I explained a number of potential faux pas to which many guys fall prey when dressing formally. In doing so, I intentionally left one style of clothing out: the suit. Men make so many mistakes when wearing a suit or tux that the topic warrants its own article.
Since the suit/tux serves as the pinnacle of formality, you should be very careful not to break these sacred rules when donning one.
Wearing the suit
Subtlety is key
Do not wear an odd-colored suit; alternately, go for something more neutral and conservative. These colors include gray, black, navy blue, and brown. Of course, you can add a different dimension of color to your suit with pinstripes. A great thin pinstripe pattern (sometimes in a bolder color) is what makes a dull, neutral-colored suit classy and interesting.
Choosing the right shirt and tie is your opportunity to play with color. Since your suit is a neutral color, it means that it’ll match with pretty much any shirt color as long as the hues are of the same tone. For example, don’t wear a bright green shirt with your dark, charcoal grey suit; instead opt for soft pink or powder blue.
A suit is a suit
Do not construct a suit from a sports coat and a pair of pants of the same color. A suit is a set of clothing purchased together. If you just stick any old pair of black pants with any old black sports coat, trust me on this: The colors, although technically the same, will never match properly. Even if you believe the outfit you’ve created looks okay, anyone savvy about fashion will likely be able to tell you’re not wearing a suit simply because the pieces just don’t go together. An easy solution to this problem exists: If you need a suit, buy a suit.
Make sure it fits
Do not wear a suit that doesn’t fit you properly. Many readers may find this point obvious. I do too, and yet I often see men wearing suits that don’t fit. If you aren’t tall enough to wear a regular, don't buy a regular -- buy the short. If you gained too much weight for your suit to fit properly, you have to buy a new one.
Men too often believe that suits will fit off the rack. While some men may get lucky and find one that fits them perfectly, not all will have the same luck since men who wear the same size won’t necessarily have the same body type. Do not be scared of taking a suit to a tailor to get a better fit. Most tailors charge less money for alterations than you think, and the utility you’ll receive by wearing a suit that actually fits far outweighs that small cost.
Get the right outerwear
Do not wear the same coat with a suit that you would wear with a T-shirt and jeans. Few things look more ridiculous than a man wearing a suit with a windbreaker. If you will be wearing a suit in cold or inclement weather, you should purchase an overcoat or trench that can be comfortably worn over it. The three-quarter length overcoat has become quite popular these days and looks great with a suit. Try to select an overcoat in a neutral color so that it’ll go with most of the suits in your wardrobe.
Ties & other accessories
Keep the ties regular
Do not try to be clever by wearing a bow tie or shoestring “cowboy” tie. Bow ties are obviously fine for tuxedos, but with a suit, they are questionable at best. Unless you want to look like Tucker Carlson or Pee-wee Herman, leave the bows to your shoelaces. I cannot think of any legitimate formal occasion where a shoestring tie is ever acceptable, except maybe a country music awards show. As a rule of thumb, stick to regular neckties.
Length is important
Do not wear a tie too short or too long. One cannot help but love the one-size-fits-all nature of a tie, so there is absolutely no excuse for it to be tied at an improper length. The tip of the bottom of your tie should just graze the top of your belt buckle. If it is any longer or shorter, you’ll look silly.
Ditch the clip
Do not use a clip-on tie. If you are over the age of 13, you have outgrown them. Tying a tie is not rocket science. And if you absolutely can’t tie it, ask someone for help.
Stick to the point
Do not wear a spread collar with a tie; instead, opt for a point collar. The spread collar leaves a great deal of space between the two ends of the collar, and any normal tie won’t be able to fill that space. Point collar shirts have less space, which can be properly filled by an average tie in a Windsor knot. On that note, stay away from any strange thin-style knots that will cause similar space issues, even with a point collar.
Novelty has no place in formality
Do not wear any silly novelty accessories to a formal occasion. This includes your “Beers of the World” tie (which should be permanently retired in the back of your closet). Similarly, cufflinks should stay formal. Save the dice cufflinks for Vegas.
Suit up
These tips are a good start to looking your best at formal occasions. At the very least, you can now avoid some pretty common mistakes made by many men. These rules, paired with your own common sense and snazzy esthetic instincts, should do the trick.
