Formal dressing

[Jasi]

Suits come in very different styles and it's really up to your taste to choose what you like.

But, if you want a CLASSIC elegant style (say, for an important event), well you should be careful about some things, regardless of your taste.

A bit of advice from Italy:


- Avoid white-collared shirts unless they're actually white shirts. I know they're quite common in business attire in the US. This doesn't change that they're not ok for an elegant occasion. Shirt should be either completely white or completely light blue. Full stop.

- Shoes and belt should have matching colors. And this color should be either black or dark brown (and the latter not in the evening).

- And while we're at it, no brown shoes/belt if your suit is blue, unless it's very, very dark.

- Socks: always long and they should match either the suit color or the shoe color. NB Dark blue and black do not match.

- The most difficult part is how your jacket fits on the back of your neck. A suit might be nice, but if that part stays too high and does not rest perfectly on your shirt, it will show it's cheap and poorly chosen.

- Appropriate sleeve length for both shirt and jacket is also essential. If the jacket sleeve covers the shirt's one, it's bad. If the shirt's sleeve sticks out too much, it's bad.
Also, if you're wearing a watch: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...b5b41c3eef.jpg (left: ok; right: not ok)

- There are many collar styles and tie-knot styles. Try to match them appropriately. And btw, never wear a tie with a button-down shirt.

- The tip of your tie should barely reach the belt. It's ok if it's slightly higher, not ok if it's lower.

- If you wear a waistcoat, leave the bottom button undone.

[BigNBAfan]

Suits come in very different styles and it's really up to your taste to choose what you like.

But, if you want a CLASSIC elegant style (say, for an important event), well you should be careful about some things, regardless of your taste.

A bit of advice from Italy:


- Avoid white-collared shirts unless they're actually white shirts. I know they're quite common in business attire in the US. This doesn't change that they're not ok for an elegant occasion. Shirt should be either completely white or completely light blue. Full stop.

- Shoes and belt should have matching colors. And this color should be either black or dark brown (and the latter not in the evening).

- And while we're at it, no brown shoes/belt if your suit is blue, unless it's very, very dark.

- Socks: always long and they should match either the suit color or the shoe color. NB Dark blue and black do not match.

- The most difficult part is how your jacket fits on the back of your neck. A suit might be nice, but if that part stays too high and does not rest perfectly on your shirt, it will show it's cheap and poorly chosen.

- Appropriate sleeve length for both shirt and jacket is also essential. If the jacket sleeve covers the shirt's one, it's bad. If the shirt's sleeve sticks out too much, it's bad.
Also, if you're wearing a watch: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...b5b41c3eef.jpg (left: ok; right: not ok)

- There are many collar styles and tie-knot styles. Try to match them appropriately. And btw, never wear a tie with a button-down shirt.

- The tip of your tie should barely reach the belt. It's ok if it's slightly higher, not ok if it's lower.

- If you wear a waistcoat, leave the bottom button undone.

so what do you wear with a tie?
i always wear a dress shirt with my ties

[Velocirap31]

Jasi knows his stuff.

Only tip I know that looks good is to only button up the top button of the jacket (which usually have two buttons). Don't button up both buttons.

[Draz]

Let's be real

Draz ain't goin to any important events

This man just wants to stop wearing baseball caps with the sticker still on it

just trying not to look like every ordinary guy my age

I want to look like I'm not from the hood. When I am.

[Jasi]

so what do you wear with a tie?
i always wear a dress shirt with my ties

I meant "Button-down" as in collar fastened down by buttons
Collars without buttons are always ok with a tie, of course.

[L.Kizzle]

Suits come in very different styles and it's really up to your taste to choose what you like.

But, if you want a CLASSIC elegant style (say, for an important event), well you should be careful about some things, regardless of your taste.

A bit of advice from Italy:


- Avoid white-collared shirts unless they're actually white shirts. I know they're quite common in business attire in the US. This doesn't change that they're not ok for an elegant occasion. Shirt should be either completely white or completely light blue. Full stop.

- Shoes and belt should have matching colors. And this color should be either black or dark brown (and the latter not in the evening).

- And while we're at it, no brown shoes/belt if your suit is blue, unless it's very, very dark.

- Socks: always long and they should match either the suit color or the shoe color. NB Dark blue and black do not match.

- The most difficult part is how your jacket fits on the back of your neck. A suit might be nice, but if that part stays too high and does not rest perfectly on your shirt, it will show it's cheap and poorly chosen.

- Appropriate sleeve length for both shirt and jacket is also essential. If the jacket sleeve covers the shirt's one, it's bad. If the shirt's sleeve sticks out too much, it's bad.
Also, if you're wearing a watch: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com...b5b41c3eef.jpg (left: ok; right: not ok)

- There are many collar styles and tie-knot styles. Try to match them appropriately. And btw, never wear a tie with a button-down shirt.

- The tip of your tie should barely reach the belt. It's ok if it's slightly higher, not ok if it's lower.

- If you wear a waistcoat, leave the bottom button undone.

Sometimes I wear a tie with button down shirt sometimes not. All depends on look you're going for.

[Jasi]

Jasi knows his stuff.

Only tip I know that looks good is to only button up the top button of the jacket (which usually have two buttons). Don't button up both buttons.

True that.
If your jacket has 3 buttons (which is also ok), then you can button up the two top ones, or the central one alone.

[Jasi]

Sometimes I wear a tie with button down shirt sometimes not. All depends on look you're going for.

Of course.
I was talking about a classic eveningwear look there.


EDIT - I have looked this up and found out that it's typical in the US to wear button-downs with ties even in a formal outfit.
Fine with me then.
In Europe it would be considered... well, what it actually is... a very American thing

[rufuspaul]

EDIT - I have looked this up and found out that it's typical in the US to wear button-downs with ties even in a formal outfit.
Fine with me then.
In Europe it would be considered... well, what it actually is... a very American thing

It comes from prep school uniforms and the style is carried over to college, especially the Ivys. I agree that it's a more casual look.