Sophomore Alex Bates bought his first adult suit last year before the academic year began. Now a member of PIKE fraternity, he wears it often.
“For PIKE, we sometimes have to dress formal. Also, just in case I had to have an important interview, I didn’t want to have to borrow or rent a suit,” Bates said.
Bate’s suit is black with pinstripes, which he chose because it is classic and works for a variety of occasions. He wears it with a blue shirt and blue tie, no vest. The suit did not need tailoring.
“I got measured at Macy’s, and then the salesman just found the right fitting suit,” he said.
While Bates doesn’t often suit up, he says “I look drop-dead awesome in a suit.”
Picking a suit
Several factors are important to consider when purchasing a suit. According to “Gentleman’s Quarterly,” you should look at why you are buying a suit in the first place. If you are looking for a suit for all purposes, or you want to wear it more than once a week, go for a dark, versatile color.
The details are also important. Shawl collars or satin lapels won’t work for daytime or less formal occasions, neither will tails. Furthermore, don’t buy tuxedo pants (with the stripe down the outseam) if you aren’t going to reserve them for only formal occasions.
It is also important to buy the right size of suit. While a good tailor can make a suit look significantly better with a few tweaks, they aren’t magicians. If the shoulders are too wide — a tailor can’t fix it.
How can you tell if your suit fits in the shoulder?
“If you stand sideways against a wall and the shoulder pad touches the wall before your arm does, the suit is too big,” GQ said.
The chest of the suit should button without straining or sagging significantly, and you should be able to cup your hands around the edge of your suit jacket when your hands are hanging at their sides.
Another factor to consider is cost. If you aren’t going to wear your suit regularly, buy one that isn’t too expensive and have it tailored to fit you perfectly.
Accessorizing
When trying to dress snappily, it is important to tie up loose ends.
Shoes can complete the look — or ruin it. Make sure your shoes fit and are dressy enough to complete the outfit. Don’t forget — a cardinal sin is white ankle socks.
Kate Mills, a senior clothing, textiles, and design major, stresses that properly caring for your clothing is just as important as picking it out at the store.
“Most men don’t iron, so they just throw on a wrinkled shirt. A crisp shirt can brighten an outfit,” Mills said.
If you are too lazy to iron, buy a steamer, or try this trick: hang your wrinkled item up in a bathroom and turn the shower on high heat for a few minutes, and the steam should saturate the shirt, loosening the wrinkles.
Nicole Lichtenberg can be reached at [email protected]