Now we come to perhaps the most complex chapter of this document: suits. The suit is synonymous with style—any man looks good in a nice, well fitting suit. A suit goes with any occasion; it is the equivalent of a lady's "little black dress."

As I said, suits are a difficult subject. I will attempt to prepare you to buy a suit from beginning to end, from walking in the right store to caring for it at home.

1. Why wear suits? Suits aren't your thing, you say? We'll see about that...
2. Fabric choice. How to tell nice fabric from that which is cheap.
3. Construction. The different parts of a suit.
4. Fit. Perhaps the most complex part of buying a suit: making sure it fits you.
5. Where to buy a suit. Now you want a suit, huh? Look here to find out where to get one.
6. How to buy a suit. Ok, so you've chosen a suit, what happens now? I explain how to get fitted and how the whole buying process works.
7. Caring for your suit. How to clean and press your suit.

By the way, all this stuff that applies to suit jackets applies to sport coats as well. "Sport coats" or "odd jackets" are just jackets without matching pants (hence "odd jacket").

2. FABRIC CHOICE

This is perhaps the easiest part of this chapter to write: there is only one answer to the question, "What kind of fabric should I buy?" Buy only natural fiber suits—that's wool (cashmere included), cotton, or silk. In other words, if it's got polyester or nylon or rayon, etc. in it, then you don't want it. Man made fabrics don't last as long, don't drape as well, and are a mark of a cheap suit so it probably will be poorly constructed. Also, the natural fibers will be cooler in the Summer.

Girls used to say, 'Dane, you're so cute But you gets no rap with them polyester suits'         —Dana Dane, "Cinderfella Dana Dane"

Since we've got that out of the way we can move on to choosing between the different wools, cottons, and silks. With wools there are two things to consider: worsted vs. tweed and weight. Worsted wool is what you usually think of when you think about suit fabric—it is smooth, we say it has no "nap." The thread used to make tweed suits is not as processed as worsted thread so it has nap; you might say it's more fur-like. You'll rarely see a tweed suit because they are mainly used for winter sport coats; tweed is generally a more casual fabric. Often, tweed jackets are more than one color.

The weight is also a pretty easy choice—most suits come in what is called tropical weight wool. This is a year-round weight designed to keep you cool in the summer and warm in the winter. If you desire a warmer suit, there are thicker wools available.

Cotton suits are for Summer only since it's cooler than wool. Summer is defined (officially to fashion people) to be between Memorial Day and Labor Day. You won't see many cotton suits (different styles might be called poplin or seersucker) since they aren't very versatile. There are a few things to note about cotton in general: it wrinkles easily and, because of that, you can't alter it—after you get the pants hemmed (presumably they come unhemmed) they can't be rehemmed—the crease in the cuff will never fully come out.

Finally, we cover silk and silk blend suits and sport coats. Spring and Summer sport coats often are a silk/wool blend; look for these to be a little more expensive than your average wool coat. Likewise, silk suits are often seen as the top of luxury—what all the mobsters wear when they're riding high in the movies. I imagine that you won't be interested in such flamboyance...

3. CONSTRUCTION

ANATOMY

To begin, we must be on the same page with regards to terminology. Observe:

This is a diagram of the average three-button men's suit. Most items are fairly straight forward with the exception of the shoulder: for fitting purposes, let's call the very beginning of the sleeve a "shoulder."

Now we begin an unordered traversal of these components. Some of them will be covered in the Fit section below.

NUMBER OF BUTTONS

A suit should have two or three buttons (main buttons, not sleeve buttons; tuxedos have one button). Three buttons is a more modern look and will make you look taller and probably thinner. The latter is true unless you have a particularly large lower belly in which case, the bottom two buttons may stick out thus making you look larger.

Two button suits are more conservative and traditional. Most retailers carry both kinds so you can try them on and see what you like.

Suits with more than three buttons are very trendy—they probably won't look as stylish in a few years so keep that in mind when shopping. Suits with extra buttons seem to be popular among the African-American community.

Never fasten the bottom button on a suit (unless it's a tuxedo).

SINGLE/DOUBLE BREASTED

There are two popular styles of jacket: single breasted and double breasted. The latter is named because of the need to "double over" the breast of the jacket in order to button it. You always keep a double-breasted jacket buttoned whereas you can walk around with a single breasted jacket unbuttoned.

Single Breasted		Double Breasted

Double breasted jackets can add girth to a skinny person (since they don't hug the waist as much as a single) and help a larger man to look thinner (again, for the same reason). Also, since they provide a sartorial connection with the 1930s and because they are rarer than the single, the double breasted jackets tend to be a bit more chic.

LAPELS

[diagrams coming]

There are two things to consider about lapels: shape and size. The notch lapel is the most popular shape and is depicted in the single breasted diagram: basically, there's a notch cut out of the lapel. Peak lapels have a sharp point; these are often found on double-breated jackets. Additionally, tuxedos will sometimes have shawl collars which are smooth and rounded—no notches or points.

As the winds of fashion change, so do the size of lapels. In general, you should buy lapels which extend a little past halfway between the shoulder and the collar. Check out Dean Martin and his slightly too large lapels.

BUTTONHOLE AND BREAST POCKET

Suits should have a buttonhole and a breast pocket. This is sort of a given and you're probably in a strange store if you find a jacket missing one of these components. See the Pocket Squares chapter to find out what to do with the breast pocket!

COLLAR

There's not much to say about the collar until we get to the fit section; but in order to prepare for that discussion, you should note that a nicely made suit will have rows of stiching on the under side of the collar. This will keep the collar from riding up/down on your neck. You can look but not many suits have these extra stiches.

ARMHOLES

The sleeves are attached by sewing them onto the sides of the shoulders—this junction is called the armhole. In factory made suits, all seams are made by a machine, including the armhole. This can cause a lack of stretch and make the suit feel unforgiving when you rotate your arm. Certain companies hand-stitch armholes for more flexibility. Ask the salesperson about this if you're in a nice suit store.

VENTS

Vents are "cuts" along seams in the back of jackets (see diagram). In the diagram there are no vents (notice that all the seams are in tact), I have just marked the places where they would be. There are two types of vents (three if you count no vents): center vents; down the center seam; and side vents, down the side seams. Vents are designed to keep you cool (by letting air flow up your back) and keep the jacket from wrinkling when you sit (because the jacket will spread itself nicely along the seams). Side vents are typically a mark of English-make and tend to show off the figure. Center vents are American in nature and ventless is typically a European style, although many suits in the U.S. are now made ventless. You can always close vents after you buy a suit but you can't re-open them.

5. WHERE TO BUY A SUIT

"Where should I buy a suit?" is a question I am often asked. Like most questions, "It depends," is the answer. Different locations sell different suits for different prices. Basically, cheap suits are $150, basic department store suits are around $300, nice off-the-rack suits are $700-$1200 then custom suits are $1,000+. I'll attempt to give you a good explaination of how to choose a vendor. We will consider locations in decreasing quality.

CUSTOM CLOTHING

$1,000+

There was a time, not too long ago, when everyone's clothes came from a tailor—a person who would actually measure you and make you a suit. Because of this, the clothes fit better and were just generally nicer. Unfortunately, consumerism ruined that tradition and now most people buy their suits from some off-the-rack vendor.

However, there are a few independent tailors still around and many made-to-order custom clothing vendors (see the next section) exist. You can find these places by searcing for "tailor" in your local Yellow Pages, or better yet, go to a nice men's store (e.g., Brooks Brothers) and ask the tailor. Of course, you will get exactly what you want: you'll be able to choose the fabric and how the suit is constructed. But, you pay for this freedom—at least $1,000 and usually more like $2,000.

I won't talk too much more about custom clothing. If you're reading this, you probably don't want a custom suit

MADE TO MEASURE

$1,000+

For completeness I have included this section on what is called "Made-to-Measure" suits. Lots of stores (like Brooks Brothers and Jos. A. Bank) sell these: basically, you get measured in the store and your suit is made by someone you've never met then shipped to you. The critical difference between this and a custom suit is that the tailor who makes the suit has never seen you, so it probably won't fit you quite as well. However, it will still cost about as much.

A note about "Hong Kong tailors:" I've never bought a suit from a Hong Kong tailor so I don't know the kind of quality you can get, but basically, you get measured (or measure yourself) then send your measurements to Hong Kong, where, supposedly, someone makes you a suit then ships it back to you. Prices vary but they seem to be around $300. In other words, this is a cheap way to get a made-to-measure suit. If anyone has tried this, let me know.

MEN'S SPECIALTY STORES

$600-1,200

If you want a nice suit but don't want a custom suit, then go to a men's specialty shop. Good places to go are Brooks Brothers and Joseph A. Bank. Both of these are national chain stores. They offer suits from about $600 to $1,200. Brooks Brothers is slightly more classic than Jos. A. Bank—the colors and cuts are more conservative.

Let me tell you about what you get versus a department store when you shop at a specialty store:

• Knowledgable sales staff. I wouldn't trust most department store clerks to fit me for a suit—they just don't have enough experience or, quite frankly, care enough. Usually the people who work at a specialty store enjoy dressing sharp and so they can help you do the same. Also, the turnover rate is less (there was a guy who worked at Brooks Brothers with me who had been there for almost 30 years) so employees will be more experienced.
• Better construction. You get what you pay for. For example, in a low-end Brooks suit ($600), you'll find hand stitched arm holes and extra stitches in the collar (see the construction section above), etc. Also, it just seems like department store suits are cut kind of boxy—they don't look well built.
• Skilled tailors. Most likely, you will be fitted by the tailor who will do the alterations at a specialty store—unlike a department store. That tailor will remember how the suit fit on you instead of just cutting along the dotted line. Also, since it is a tailor who will fit you, your bound to get a better fit than some salesperson-turned-fitter like you'll find in a department store.
• Personalized service. When you shop at a specialty store, you always shop with the same salesperson—that person knows what you like and what looks good on you and can help you choose. Also, they'll do favors for you like mend your clothes if you tear your pants or lose a button before a big meeting, etc. I once carried a elderly gentleman's bags to the subway station for him after he shopped at Brooks Brothers—your just-there-to-get-paid salesmen at the mall won't do that for you.

DEPARTMENT STORES

$200-700

Department stores, like Rich's or Macy's, usually have a large selection of suits in their men's departments. They usually carry a variety of sizes (although small sizes [< 38] are often non-existant) and styles—from conservative to trendy. If you're just looking for one suit and you can't spend $700 for a Brooks suit then go to a department store. Most often you'll come out ok (see the discussion above about department stores vs. specialty shops).

There are a few things to be wary of:

• Pushy sales people. Don't get pushed into buying a suit that you don't want. Basically, this means that you should walk in with an idea of what you want and what you want to spend.
• Ugly suits. Some suits are just ugly—they're cut to fit a box or the pattern is too trendy.
• Fitting. Read the part of this document that talks about fitting because the people who will fit you at a department store probably haven't :)

DISCOUNT STORES

$100-300

Recently there has been a push for so-called "outlet" stores, places which sell factory rejects or overstocked merchandise, etc. These are places like K&G and Men's Wearhouse.

Now, if you're really on a budget and need only one suit (see the bottom line section below), you can get one from one of these places. Just beware: the problems associated with department stores are exponentially worse with discount stores.

• The suits are even more trendy, often what I might describe as "ghetto." You know, baby blue tuxedos, etc. However, there are some nicely styled suits from such places (I own a few).
• The fitting is much worse—the help cares even less than the people at department stores, and, often speaks little English.

THE BOTTOM LINE

If you only own one suit it should be a nice one (specialty shop). If you can't afford one, you should probably save up for it—it's worth it since one good suit will last many years. However, if you really can't afford it then get educated about suits and go shopping at a department store or a discount broker.