In part one of this special three part series we discussed men’s suits and outlined all the suits today’s professionally dressed man will have in his wardrobe. This month we’ll incorporate shirts, ties, socks and other accessories.
Button your jacket properly, especially during meetings and presentations. For a four-button jacket, button only the top three buttons; for a three-button jacket, button the top two or the middle button only (never the third button); for a two-button jacket, button the top button only; and for double breasted styles, button all the buttons, all the time.
Men should keep pant cuffs between 1.25” to 1.5”. Anything wider than 1.75” is too wide. More on cuffs: flat-front pants should not be cuffed, while pleated trousers should always be cuffed. Make sure your pants are long enough with at least a medium break, covering the point where the heel joins the upper shoe. Men’s pants should touch the top front of the shoes. While we’re on the subject of pants let’s address a common problem with men.
Dressing properly for our body shape is a way for men and women to shave pounds off their look. For some reason, men carry a few extra pounds around the mid section and tend to wear their pants so low (below the bulge) in the front it does not look good. Most tailors will recommend that men wear their pants close to their natural waistline. This does not mean that men’s pants must go up to their belly button, as this can create a bit of a Humpty Dumpty look, which is not a good thing. However, raising the waistline to cover some of the bulge will actually help these men to look thinner and in many cases give the illusion of height. Dressing in this manner will often require that a man go up a pant size, and this will work best when worn with braces or suspenders (non-clip on only please!). The key is to find the right balance where the body looks in proportion. For some men that will mean wearing the pants at the natural waist and for others a bit below the natural waist. A quick check in a full length mirror will tell you if the look is proportionate. If the pants always need to be pulled up or the shirt has a tendency to blouse out, you can be sure that your pants need to be pulled up.
Always wear dress shirts. You should always be thinking about how you portray professionalism and a polished image and a long sleeve dress shirt is just the ticket. Even though dress shirts require a higher up-front investment, when maintained properly they should last longer and therefore cost less per wear. Men should have no fewer than 10 dress shirts. White or Light Blue shirts are an appropriate color. Stay away from stripes. Try point-collared dress shirts. They make a more professional statement than do button down collars, especially with collar stays, which are worth the extra effort to keep your shirt crisp throughout the day.
During the summer months men should continue to wear long-sleeved shirts along with an undershirt to wick away perspiration. Men’s chest and arm hair should always be covered. When it comes to dress short colors white and blue are standard. Many shades of blue dress shirts are available: light blue, French blue and banker’s blue are the best colors for most men.
A man’s tie should graze the top of his belt buckle. Ties come in two tie lengths: regular, which is 56-57 inches long, and tall, which is 60-61 inches long, on average. For men who could use a shorter tie length, find a skilled tailor who can shorten the back blade of the tie. The width of the tie should also be taken into consideration. Although thinner ties are in fashion now, the proportion of the tie in relation to the suit is more important than the “in” style.
As a general rule of thumb, the tie should be the same width as the lapel, which on average is three and a half to three and three quarter inches. A shorter man will look more proportionate in a narrower tie because the tie will match his narrower shoulders. By having a tie width that follows the natural proportions of the man’s body and the suit itself, the shorter man looks taller and more powerful.
Wear thin dress socks only with suits. Your socks must be long enough so that when you cross your legs, no skin is showing. Avoid patterned socks completely. Always wear black shoes, even when wearing navy suits. Avoid brown shoes completely.
Are there areas of the United States where you can get away with one dress standard that you could not get away with in another area? How do regional professional dress standards come into play when attempting to dress professionally? American business is now global and it is suggested that we all image up and dress more professionally. You may be doing business in Cheyenne, Wyoming where dressy cowboy boots are perfectly acceptable to wear with your suit, but working with someone who grew up in New York City and the local style of dress might influence his/her perception. Keep to global standards to be safe.