches and suits work great but maybe a bit too informal for weddings. These days though, most people don't really care.
wallets and phones
be aware of the thickness of your wallet. you might want to switch to a money clip or a suit wallet designed to go in to your inner pocket.
Same thing with big phones.
bulges just look bad.
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Everyone needs to get a subscription to GQ to learn the basics. Afterwards you will have to do alot of research about where to buy a suit. Once you purchased a suit, get it altered to fit your frame perfectly. If you are a smaller person with shoulders that will not fit a 35-36 size, then going custom made is the only option.
A well fitting suit will give you a confidence boost and an aura of expertise. I own 6 suits and 4 blazer jackets, its getting out of control at this point.
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I wear a blazer+jeans all the time, at my university. Some times i do bring other than blazers, but I feel relaxed in a suit - and that's all that matters in the end  .
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I've got two suits. Exercising like crazy though because I'm pretty overweight, so they likely wont fit me the way they used to if I'm able to keep it up. Might be able to get them re-tailored or somethin'.
Protip: Never button the bottom button.
+ Show Spoiler +"The custom of leaving the bottom button on a waistcoat ('vest," in American English) undone comes from the early 20th century. King Edward VII was too rotund to fasten his bottom button and the custom came from his imitators."
Pulled off the internets. There are some exceptions, though
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so i thought the three button rule was the top button is the always, middle sometimes, bottom never
ive been doing it so wrongg luckily i just button the top two all the time anyway wooo
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Buttoning just the top button on the 3 button suit is ok but I think closes off the suit a bit too high but it is acceptable.
Important thing is the bottom never.
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is there a guide on TL about how to tie a tie?
I realize there are certain methods like winsor if you just google it, but what about the most "stylish/modern" way to tie a tie?
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EPT
