‘Social Intelligence’: Dress to Impress, All the Way to Success, Part Four: The Right Suit

Ah, yes, Christmas is upon us (no irony intended this time!). And everyone knows what follows Christmas, right?

BOXING DAY

A lovely day in which even the smallest of shops turns into an unforgiving battleground where you can use your mind, if not your limbs, in a very limited timeframe.

A day in which you would much rather stay at home and watch cheesy Christmas movies but you somehow always choose not to.

In the hope to find a real bargain (as opposed to a fictional one, I guess...), you dive into the zounds of mind- crazed frenzied shoppers who would much rather bit off your finger than let you get to what you want.

I have, in fact, last year I witnessed how a middle- aged lady snatched a size 44 suit off a man’s grasp and got it for herself; the only thing that I could come up with the time was ‘Ah well, Christmas spirit, I guess...’

But let us, albeit for a moment, opt to ostracize ourselves from the boxing- day fanatics and focus on what you went out for.

You went out with the clear idea to get a new suit at a good price. So you look around the various high- street brands- John Lewis, Moss, Austin Reed, TM Lewin, Burton, Zara, etc- to find out that they have quite a selection.

There are, however, two things that worry you a bit:

1. None of the suit jackets match the trousers in size
2. You have no idea what type of suit to get

With the former, I’m afraid, you just have to hope that something decent will eventually turn up. After all, there HAS to be something wrong with the suits; otherwise they would not have been ‘reduced to clear’, see?

Coming back to the latter, however, you shouldn't worry too much; just read on.

As with pretty much any other piece of clothing, when choosing a suit, you must always be mindful of your body type. So, as promised, this is what you should be looking at and for:

(courtesy of << http://www.kinowear.com/blog/the-best-suit-for-your-body-type >> )

The Tall and Skinny

• Go for a lighter in colour and heavier fabric (tweed, wool) which will add weight to your body.
• Go for a single vent or no vent because that make your body look bulkier.
• Go for a higher- up button stance as it will be proportional to your body.
• Go for an ‘L’ suit (40L, etc).

 Avoid:

• Sharp and aggressive lapels
• Pinstripe and chalk stripe patterns

The Bulky Man

• Go for a darker in colour and lighter fabric (soft wool) which will make you look more slender.
• Go for a tailored suit.
• Go for solid stripe or chalk stripe as it will make you look taller and more slender
• Go for an ‘R’ suit (40R, etc)

Avoid:

• Light colours as they accentuate on weight
• Double- vents as your suit must be as tailored as possible

The Short Guy

• Go for a tone that blends in (ochre, khaki, stone, etc.)
• Go for a strong stripe or chalk stripe to enhance your height
• Go for a lower button stance as it will make you look taller
• Go for an ‘S’ suit (40S, etc)

Avoid:

• Oval and relaxed lapels as they will draw unnecessary attention to your height
• Single or not vent as it accentuates on your height and build

I do hope that you will find the above guidelines helpful when you battle the unscrupulous orcish army on Boxing day.

Remember: do not compromise and get a suit that does not feel or look right.

Think of the suit as your weapon of choice; will you go to a war with a can- opener....?