Few things compare to the luxury of slipping into a handmade suit jacket from your personal tailor.
As he slips it over your shoulders, smoothes the collar and rolls the lapels to the perfect position, he offers styling suggestions for the ideal tie and shirt for a bespoke look.While you may not have a haberdasher at your disposal, you can benefit from these tailor-inspired styling tips that teach you how to master a sartorial style.
1. Master the Trouser Break
Photo: Josh Bowman by Doug Inglish; source: tumblr
A trouser break is the point where the pant touches the shoes. Your options are short, medium or full break.
Short breaks hit below the shoe’s top. This is a tricky style to master; if not done in proportion to your silhouette, you may look like your pants shrunk. This trendy style, preferred by high-end Italian designers, is recommended for the man who makes his own fashion rules rather than following them.
Medium breaks are the classic choice of the quintessential well-dressed man. The pant hem skims the midpoint of the shoe’s top and ends at the top of the shoe’s sole.
Full breaks are showy styles, with deep creases along the front of the pant leg. These appeal to edgy dressers who want all eyes on them or tall men who need more pant length to avoid the high waters look. It takes panache to pull off this look; otherwise, you look like you forgot to get your pants hemmed.
2. Tie Tips
Ties should brush the top of the trouser waistband or belt buckle. For longer ties, the best results come from tying a half or full Windsor knot because these use more fabric. Lengthen a shorter tie by using a four-in-hand knot, which uses less fabric than the Windsor knots use.
How to Tie a Windsor Knot – Video
Tie bars are optional, but if you wear one, position it in the middle of the tie. Less is more so stick to a minimalistic style that does not call attention to itself.
3. Treat Your Ties with TLC
Instead of loosening the knot and yanking off your tie, untie it completely to safeguard the fabric and extend its shelf life. Hang ties for storage rather than folding them so the fabric relaxes and the creases fall out. In addition to lasting longer, they look fresh instead of crumpled.
4. Match Accessories to Outfits
Photo: Pinterest
Match the formality of the sock with the outfit. For example, pair dress socks with suits and tuxedos and athletic socks with workout attire. As a rule, match socks to trouser color to create a visually appealing silhouette, which elongates the leg and makes you look slimmer.
Feeling playful on casual Fridays? Splurge on a few pairs of novelty socks that play well with your neckwear and add some pop to your masculine wardrobe. Belt color should match shoe color.
5. Picking a Lapel Style
Lapel widths vary from trend to trend and are a matter of personal taste. The classic lapel styles for men’s suiting are notched or peaked lapels and shawl collars.
- Notched lapels are universally flattering and the gold standard for a business suit. Choose a narrow notched collar for a conservative look; wider lapels are statement makers in their own right.
- Peaked lapels add dramatic flair to suits without being ostentatious. When you want to make a style statement, choose peaked lapels for suits or formal wear.
- Shawl collars flatter all body types except the apple shape (round face, round body). Choose them for your tuxedos and formal jackets.
6. Suit Coats – To Button or Not to Button
How many buttons should you button on your suit jacket? Regardless of the number of buttons on your coat, you should only button the one at the jacket’s natural waist. This creates the illusion of a slimmer silhouette and allows greater freedom of movement.
7. How to Mix Patterns
Do you have a fear of mixing patterns? Here’s how to overcome it. First, there are four types of menswear prints/patterns to work with:
- Checks
- Plaids
- Prints (think dots and paisleys)
- Stripes
When mixing two or more patterns, consider the scale of each. For example, a shirt with a large windowpane pattern and a small dotted tie will play nicely with a narrow pinstriped suit. If an element is muted in tone, pick a bolder color for another garment to add punch. An example of this would be pairing a brightly colored plaid shirt with a solid color suit and a tie with a microdot or narrow pinstripe pattern.
Tiny details imperceptible to us decide everything!
This concept applies to the impression you make. When you pay attention to the tiny details of style and grooming, your appearance makes a good impression- and gives you more confidence.
About the Author: Jatin Vengurleka, owner and chief stylist of Montagio Custom Tailoring, is one of the pioneers of custom made suiting in Sydney. Established in 2010, Montagio has become the go-to destination for discerning men in Sydney seeking personally designed looks and flattering fits. His clientele includes Australian celebrities, business leaders and thousands of men who want to look their best on every occasion. He is always ready to discuss style, business and other manly pursuits.
“Quotes About Details,” Goodreads, accessed 01/14/2015; cover photo: imperatricesartoriale.it
You Will Also Like
The post Warning: Using These 7 Tips Will Make People Think You Have a Personal Tailor appeared first on OLENA.