Men's Style Guide: Three-Piece Suits
By Hendrik Pohl
Formalness is a pendulum trend in men's fashion. You see guys 'dressing down' their entire wardrobes one season, only to dress everything back up the next. When it comes to dressing up, you can't get much dressier than the three-piece suit, which was once the penultimate style statement for gentlemen across the Atlantic. The style, however, requires more than merely buttoning up the jacket, vest and trousers.
Prioritize Fit
Suits - even the two-piece variety - require a certain level of fit. While you could still get away with a two-piece set that isn't exactly tailor made to your specifications, a three-piece suit will not be as forgiving. More pieces always involves a better than usual level of fit. In a nutshell, more pieces mean that more things could go wrong.
Even if you buy store-bought ones that already fit you acceptably, you'll still want to bring it to a tailor for a final go-ahead. Each man's body is unique, which means that the suit - no matter how well-fitting it might have seemed at the store - could always do with a bit of adjustment. It'll be well worth the expense, though, as the overall outfit will look much better once you finally put the suit together with the tie, shoes and belt.
What should you be looking out for? Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of ballooning, a common problem when the shirt, jacket or vest is store bought and unadjusted. If your torso is straight but the fabric floats away from your body at a particular point - usually around the chest or waist - a visit to the tailor is in order.
Cuts can vary by tailor, but you'll want to lean in the direction of a slim fit; a baggy suit helps nobody. Too short Thom Brown-esque styles, however, might be a little difficult to pull off because it deviates from the standard proportions between the pants, vest and the jacket. In terns of length, it's more strategic to stick to the traditional style.
The Gentleman's Details
Since the three-piece suit already carries a considerable weight of formalness by itself, it would be foolish not to maximize that sort of style statement. 'Dressing down' a three piece suit by skipping out on its usual accoutrements is nothing short of a faux pas.
Pick up a formal necktie of a moderate width; skinny and novelty ties simply won't work in this scenario. The more classic your tie is, the better it'll sync with the formal feel of the suit. A tie bar isn't always necessary to keep the tie from flapping, but a necktie pin is a good idea to give it that coveted arc. Use a colorful tie to add interest and make it stand out against the rest of your outfit.
Matching leather accessories come next, which should be common sense to the average fashionable man of today. Keep the color of your shoes in sync with that of the belt and, if possible, your watch. A three-piece suit is not the place to wear more casual canvas or rubber accessories; it won't be right if it's not leather.
Last (but far from the least) is the pocket square, which too many men today neglect. Ask any English dandy and he'll tell you that no suit, three-piece or otherwise - is complete without a pocket square. It need not be boring; the range of printed and boldly colored squares on the market should see to that. The important thing is that it's there to maintain the traditionally formal feel of the suit.
A three-piece suit isn't exactly the easiest outfit to pull off, but it has high returns in the kind of style statement you can make with it. With a skilled tailor and the right necktie and accessories, you should look every inch the proper gentleman.
About the author
Mens fashion and style is not just a hobby to Pohl. Besides giving men advice on how to dress, he also manages his online retailer selling finest silk ties and bow ties. He also recommends you have a look at these designer ties.Distributed by ContentCrooner.com from http://www.FreeArticlesAndContent.com
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