Suit buying advice from a butler.

[RickM]

Jonathan, many Hugo Boss suits feature pants with a single pleat. So you can avoid Chase's colorful description about how you look if you wear pants with two pleats as well as your concern about flat front pants.

Chase, I don't agree that the only way to wear a three-button suit jacket is to button only the middle button. It's also perfectly acceptable to button the middle and top buttons. But never the bottom one.

^^^THIS. I agreed with all of chase's dictums EXCEPT for the three-button suit guideline. Two buttons works. The coat needs to fit right. Otherwise, this kid is spot-on across the board. I'm probably old enough to be chase's father..possbly grandfather... and I've been dressing myself since I was 18 through years of executive striving, boardroom bullshit, and life in the big city. These guidelines should be printed, laminated, and given to every male over the age of 19.

[chasea]

^^^THIS. I agreed with all of chase's dictums EXCEPT for the three-button suit guideline. Two buttons works. The coat needs to fit right. Otherwise, this kid is spot-on across the board. I'm probably old enough to be chase's father..possbly grandfather... and I've been dressing myself since I was 18 through years of executive striving, boardroom bullshit, and life in the big city. These guidelines should be printed, laminated, and given to every male over the age of 19.

The thing about a three-button- and I went back to check my OP- is that I prefer the lapel to slightly roll over the top button. This gives a longer, leaner look in the torso. It also makes it impractical to button the top button. I find regular three-button jackets to be too boxy in appearance.

Which of the new Batman movies had the scene where Alfred rags on Bruce Wayne for wearing a three-button suit? "Modern in a 90's sort of way."

[Wisco]

Lots of interesting discussion and some wacky opinions, but hey that's what the Interwebs is all about!

I am a suit wearer 4x /week and consider myself a bit of a clothes horse. Not in a follower of fashion sort of way, but in having a work wardrobe of well fitting tailored clothes that suit my body type. That's the key! Skinny lapels, low-waisted trousers and a tight fit that is all the rage in the men's fashion mags is not a good idea for a middle-aged man with a bit of a belly and sprinter's quads built from thousands of lifetime miles on a bike.... See earlier comments on Thom Browne or for that matter Daniel Craig in recent Bond flicks.

My rules are pretty simple:

1) Know your complexion and hair color palate: Noted men's fashion expert Alan Flusser describes low-contrast (similar skin and hair tone) vs high-contrast (dark hair and lighter skin or Asian/African Americans) complexions. As you might imagine, muted color differences work better with low-contrast men while high-contrast works better for high-contrast complexions. A nice summary is available here: Notes from Dressing the Man by Alan Flusser | ad astra per alia porci

2) Dark suits are always correct. Simple is classic for a reason. A mid-Grey is actually more versatile than Navy, but one of each is a classic closet for any man.

3) Blue and white solid shirts are always correct. For many complexions, light blue shirts work better than white shirts. My closet is 80% blue shirts (solids of different texture, stripes, checks and other small patterns) and 20% white or white ground shirts.

4) Textural contrast is a key element of a man in supreme control of his look. Shiny shoes with subdued suits, textured fabric ties e.g grenadine with smooth shirts and smooth silk pocket squares with rougher tweed jackets.

5) Solid ties are the basis of any wardrobe. IMHO too many men go crazy with patterns and end up with a clown's closet of random ties. Start with solid blues, dark reds and other core colors and build from there. Add small patterns such as striped and foulards and end up with a few bold repp stripes to give variety to the tie wardrobe.

6) Brown shoes are more versatile than black and true welted-sole shoes are the best. Whatever you do, don't succumb to Steve Madden or other duck-billed or square toed shoes! Buy a pair of Allen Edmonds, Alden, Loake or higher end English brands if your budget will allow.

I could go on for a long time, but I'll stop there.

[fc356]

^^^^
Gets it. You cannot go wrong with this advice.
Ask me how I know...
see me on Facebook..... F. Camalo, est 1977
I'd rather be cycling tho...
Zio Franco

[defspace]

I could go on for a long time, but I'll stop there.

I, for one, wouldn't mind if you did. What better place to discuss such things?