All About Suits

A suit is the single most important article of clothing that a man can own.  A good quality, well fitted suit will command respect from business men as well as influence the ladies to take notice. Here’s what one of the most stylish Men of Color, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, says about suits” [1]Suits are my work clothes; they’re what I wear onstage.  A tailored suit projects a clean, streamlined image, when people see that you’re clean; they know that you’re serious. It makes them pay attention.  Moreover, suits lend a sense of ceremony to what I do, and my performances are ceremonious occasions. “

     

In order for the Man of Color to be Stylish there are 5 must-have suits that need to be in their closet:

Navy blue wool suit

Charcoal Gray wool suit

Medium Gray wool suit

Navy Blue pinstripe suit

Khaki cotton suit

[2]How to Buy for your Body Type

You are	You want	Avoid
Big & Tall	Pants with cuffs to break up your seemingly endless inseam; pants with slimming shallow pleats; a dark navy suit.	Anything with horizontal lines, which accentuate your girth; anything with vertical lines, which make you taller.
Long & Lean	Anything with horizontal lines to help you look broader, three button jackets that match the scale of your torso.	Anything with vertical lines, which only make you look taller; tight suits and jackets that advertise your thin limbs.
Short & Stocky	Single-button suits that have a deep V at the chest to make at the torso look longer; v-neck sweaters that do the same.	Anything with horizontal stripes or busy plaids, which break up the body’s vertical lines; wide pants and cuffs.
Short & Lean	Two-button suit jackets that work in proportion to your torso; thicker fabrics (like corduroy), which offer the illusion of heft.	Anything baggy or loose, which draws attention to your size; anything that’s all black.

Styles of Suits

[3]There are 3 basic styles of suits:

Single breasted in 2-button and 3-buttons style suit coat with slacks

Double breasted in 4 and 6 buttons suit coat with slacks

Three piece which consist of a single breast jacket, vest and slacks

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[1] Lloyd Boston, Men of Color Fashion, History, Fundamentals with Foreword by Quincy Jones (New York: Workman Publishing, 1998), pages 27 – 33.

[2] The Handbook of Style, A Man’s Guide to Looking Good, From the Editors of Esquire Magazine, (New York: Hearst Books, 2009) page 41. 

[3] Bernard Roetzel, Gentlemen A Timeless Fashion, (Germany: Konneman, 1999) pages 89-90.