How To Wear A Suit: 12 Style Rules Every Man Needs To Know

There’s no doubt that suits are sexy. They’re like lingerie, only for women. Of course, that’s not the only thing great about wearing a suit. When you're all buttoned up in one, it can single-handedly make you feel more confident, sharp, and sophisticated. As long as you're wearing the right suit in the proper way that is. Because there's a difference between men in suits and boys wearing suits. You can't walk in a store and just take things off the rack, expecting to look like Jon Hamm in Mad Men. If you want to look like a man wearing a suit instead of a man-child who was dressed by his mommy, you need to learn how to properly wear a suit. You also need to know how to pick one. Don't you worry though because our suit guide should help you look slick and world class in no time.

Choose A Quality Shirt

Don’t skimp on what’s under the suit

Yes, your suit is an investment. It doesn't matter if it's a new suit style or a classic. But that doesn't mean that you can opt for a low quality shirt because it’ll be “buried” beneath your expensive suit anyway. You couldn’t be more wrong. Aside from the fact that your shirt will be exposed to public view once you take the jacket off, it can greatly impact the look you’re going for. Instead of looking smart and sophisticated, you run the risk of looking cheap and rumpled. So, take the time (and the money) to get yourself a good one.

Getting the fit right is key

The most fundamental rule when choosing a dress shirt (or just about anything in fashion) is that you need to get the fit right. It doesn't matter if you love the look and the fabric, it's not worth your money if it doesn't fit you properly.

There are two things that you need to take note of when looking at fit. First, you feel comfortable and free to move when wearing it. Second, it makes your upper body look good. To be more specific, you should check to make sure that the shirt fits the following requirements:

• The collar is not too tight or too loose. You should be able to fit two fingers through the gap between your neck and your collar while the shirt is buttoned up.
• The shoulders of the shirt should end right where your shoulders and your upper arms meet.
• The sleeves should also not be too tight or too loose on your arms. There should just be enough space that you're able to move naturally in the shirt.
• Take note of your shirt cuffs. The arms of your shirt should be longer than your suit. That being said, your shirt cuffs should not reach past the top of your hands, at the point where your thumb starts. In addition, the cuffs should be narrow enough that your hand shouldn't be able to fit through when it's buttoned or fastened with cufflinks.

Choose the right fabric

Dress shirts can be made of different types of fabric. There's fine cotton which is lightweight and perfect for keeping you cool. Man-made fiber like polyester isn't as breathable but they're wrinkle-free and affordable. Cotton chambray are more comfortable in comparison but they're more suited as sports shirts. Think about where you’ll be wearing your suit and choose accordingly.

Match Your Shoes And Belt

Leather belts

Belts are a necessity when it comes to wearing a suit. Now, don't get us wrong. Your suit pants should fit you well enough that it shouldn't matter if you wear a belt or not. Wearing a belt is not a necessity because of that. It's an accessory that is required to complete your look. Having a leather belt is a necessity if you want to wear a suit properly.

Having said that, there are different types of belts but two of them you need to be aware of - the dress belt and the casual belt. How do you determine which is which? Usually, a casual belt is one that features an oversized buckle or a uniquely designed one. It may also feature a cartoon character or something fun/funny. Certain patterned leathers like crocodile or woven fabrics are generally more appropriate for a smart casual outfit. A dress belt, on the other hand, should only have a plain, single buckle and have a width of 1 1/4 inches. It should be simple and classic with a smoother finish.

Take note that whatever belt you do end up choosing, you should make sure that it will match the color of your shoes. Color coordinating your belt and shoes can produce a more cohesive look.

Men's suede shoes

Should you wear suede shoes with a suit? Because of their texture, suede shoes are often considered more casual wear than formal. However, the right suede shoes can work well when worn with a suit. Sure, they seem more casual than your leather shoes. But according to modern suit trends, you can definitely get away with it. Just make sure to choose something dark colored like black or dark brown. That goes for the dressing on the soles too.

Dress shoes

Wearing the wrong shoes can ruin even the most stylish of men's suits. So, it's incredibly important that you get right dress shoes. Aside from matching the color of your shoes with your belt, you need to make sure that your shoe color complements the color of your suit. You can do a little mix and match if you’ve got an eye for it, but don’t go overboard. For example, you can pair your light gray suit with black or brown dress shoes. But if you're wearing a charcoal gray suit, then brown is not a shoe color you should be looking at. The reason? The colors don't "blend" well together. The stark contrast between the two colors is too jarring to create a cohesive look. In the same way, if you wore a brown suit, you can't use black dress shoes. The contrast will clash because black is a bit too formal and brown is considered more on the casual side.

Choose A Tie That’s Darker Than Your Shirt

A darker colored tie will look sharper in contrast with a lighter-colored shirt. However, here’s one more important rule to note: the color of your tie needs to contrast with the color of your suit. If you're wearing a dark suit, go for a light colored tie. Another rule you should go by is to avoid wearing a tie that has a pattern that matches the one on your dress shirt. For example, a checkered dress shirt and a checkered tie wouldn't go well together. Instead, try a paisley tie to offset it.

The Perfect the Fit of Your Jacket and Pants

Suit buying guide: Jacket

• Shoulders: Just like with your dress shirt, you should make sure that the shoulder seam of the jacket ends right where your shoulder meets your arms.
• Chest and Torso: The lapels of your jacket should lie flat on your chest whenever you fasten the buttons of your jacket. In addition, the fit around your torso should be a little snug with only a little gap between the button and your stomach. That gap should be enough to slide your thumb through.
• Arms: Like with your shirt, the arms of your jacket should closely hug you but not enough to prohibit freedom of movement.
• Length: your suit jacket should cover your zipper and butt.

Suit buying guide: Pants

Length: Your pants should not be too long or too short. If they're too long, it will look baggy or bunched up. Too short, then your socks will show. It doesn't matter what the current trend is, your dress pants should always end just at the tops of your shoes. Your suit pants should look tapered, not loose.

Waist: Your pants should fit you well when worn at your natural waist. Where's that? It's around an inch below your navel.

Buttoning up and down

• Leave the last button of your suit jacket open: The last button on your suit jacket has no other purpose other than to make you look good. It's a style thing. A suit jacket is tailored specifically to look good only when the middle button is fastened. Buttoning the last one will make the suit look awkward on your frame, possibly even ruin its shape.

• Unfasten your suit buttons when sitting down: Don't ruin the shape of your suit by sitting down with the button closed. Doing so will stretch it out and possibly cause you to pop a button. Even if it doesn't, you might end up looking like a stuffed potato - something nobody wants to see.

• Always button the top button of your dress shirt: Unlike your jacket, your dress shirt should always be buttoned up all the way to the top. Choking yourself shouldn't be a problem if you got the fit right. When buttoned up, the lines of your shirt collar should match up and create a more sophisticated look. You can unfasten it when you're done with work and ready to chill out. But until then, keep it closed.

Mariam Simmons

Mariam Simmons is a fashion enthusiast and Content Manager at Alpine Swiss. She loves traveling to the world’s top stylish destinations and gets inspired to create helpful fashion and lifestyle guides. With over a decade of writing experience, her main goal in creating content is to ensure readers learn something useful and provide value instead of noise.