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The
Business Suit
 Wearing a
suit is not as simple as reaching into the closet for a jacket and
pants. It’s a much more complicated journey after all.
Suitmakers are not exactly on every corner in this little
corner of paradise. In fact, it’s tough to find a tailor with the
right stuff, unlike in the well-tailored lands of Mr. Blair and
Signore Berlusconi. As clever as they may be here, they are still far
removed from living the western lifestyle where a suit is regular
office wear (which is why we still like to put chili sauce on our
pizza).
But making and wearing suits is not an impromptu
cross-cultural exchange akin to mixing pizza and hot sauce. You should
read up on everything you need to know about the proper way to wear a
suit, even though it can be as complicated as taking care of the
Sidoarjo mud mess.
Here are some short, sharp tips:
1.
For the four seasons, Western men usually have two
suits, one for spring/summer, the other for the fall/winter. The cloth
and color are different, based on the different seasons. Don’t make a
mistake in your choice of cloth, or you will be sweating it out in the
heat, or feeling the chill in colder climes.
2.
A suit should fit right; from the cut, the fall of
the sleeves and a suitable choice of motif with stripes. Everything
must be in proportion with your body type and bone structure. For
example, if you are already broad-shouldered, then keep the shoulder
pads thin.
3.
Jackets today are cut close to the waist.
4.
Suit pants should be the thin, drainpipe variety.
5.
Jacket sleeves must be cut shorter than shirt
sleeves.
6.
Button up properly. For double-buttoned jackets,
keep the lower button open. For the three-button type, only the middle
button should be secured. .
Custom Made
My advice to those with the resources is to make your own
suit. Europe
boasts the world’s best suitmakers, who provide a dazzling level of
personalized service. That attention to detail starts with the
measurement of your torso, the design, another session for the
adjustment to your body type before the tailoring begins on your
custom-made suit. You will have to pay for it (from US$2,400 and up).
Apart from Ermengildo Zegna, Brioni and the famed tailors along Savile
Row in London, Gucci, Jil Sander, Prada, Giorgio Armani and Versace
will also do the honors. It will suit you, for sure.
+ Samuel Mulia
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