Suit

The man's suit of clothes is a garment, that is crafted from the same cloth. The English word suit derives from the French suivre, "to follow", i.e. trousers and waistcoat follow the coat's cloth and colour. There have been various styles of suit, the most common of which is the lounge suit, sometimes called a business suit, which originated in England as beachwear. The other type of suit still (rarely) worn today is the morning suit. This article discusses the lounge suit, which is classified as "informal" in the hierarchy of dress codes.

Its variants, such as two- and three- piece, or single- and double- breasted, are garments the design, cut, and cloth of which determine their social and work suitability. Generally, the man's suit is worn with a collared shirt, and necktie. Until around the 60s, as with all men's clothes, a hat would have been also worn.

Originally, as with most clothes, a tailor crafted the suit from his client's selected cloth, a process known as "bespoke". The suit was custom made to the measurements, taste, and style of the man. Since the Industrial Revolution, most suits are mass-produced, and, as such, are sold as "off-the-peg" (also known variously as "off-the-rack", "ready-made", "ready-to-wear", etc.) garments. Currently, suits are sold in roughly three ways:

• bespoke, in which the garment is custom-made from scratch entirely for the customer, giving the best fit and free choice of fabric;
• made to measure, in which a pre-made pattern is modified to fit the customer, and a limited selection of options and fabrics is available;
• and finally ready-to-wear.

History

The Man’s suit

Johann Christian Fischer in matching coat, waistcoat, and breeches, by Thomas Gainsborough, ca. 1780.

The suit is a traditional form of men’s formal clothes in the Western world. For some four hundred years, suits of matching coat, trousers, and waistcoat have been in and out of fashion. The modern lounge suit’s derivation is visible in the outline of the brightly-coloured, elaborately-crafted royal court dress of the 17th century (suit, wig, knee breeches), which was shed because of the French Revolution. This evolution is seen more recently in British tailoring’s use of steam and padding in moulding woolen cloth, the rise and fall in popularity of the necktie, and the gradual disuse of waistcoats and hats in the last fifty years.

The modern lounge suit appeared in the early 20th century, but traces its origins to the simplified, sartorial standard of dress established by the British king Charles II in the 17th century. In 1666, the restored monarch, Charles II, per the example of King Louis XIV’s court at Versailles, decreed that in the English Court men would wear a long coat, a waistcoat (then called "petticoat"), a cravat (a precursor of the necktie), a wig, and knee breeches (trousers), and a hat.

Regency

In the early 1800s, British dandy Beau Brummell redefined and adapted this style, then popularised it, leading European men to wearing well-cut, tailored clothes, adorned with elaborately knotted neckties. The simplicity of the new clothes and their sombre colours contrasted strongly with the extravagant styles just before. Brummell's influence introduced the modern era of men's clothing which now includes the modern suit and necktie. Moreover, he introduced a whole new era of grooming and style, including regular (daily) bathing as part of a man's toilet.

In this regency period, the predominant upper-class clothing introduced by Brummel for day wear was a tightly fitting, brightly coloured tailcoat with non-matching trousers and tall boots.

Victorian

Towards the start of the Victorian period, the frock coat, initially not just black, became popular, and quickly became the standard daily clothing for gentlemen. From the middle of the 19th century, a new (then informal) coat, the morning coat, became acceptable. It was a less formal garment, with a cut away front, making it suitable for wearing while riding. Morning dress and the frock coat garments were not suits, because they were worn with odd trousers; a matching waistcoat and trousers were considered informal, clothes described as such in the short-lived term "ditto suit". The frock coat was still the standard garment for all formal or business occasions, and a tailcoat was worn in the evenings.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the modern lounge suit was born as a very informal garment meant only to be worn for sports, in the country, or at the seaside.

Three men in black tie variations.

Parallel to this, the dinner jacket was invented and came to be worn for informal evening events. It was descended from white tie (the dress code associated with the evening tailcoat), and started off as just a tailcoat with the tails cut off, but quickly became a full new garment, the dinner jacket, with a new dress code, initially known as 'dress lounge' and later black tie. When it was imported to the United States, it became known as as the tuxedo or the penguin. The 'dress lounge' was originally worn only for small private gatherings and white tie ('White tie and tails') was still worn for large formal events. The 'dress lounge' slowly became more popular for larger events as an alternative to full evening dress in white tie.

Edwardian

In 1901, the smart man wore a morning coat.

The new century brought a steady decline in the wearing of frock coats as the morning coat rose in relative formality, first becoming acceptable for businessmen, then becoming standard dress even in town. The lounge suit was slowly accepted as being correct outside its original settings, and during Edwardian times gradually began to be seen in town. While still reserved for private gatherings, usually with no ladies, black tie became more common.

In North America, the "sack suit", a cut of lounge suit, saw a large rise in popularity, and, except for the shoulders, it is unfitted, loose, and informal, as it has no darts.

Inter-war

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At the Treaty of Versailles signing, in 1919, the heads of state wore morning dress and lounge suits for informal meetings, but frock coats for formal daytime meetings.

After the end of the first World War, most men adopted the short lounge coated suit. Long coats quickly went out of fashion for everyday wear and business, and the morning coat gained its current classification of "formal". During the 1920s, short suits were always worn except on formal occasions when a morning coat would be worn for formal occasions in the daytime; old conservative men continued to wear a frock coat, or "Prince Albert coat" as it was known. In America, for evening occasions, the short dinner jacket virtually replaced the long "full dress" tails, which was perceived as "old hat" and was only worn by old conservative men. In Britain, black tie became acceptable as a general informal alternative to white tie, though at the time the style and accessories of black tie were still very fluid.

In the 1920s men began wearing wide straight legged trousers with their suits. These trousers normally measured 23 inches around the cuff. Younger men often wore even wider legged trousers which were known as "Oxford Bags." Trousers also began to be worn cuffed shortly after World War I and this style persisted until World War II. Trousers first began to be worn creased in the 1920s. Trousers were worn very highly-waisted throughout the 1920s and this fashion remained in vogue until the 1940s. Single-breasted suits were in style throughout the 1920s and the double-breasted suit was mainly worn by older more conservative men. In the 1920s, very fashionable men would often wear double-breasted waistcoasts (with four buttons on each side) with single-breasted coats. Lapels on single-breasted suits were fashionably worn peaked and were often wide. In the early 1930s these styles continued and were often even further exaggerated.

Before 1935 (and again in the 1970s) men preferred snugly-tailored coats and waistcoats, however, since then, the mainstream trend has been for looseness. In 1935, a complete change in style occurred. Loose fitting coats were introduced, trousers began to be tapered at the bottom and suit coats began to have tapered arms. These new trends were only reluctantly accepted by men at first. At first the waistcoat continued to be made in the traditional fitted and snug style. By 1940, the waistcoat began to be made in a lose style which made it uncomfortable to wear. In fashion magazines of the day, men complained how these new vests continually rode up when they happen to sit down or bend over. Fashionable men changed their preference to the double-breasted suit coat at this time and it would remain in fashion for the next two decades.

By this time, morning dress was being replaced day time semi-formal, known in America as the stroller. This was quite popular, but has actually been outlived by morning dress, which continues to be worn, while the stroller is now largely gone.

Post-war

Throughout the 1940s and 1950's the trend had been to simplify and modernize the suit as much as possible. For example, by the the 1960s the size of the lapel had shrunk to a very small size. Suit coats were also cut as straight as possible without any indication of a waistline. Cloth rationning changed styles significantly, contributing to a large reduction in the popularity of many cuts, such as the double-breasted suit.

In the 1970s, a snug-fitting suit coat became popular once again and this style permitted the return of the waistcoat. This new three-piece suit style became associated with disco music and its culture, specifically popularised by the film Saturday Night Fever, wherein the tight waistcoat was basic to that fashion. The tight three-piece suit was equated with the discothèque culture. The socially conservative backlash against disco music culture ended the popularity of snug-fitting three piece suits.

The 1980s saw a trend towards the simplification of the suit once again. The jacket became looser and the waistcoat was completely dispensed with. A few suit makers continued to make waistcoats, but these tended to be cut very low and often had only four buttons. The waistline on the suit coat went down again in the 1980s to a position well below the waist. By 1985-86, three-piece suits were on the way out and making way for cut double-breasted suits and two piece single-breasted.

Women's suits

Women's walking suits, 1894, from the Butterick pattern company's Delineator

The earliest women's suits were riding habits, which consisted of a tailored coat or jacket and matching skirt from the 1660s. Practical and sturdy, riding habits were worn not only on horseback, but also for travel and other daytime pursuits. Suits not intended for riding appeared in the later 19th century. Both riding habits and walking suits reflected the skirt and sleeve styles of the day.

In the first half of the 20th century, the skirted suit became the common daytime city costume for women, in the workplace and out; dressmaker suits featured softer fabrics and "feminine" details, and cocktail suits were worn for semi-formal occasions in mid-century.

Under the influence of Dress for Success, a working woman's uniform of skirted suit, tailored shirt, and floppy tie evolved in the 1970s and 1980s. Pantsuits (women's suits with trousers) were introduced by designer André Courrèges in 1964 but were only gradually accepted as formal business attire.

Influence of casual dress

Over the past half-century, the wearing of suits has become far less common than it once was and is now restricted almost entirely to formal and business activities. During the 1990s, many businesses in North America adopted casual dress codes, beginning with "casual Fridays" and then extending to the entire business week. The abandonment of a uniform dress code has led to considerable confusion over what is considered appropriate business wear. More recently, some businesses have reinforced the wearing of suits, although they may never again be as common as they once were.

According to Anne Hollander's book Sex and Suits (ISBN 1-56836-101-7), the origin of the suit was in European medieval armour, which "replaced the naked human frame with another one that made a close three-dimensional, line-for-line commentary on it in another medium." Furthermore, "plate armour required an undergarment made by a linen-armourer, a close-fitting padded suit that outlined the whole man".

Styles

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U.S. President J.F. Kennedy in a two-piece, single-breasted suit.

The majority of men's suits can be classified into one of five styles. Double-breasted suits have two parallel rows of buttons; this style is considered very conservative. All other styles are single-breasted and may have various numbers of buttons, most commonly two or three. British suits are characterised by moderately tapered sides, minimal shoulder padding, and two vents. Italian suits are characterised by strongly padded shoulders, strongly tapered sides, and no vent. American suits are considered more casual than the preceding styles, and are characterised by moderate shoulder padding, minimally tapered sides, and a single vent. Contemporary is a term that includes a variety of recently designed garments that do not fit into the preceding categories.

Suit jackets in all styles typically have three or four buttons on each cuff, which are often purely decorative (the sleeve is sewn closed and cannot be unbuttoned to open). Functional cuff buttons may be found on high-end or bespoke suits; this feature is called a Surgeon's Cuff.

Extreme suits

Although the man's tailored suit is commonly perceived as the ultimate conservative costume of Western culture (see below), extravagant variations on the tailored suit have been adopted by many subcultures over the last century as a matter of fashion or social identity. As early as 1922, Emily Post addressed what she termed the "freak American suit" in her influential guide Etiquette:

You will see it everywhere, on Broadway of every city and Main Street of every town, on the boardwalks and beaches of coast resorts, and even in remote farming villages. It comes up to hit you in the face year after year in all its amazing variations: waist-line under the arm pits, "trick" little belts, what-nots in the cuffs; trousers so narrow you fear they will burst before your eyes, pockets placed in every position, buttons clustered together in a tight little row or reduced to one. Such progressive styles may not reflect the international tastes or etiquette.

Some of the non-traditional tailored suit styles of the past century include:

• The Jazz suit of the early 1920s were extremely high-waisted and snug-fitting and were worn with trousers which were quite high-waisted and trouser legs were short and revealed the wearer's socks.
• The Zoot suit of the late 1930s and 1940s.
• The Western suit, a form of western wear featuring a tailored jacket with "western" details such as pointed yokes or arrowhead pockets.
• The Nudie suit, a highly decorated form of western wear.
• The double-breasted suit, made popular from the mid 1930s- circa late 50s and again from the mid 1980s until the mid 1990s.
• The Beatle suit, inspired by Pierre Cardin's collarless jackets, derived from Edwardian suits.
• The Mod suit, a fashion of the 1960s. Characteristics include a very slim cut, narrow lapels, three or four buttons and a strongly tapered waist. Usually single-breasted. The cloth generally consists in part of mohair.
• The Safari suit, a fashion of the 1970s. Patterned after military dress uniforms worn in hot climates, it consisted of (long, but sometimes short) trousers and short-sleeved jacket with patch pockets of a light suiting fabric, typically of beige or pastel shades of blue and green. It was worn with a short-sleeved shirt, mostly of open neck design, but occasionally with a tie. Another style associated with this was the leisure suit, which had a long-sleeved shirt-like jacket.
• The Disco suit, a fashion of the 1970s with exaggerated lapels and flared trousers and usually necktie omitting, often in white or brightly-coloured polyester fabric, the jacket was based on the jackets popular in the 1930s.

Parts of a suit

There are many possible variations in the choice of the style, the garments and the details of a suit.

The silhouette

In the clothing industry vocabulary, the "silhouette" of a suit is its cut or shape. Among the currently common silhouettes for men's suits, there are: the sack suit, the European-cut suit, and the "updated American-style suit". The sack suit is very loose, the European-cut is tight fitted, and the American-style is a mix of the two.

Number of pieces

A two-piece suit means a jacket plus the trousers. A three piece suit includes an additional waistcoat. A "one-piece" suit would be the jacket only, although this terminology is unusual, as suits by definition include at least the jacket and trousers.

Cutting pattern

The cutting pattern is a draw on paper of a set of points, lines and measurements, to be later used to sew the fabric. A bespoke suit is usually cut on the basis of a unique cutting pattern hand-drafted by tailor for the individual customer. Among the main pattern-drafting methods there are Pattern Manipulation, Drafting Formula, "Rock Of Eye".

Number of main (front) buttons

Most suits have two, three, or even four buttons. A suit with one, two, or even three buttons is acceptable; four or more are fads. Tuxedos have either one or two buttons, although one is the most classic. It is rare to find a suit with more than four buttons, although zoot suits can have as many as 6 or more due to their longer length than the ordinary suit. Some buttons also had sizes. Some suits (mostly tuxedos) in the early 1970s for the Disco style had smaller shaped buttons and stitched a few inches closer unlike the ordinary. Usually they were four buttons. This version is rare today but can be found on various Zoot suits.

The custom that a man's coat should button "left side over right", originates in the use of the sword, where such cut avoided catching the top of the weapon in the opening of the cloth (since the sword was usually drawn right-handed).

Lapels

• 
  The peaked lapel
• 
  The notched lapel

The jacket's lapels can be notched, peaked, shawl, or "trick" (Mandarin and other unconventional styles). Some stylers maintain that the lapel "should extend to just a fraction less than the halfway mark between the collar and shoulder line." The lapel, along with the overall silhouette, is one of the most variable aspects of the suit with changing fashions: the 1930s and 1970s featured an exceptionally wide lapel width, and the 1980s saw mid-size lapels with a low gorge (the point on the jacket that forms the "notch" or "peak" between the collar and front lapel). Current (mid-2000s) trends are towards a narrower lapel and higher gorge.

It is rare to find a double breasted suit with notched lapels. There was a Mod Breed suit like this however in the 1960s resembling the lapel found on Pea coats. This suit was available only from a tailor; such a style was usually tailored in Hong Kong. Some say Brian Jones made this style popular. [5] In the 1980s, double breasted suits with notched lapels became a fashion as for another look towards the Power suit unlike the traditional double breasted suit which has peak lapels. This style went away by 2000.

Single-breasted suits with peaked lapels were very fashionable throughout the 1920s and early 1930s. They became popular once again during the 1970s among fashionable men. This style has also returned in 2005 and since sold towards younger men's fashion but with narrower lapels. The ability to properly cut peak lapels on a single-breasted suit is one of the most challenging tailoring tasks, even for very experienced tailors.

Canvas

Inside the coat/jacket of a suit, between the outer fabric and the inner lining, there is a layer of cloth that has the purpose of letting the coat keep its shape; this layer of cloth is called the canvas. The finest jackets have a "floating" canvas, while cheaply manufactured models have a "fused" or glued canvas.

Pockets

Among the types of pockets there are: patch pockets (for a more sporty style), flap pockets, and jetted pockets. The most typical style for a suit is the flap pocket; jetted pockets are most common on tuxedos. On young boys suits under size 10, jetted pockets are the most common.

Buttons on Sleeves

Buttons on the sleeve of a suit can vary from one to four. Five buttons are unusual, but are a modern fashion innovation. The number of buttons is primarily a function of the formality of the suit; a very casual summer odd jacket would traditionally (1930s) have had only one button, while tweed suits typically have three and city suits four. In the 1970s, two buttons were seen on most city suits. Today, four buttons are common on most business suits and even casual suits. It is rare to find 4 buttons on many Boys suits. The buttons usually cannot be undone, although the stitching is such that it appears they could. Some Boys suits however don't have this resemblance and just have plain sleeves. A bespoke jacket however often has some working buttons on the cuff, although some like to leave these buttons undone to reveal that they can afford a bespoke suit. Although, it is proper to leave these buttons done up as a suit's sleeve should be. Modern bespoke styles and high end off-the-rack suits have the last two buttons stitched off-centre, so that the sleeve hangs more cleanly should the buttons ever be undone.

Vents

A vent is a slit in the bottom rear (the "tail") of the jacket. These vents were introduced in the 1950s in an effort to make the suit coat more comfortable during warm weather. Prior to the 1950s, vents were rare on suits, and were mainly used on overcoats and coats with tails, suit as morning coats. Today there are three styles of venting: the single-vented style (with one vent at the center); the no vent style; and the double-vented style (one vent on each side). The no vent style is associated with Italian tailoring, while the double-vented style is typically British.

Belted Coats

Suit coats with belts on them became popular after World War I. They were especially popular on the exaggerated "jazz suits" which were popular in 1920 and 1921. After 1921, a more subdued style prevailed in which the belt was placed solely on the back of the coat. These belts continued to be placed on the back of many suit coats throughout the 1920s and early 1930s, usually on very fashionably made suits for the young. This style made a brief comeback in the 1970s when some suit coats again featured belts on the back.

Waistcoats

Waistcoats (often called vests in the USA) were almost always worn with suits prior to the 1940s. They were revived in the 1970s and remained popular throughout that decade. Waistcoats can be either single-breasted or double-breasted. A style that was quite popular among fashionable young men in the 1920s was to wear a single-breasted coat with a high-waisted double-breasted waistcoat. High-waisted single-breasted waistcoats were popular in both the 1920s–1930s and in the 1970s, and were often made with either five or six buttons. Today, many suit makers sell suits with waistcoats, although they often cost much more than a simple two-piece suit. A suit with a matching waistcoat is often called a three-piece suit. They are much more popular in continental Europe than in the USA, Britain, or Japan.

Trousers

Suit trousers always match the jacket, in that both pieces are made of the same material. If a suit jacket were worn with a different pair of trousers (a practice considered a fashion faux pas), the suit coat could be seen as a sports jacket. Throughout the early 20th century, most men wore their trousers with flat fronts. Around 1935, pleated trousers became popular and remained so until the 1950s. By about 1962, most trousers were flat front. This style lasted until about 1980. By 1983, almost all the trousers that came with suits were pleated once again, and suits with flat-front trousers were virtually unavailable for a ready-made suit. Although pleated trousers have remained popular for over a decade, around 2004, flat-front trousers made a comeback. Some vendors sell separates, with the price of the jacket at one price and the matching trousers at the other. Often, those are flat-front trousers because many younger men tend to buy that type. Many stores specializing in suits such as Macy's carry flat front pants with the suit together. Pleated trousers are also often available at generic retailers.

Cuffed trousers became popular after World War I and remained popular throughout the 1920s and 1930s. They fell out of style in the 1940s and were re-introduced after the war, but failed to become as popular as they had previously been. They were always available as a tailoring option, but became more popular in the 1990s. Cuffs are more suitable for business suits, while uncuffed trousers are appropriate for formal attire or summer-weight suit trousers.

Trouser width has varied considerably throughout the decades. In the 1920s, trousers were straight-legged and wide-legged, with a standard width at the cuff of 23 inches. After 1935, trousers began to be tapered in at the bottom half of the leg. Trousers remained wide at the top of the leg throughout the 1940s. By the 1950s and 1960s, a more slim look had become popular. In the 1970s, suit makers offered a variety of styles of trousers, including flared, bell bottomed, wide-legged, and more traditional tapered trousers. In the 1980s these styles disappeared in favor of tapered, slim-legged trousers. By 1984 however, some trousers were wide-legged with the tapered hem (Pretty much where the cuff is), this being another comeback to the style after 1935. By 1990, baggy trousers became a new fashion among stars and became available with suits, mostly double breasted. This was also a slight comeback prior to the suits in the 1940s with double breasted suits featuring loose pants. This style is still available at some stores. Some boys' suits however still had the tapered slim trousers in the 1990s. Today, the pleated loose pants are more common with young boys suits.

Inseams have varied too throughout the decades. In the late 1910's and early 1920s, pants were slim-legged and considerably shorter, and socks would often be visible. This style was inspired by the military outfits of the first World War. This exaggerated style was short lived and was associated with the "Jazz" suit. By 1923, trousers lengths fell once again and wide legged trousers began to be worn long enough to cover the shoe and this style last until the 1950's. By 1957, slim-legged trousers became popular, but were even more so in the 1960s with short inseams, mostly at 29". Certain youths but especially older men wore this style and the wearer's socks could be visible; however, socks matching the shoes (usually black) were commonly worn with this style. When Bell-Bottoms became a fashion by the late 1960s, people started wearing longer inseams again and the shorter inseam went out of trend by 1972. By the late 1970s, early 1980s however, the shorter inseams made a comeback in the UK because of the Mod revival from which Mods wore the same style trousers as associated in the early 1960s. But shortly by 1983, inseams began getting longer again and in the 1990s, trousers were much longer compared to the suits in the 1940s. Longer inseamed trousers are still very common on suits today and the shorter inseams fell in favor of longer inseams.

Perceptions

The uniform impression of a suit, often appearing in standard configurations such as pinstripe suit or suit and tie, can carry numerous connotations. In business settings it can communicate respectability and taste. In different milieus, the connotations of corporate life that the suit represents conveys unadventurous conformism. Extreme variations on the suit can convey the opposite (for example, many pimps, or men wanting to be perceived as such, wear exaggerated versions of suits containing various hues, patterns, etc.).

Two-piece suits may also be used as military uniform

Used as a synecdoche, by referring to management staff in corporations as "suits", the term "suit" can express contempt for the perceived absence of autonomy imposed on members in a uniform elitist bureaucracy. It may also be a comment on the perceived amorality of those who work for corporations.

In modern society, men's suits have gone out of favour as an outfit of daily wear, and are now worn rarely on a daily basis by most men, except for some sectors in the trades of business and finance and in law. For other men, particularly in Western society, a suit is an ensemble of clothing reserved for special occasions, such as weddings, funerals, and other more formal social events. Hence, because they are not a daily outfit for most men, they are often viewed as being "stuffy" and uncomfortable, mostly because they limit freedom of movement. The combination of a tie, belt and vest can be tight and restrictive compared to contemporary casual wear. Therefore, in nearly all classes of society, suits are no longer a required part of daily work or leisure attire, except in higher-level business circles. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, men's suits became less commonly worn in much the same way as skirts and dresses were dropped by many women in favour of trousers. This was seen as a liberation from the conformity of earlier periods and declined concurrently with the women's liberation movement. For professions which still call for a dressier approach to clothing (sometimes referred to in the US as white collar jobs), an acceptable alternative to a suit may be a button-down shirt with a tie, worn with belted or braced trousers and leather dress shoes.

The political and social dominance of the West in the world during the last century has led to the adoption of the suit as appropriate business and formal wear in almost every part of the globe. Refusing to wear a suit, therefore, can be a symbolic rejection of Western culture. For instance, some political leaders reject wearing business suits in order to send a message that they do not conform to Western patterns. The most notable example was probably the late Chinese leader Mao Zedong and former North Korean president Kim Il-sung, who usually appeared in public wearing what was nicknamed the Mao suit in English. This suit was originally designed under the direction of Sun Yat-sen for the Chinese Republic, reflecting the need to create a uniquely Chinese dress for the new era. The "Mao suit" was worn by most Chinese political leaders (including Chiang Kai-shek), until the mid-to-late 20th century, and is known in Chinese as the "Zhongshan (Sun Yat-sen) suit" (after its creator). Other alternatives to the western suit include national or tribal dress for African and Middle Eastern leaders (notably Colonel Gaddafi) or military fatigues like Cuba's Fidel Castro. In more recent years, however, Castro has taken to wearing business suits in public appearances in lieu of his iconic revolutionary fatigues.

Suit etiquette for men

Buttoning the suit coat

Double-breasted suit coats are almost always kept buttoned. When there is more than one to fasten (as in a traditional six-on-two arrangement), only the top one need be fastened; in some configurations, the wearer may elect to fasten only the bottom button, in order to present a longer line (a style popularised by the Prince George, Duke of Kent).

Single breasted suits' coats may be either fastened or unfastened. In two-button suits the bottom button is generally left unfastened. The current fashion trend for three-button suits is to leave the bottom button unfastened (although this was not always the case in the past), to sometimes button the top button (on suits where the lapel permits it), and always (if any) button the middle button. If one is wearing a four button suit, he may choose to wear the suit with all of its buttons fastened, two buttons fastened (usually the middle two), or all of the top three.

With a single-breasted suit, it is proper to have the buttons unfastened while sitting down to avoid an ugly drape, though some opt not to follow this as it is purely aesthetic and not required for politeness. A good double-breasted suit is usually able to be left buttoned, to avoid the difficulty of constantly redoing inner buttons when standing up.

Suit colors

In the past (especially in the 1920s and 1970s), suits were made in a wide array of colours. Today, business-suits are usually made in navy blue, grey, and charcoal. Browns and darker shades of green have returned to fashion (these colours had previously been popular in the 1970s and also prior to 1935) although these colours are still not widely accepted by more conservative men. In the US, black is traditionally a colour reserved for dinner jackets (tuxedos) , but may be worn in religious contexts such as to a funeral or religious function. This restriction does not exist in other countries.

Pattern

A man wearing a Pinstriped pattern suit

Traditional suits are generally solid colours or pinstripes, with refined plaids such as the traditional Glen plaid sometimes qualifying. The colour of the patterned element (stripes, plaid checks) varies by gender. Navy blue and charcoal are considered smart staples of the suitwearer's wardrobe. A pinstriped suit is conventionally associated with conservative businessmen but many designers have made sharp pinstriped suits more fashionable and cutting edge.

Ties with suits

Main article: Necktie

Working with neckties is very much a matter of personal taste, but in conservative terms there are some basic guidelines. Ties should always be darker than the wearer's shirt. The background colour of the tie should not be the same as that of the shirt, while the foreground of the tie should contain the colour of the shirt and thereby "pick up" on the colour of the shirt. Ideally, the tie should also integrate the colour of the suit in the same way. Generally, simple or subdued patterns are preferred for conservative dress, though these are terms with a wide range of interpretation. In recent times however, it has become popular to match the necktie colour with the shirt or even wearing a lighter coloured tie with a darker shirt, usually during formal occasions. Some of the most common knots are the Four-in-hand, the Half-Windsor, the Windsor (or Full-Windsor), and the Shelby or Pratt. A Four-in-hand, Half-Windsor, or Windsor is generally the most appropriate with a suit, particularly by contemporary guidelines. Once properly knotted and arranged, the bottom of the tie can extend anywhere from the wearer's navel level, to slightly below the waistband. The thin end should never extend below the wide end. In the 1960s, it was fashionable for men as well as women to wear scarves with a suit in a tied knot either inside a shirt as an ascot or under the collar as a would be worn like a tie. This style was more common towards anyone in the Art departments such as Film directors or more commonly Musicians. This style began to fade by the mid 1970s and came back in the 1990s mainly for women. It did however make a small comeback by 2005 and some famous stars wear them. Although some wore scarves back in the 1960s, ties were still preferred among business workers.

It has become fashionable to wear a suit without a tie and with an open necked shirt among young men.

Shirts with suits

Main article: Dress shirt

The type of shirt worn by men with a suit is a top made of woven cloth, with long sleeves, a full-length buttoned opening down the front, and a collar. This type of garment is known in American English as a dress shirt but simply as a shirt in other English dialects. This type of shirt is sometimes called an Oxford shirt; however, this properly refers to a shirt made from a specific kind of fabric, namely Oxford cloth, in a specific style (i.e., with button-down collars). The (dress) shirt is ironed, neatly tucked into its wearer's trousers, and otherwise worn according to the etiquette described in the article Dress shirt.

The classic shirt colours are light blue or white, with white considered most conservative. However, numerous colors and shades are available, with pastels particularly popular in America, though less-formal colors are not always acceptable. The most formal type of dress shirt worn with a standard suit is a shirt with linked, but not French, cuffs, which are closed using cuff links or silk knots instead of buttons. However, this type of shirt is optional, and essentially up to the preferences of the wearer and the vagaries of fashion.

The most traditional collar is a spread collar. This is frequently the default collar type for French cuff shirts, though they can sometimes be found with point collars. Normally, button-down collars are reserved for casual use with a sportcoat or without a coat at all, though they have long been acceptable in America. The button-down collar is not seeing as much wear today, particularly with the resurgence of more formal shirts with spread collars and French cuffs, even in business casual wear.

Socks with suits

In the United States it is common for socks to match the trouser leg. This makes the leg appear longer and minimises the attention drawn by a trouser leg tailored to be too short. A more general rule is for socks to be darker than the shade of trousers, but potentially a different colour. With patterned socks, ideally the background colour of the sock should match the primary/background colour of the suit. If it is not possible to match the trouser leg, socks may match one's shoes.

Comedians like Jerry Lewis (in the past) and then-Supreme Court Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall as well as certain Mods have been known to wear white socks with their suits. Though it may have been fashionable to wear them in the 1950s, black or other dark dress socks are much preferred to white socks for most occasions.

Accessories with suits

A pinstriped navy blue suit, with a grey one in the background, necktie and pocket square.

Acceptable colours for belts (if worn) and shoes are black and burgundy/cordovan, though since the 1980s various shades of darker browns (particularly mahogany) have started to gain acceptance. Light browns such as saddle tan should be reserved for use with business casual wear. The belt and shoes must match one another, at the very least in colour category if not almost exactly in shade. The belt's buckle should be silver or gold.

A woman wearing a standard women's suit

Other metallic objects worn with the suit (such as cuff links, tie bar or tie tack, watch) should match the belt buckle. Where watches are concerned: the more formal the occasion, the thinner the watch. Analog watches are more formal than digital watches. In the most formal situations, a pocket watch, or no watch at all, should be worn. The pocket watch should also match the other metal objects in size and colour. Leather-soled shoes are traditional and traditionally have a more "dressy" appearance. Some companies also make dress shoes with wooden soles .

Handkerchiefs and pocket squares/silks in the upper welt (chest) pocket are not especially common in today's formal dress. Originally, handkerchiefs were worn partially protruding from the left jacket sleeve. Over time, they migrated to the breast pocket. When silk was still a rare and expensive commodity, they were considered a flamboyant extravagance by conservative commentators. By the end of the 19th century, however, they had become a standard accoutrement for gentlemen.

Suit etiquette for women

Tan suit

Suit-wearing etiquette for women generally follows the same guidelines used by men, with a few differences.

For women, a blouse (usually white) takes the place of a shirt. Blue and pink blouses are also seen. Women have more leeway in selecting their top than men have in selecting their shirt. Sometimes a high-quality knit top replaces the blouse; this is not universally accepted but is common, particularly if the top is made of a luxurious material.

Women generally do not wear neckties with their suit. Fancy silk scarves that resemble a floppy ascot tie were popular in North America in the 1970s, worn with pant suits. At that time women entered the white-collar workforce in large numbers and their dress fashions imitated men's business wear. The scarves are not popular in contemporary usage; most women pair their suit with either a subdued necklace or no neckwear at all.

Bibliography

• Boyer, G. Bruce (writer); Tony Kokinos (illustrator). (1990) Eminently Suitable: The Elements of Style in Business Attire. W. W. Norton & Company, September 1990. ISBN-10: 0393028771 ISBN-13: 978-0393028775
• Keers, Paul (writer); A Gentleman's Wardrobe: Classic Clothes and the Modern Man. Weidenfeld & Nicolson, October 1987. ISBN-10: 0297791915 ISBN-13: 978-0297791911
• Twenty Great Clothing Books at Will Boehlke's A Suitable Wardrobe
• Preventing Puckered Satin Stitches by Serena Smith
• Suit assessment guide
• Woven Fabric Types
• Glossary of fabrics and at Dress King

External links

• Emily Post's Etiquette: The Clothes of a Gentleman, 1922
• GQ Style Guy on men.style.com - Suits and Blazers
• The Basic Business Wardrobe on Sartorish.com