How a man should look in a suit

(screen capture) Cam Newton post game interview after
Carolina vsTampa Bay game.

Cameron Newton has a clothing line, so he'd better know how to "hang a suit". Newton looks exactly how a man should look in a suit. He also has a multi-million dollar NFL contract and body, so wearing a suit fitted for him, is not a hard task. The great thing about Newton's clothing line is that it is in retail stores and ready to wear in a range of sizes. So money should not hinder how a man should look in a suit. (Keep reading for tips)

Suits in Cam Newton's MADE line.

However, having money for it and a professional sports body, does not mean every man knows how he should look in a suit. Take this image of Tracy McGrady that had social media buzzing a short time ago.

Tracy McGrady in over sized suit.

SBNation wondered why a man who is 6'8" appeared diminutive in height in this baggy ensemble. This is not how a man should look in a suit. McGrady is a tall glass of water and his jacket cuts off half his height. He also has basketball player legs, but his pants make him look like an oompa loompa. The shoulders of his jacket are sliding off his frame, making him appear slumped. 

Skinny suits do not look good on men,
and you cannot convince me otherwise.
Photo from Fashion Mens

So baggy suits are not the way to go, but that does not mean you should adorn yourself in too tight to fight clothing either. Suits and menswear have been tailored almost to death these days. So men look too constricted in them. Joseph Abboud, creative director of Men's Wearhouse agrees with me in an article penned for Women's Wear Daily: 

Recently, as I strolled up Madison Avenue to get a sense of what the stylish man on the street was wearing these days, a young thirtysomething model-type approached me sporting what appeared to be the latest, and supposedly the most fashionable, trend in men’s clothing: the skinny suit.

What a disaster! A true sartorial nightmare.

How a man should look in a suit

Fun UNC bowtie worn by
former Tar Heel and Miami Dolphins
player Dwight Hollier.

• Classically fit for his body type. You do not have to spend a lot of money on a suit, and can save cash and style points by putting some of the money into having your suit tailored to your frame for a few bucks. (Might I suggest thrifting in higher end neighborhoods to find extremely low cost suits that you can have tailored...try it.)
• Conservative and creative. Leave the wild colors, extra buttons and patterns for your accessories like neck-wear and pocket squares. Keep your suits and shirts to basic neutral colors. They are investments and you should be able to wear them fashion season after fashion season. Think about whether or not you will be able to wear the suit again if a trend falls off.

Sometime ago, I visited the showroom of custom clothier William Wilson, who crafts luxury suits. (His suit designs ranged, at the time, in price from $5,000.00 to $15,000.00.) He creates very conservative suits (too conservative for my liking), but pairs them with great shirts and accessories. 

• Confident and tall. You should have your jacket cut so that your torso looks longer and your legs have all the length of them expressed. So your jacket should not fall below your upper thigh. Your jacket shoulders should be squared off to your own shoulders to give you a better postured appearance. You do not have to be six feet tall to look it. 
• Comfortable. Yes suits are structured, so they can be somewhat constricting. However, you should get a suit that fits your size and wear it in a way that is not overly constricting. Your buttons should not be on pop alert. Structured pieces can always make you look leaner, but if you go too far, you may look like a stuffed sausage. You do not have to button all your buttons, and should probably have only two or three buttons anyway.

Also: Check out these tips for buying suits from blog The Fitness Black Book
          (I agree with some of his points...others, not so much. I am anti-too tight to fight clothing...)

And for guys who have a little more cushion in the middle, check out ways to streamline your physique in a nice suit from Suite101.


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