Keys on Suits: Part One

 

 

Let's give a good ol' warm welcome to our newest, freshest, off-the-vine guest writer - 

He's hip. He's bold. He's stylish. He's straight. And he's our in-house authority on all things suit-able. 

Ladies and gentlemen... we proudly present Keys - reporting on Suits.  

 

SUITS – Part One

So you’ve reached that age, where hormones rage and nerves wrack.  (If you haven’t, feel free to steer away from this page.) 

Prom is around the corner. You’ve got that first job interview. Either ways you need to dress to impress. In the very words of the legend, it’s time to…

Learning to suit up is a sign that you’ve turned that corner. You’ve said “farewell” to adolescence and “welcome” to adulthood. Unfortunately many approach this phase haphazardly, picking up the first blazer off the rack, trying it on and taking it straight to the cashier. Your first thought was that all suits look the same anyway, so it won’t matter. Then you go home, try it on one more time and wonder why the model in the picture looked so much better.

Sound familiar? 

No, it’s not entirely because the model’s 50 times more ripped or that he’s just so hot it doesn’t matter what he wears. It’s simply because he has a wardrobe department that knows its stuff. The awesome thing about a suit is that if it’s well-fitted, it hides all flaws. Heck it can even CREATE an illusion of a well-toned body! (cue the nodding, disappointed girls…)  

Ol’ Stinson might have left out a few pointers, so here’s the 101 to owning a suit. To put it in a nutshell, it’s all in the details. 

First things first, define the occasion: If you’re dressing up for a formal occasion, go all out and don’t be afraid to shine. Think tuxedos or even possibly morning coats. An exception would be a wedding party, where it’s an unspoken rule (the “bro code”) that you should never, under any circumstance, outshine the groom.

Find out how awesome (or not) he’s going to be and dress accordingly (if you can). Same thing goes for a job interview. Dress down as to not outshine your future boss, yet at the same time remaining smart. A smart, navy blue business suit would be most appropriate. If you’re skint (or just can’t afford multiple suits), settle for an all-purpose, classic black business suit. Remember, subtlety is key.

Rule 2: Honour thy tailor. Tailored suits are more expensive than off-the-rack suits, even if they’re not Hugo Boss or Armani, and for good reason. They’re MADE for you. Thanks be to a God who made us all individuals, but that also means that there is no such thing as a standard cut, no free size. We all have different bodies, so an identical suit will sit completely differently on 2 guys, even if they’re similarly built. So, if you can spare the extra cash and can’t be bothered with learning about the various suit details, find a good tailor and tip him well. Even if an off-the-rack is all you want, you will still need the tailor to shorten this and tuck in that. A good tailor is as hard to find as an honest mechanic, so if you know one, make him your best friend. Because he WILL make you look good.

Rule 3: Know your suit. These pictures below are a small rundown of every single part of a suit. Remember them well. Even if you have the best tailor in the world, you still need to know what style you want it in. This knowledge is also especially important for the next part of this series, where you’ll find out how suits differ and how they’ll… suit… you and make you, the man! 

Front	Back

Rule 4: Comfort. If it’s not comfortable, it probably doesn’t fit. And no, oversized suits are NOT comfortable, no matter how you argue it. And skintight suits? Let’s not go there. Ever. 

Rule 5: Don’t mix and match. It’s not even funny. Make sure the jacket and pants you buy come off the same piece of cloth. SIMILAR IS NOT THE SAME. And the colours of your entire suit MUST be EXACTLY the same unless intended otherwise (and I mean intended by the designer, NOT YOU). We’re talking suits here, not dinner jackets.

These are the first five basics all men should know. In the following parts, we’ll analyze the finer details of suits that will make you an Adonis equivalent as well as the faux paxes to be avoided at ALL costs. Stay tuned!

Keys.