alright guys, here's the thing, I know fashion. I am not gay (not that it matters) but have always been into fashion.
You guys focus too much on what colors, patterns, etc. you should be wearing when the most important thing about wearing a suit is how it compliments you. The purpose of any clothes is to draw attention to your wonderful face and a suit is no different. You want a suit that draws people to your face, not away from it.
Without going on forever I'll try to give a few key points about how to properly wear a suit.
1. Firstly, never, and I mean never, wear a double-breasted suit. Some people can pull it off but they are far and apart. Stick with the classic single breasted, it's a suit that shows power, strength, and confidence.
2. Lapel width- Wider guys go for wider lapels and skinnier guys go for skinnier lapels, this will complement that shapes of your body and make you look proportionate. This also applies to ties, Skinnier ties for skinnier people and wider ties for you wider gentleman. Also in regard to ties, go with the classic four-in-hand tie knot, its always a winner. also, avoid notched lapels, they tend to be a little to flashy for an interview.
3. Buttons- A taller gentleman shouldn't wear anymore than 3 buttons, two is also fine but avoid coats with one for this seems more sportcoatish. Shorter guys feel free to wear more as this will help you in fact appear taller, but never exceed 5 (i wouldn't recommend exceeding 4).
4.Size-a whole book can and has been written on this. in short. the bottom of your coat should meet at the bottom of your fingertips (roughly). Your shirt should poke out a little from underneath your coat. Your shoulders should be padded a little but never too much. Sleeve length should come down to the very top of your hand with your arms at your side. Pants should fall and rest on your shoes and break at your ankle. always wear your pants at your natural waist. There's a lot more on this but for the most part any tailor will take good care of you (unless they work at mens warehouse). feel free to ask any other questions about size and fit and ill be happy to answer.
5. Shoes- I always recommend a good oxford. Avoid things like monkstraps or penny loafers as they can seem to casual or flashy. In general the more eyelets a shoe has the more dressy it is. So go for somewhere in the middle, not 2, but also not 7.
6. Color- Finally what you have all been talking about. Again this is a huge topic but I'd say stick with black, grey, and navy. Can't go wrong with any of these suits. Always remember you want to draw attention to your face not away from it. so choose a color that compliments you. In simplest form if your lighter, lighter colors work better for you (i.e- lighter blue over dark navy), and vice versa. If you have blue eyes, true to throw in a nice light blue tie. For any more info on color coordination please feel free to ask.
7. Where to get your suits- In general I try to avoid places like mens warehouse etc. but b/c a lot of us are poor college students its ok if you have to go there. For cheaper quality fashion I tend to recommend stores like J-crew and Banana Republic. Both these stores have good selections and good sales. The most important thing about buying a suit is finding a good tailor. A tailor makes sure the suits fits right and looks good on you, ask around for recommendations, tailors receive most business through reputation and word of mouth.
Whew, a little longer than I expected but there's the basics. Again, there's a whole lot more that could be said about suits. Please feel free to ask me any questions you might have.
