FashBlog.com

Having your clothing look good and presenting yourself in a classy manner is just as much a matter of what you don't do as what you do. There are always fads in clothing that come and go but on the flip side there are styles and looks that will stay in fashion and be accepted no matter what the fashion pundits push off on the gullible miscreants that populate the ever changing world of fashion.
Let's examine some of the things that you should avoid, in order to keep from having to reinvest in suits and clothing every time the fashion gods change their minds.
Avoid extremes is the main issue here. Once upon a time very wide lapels were in favor, but the pendulum of fashion shifted and now wide lapels are out and will give you a lost unprofessional look. On the other end of the spectrum is the very narrow lapel. Avoid this extreme as well. Conservatism and long term middle of the road apparel is what you want to look for in the business world.
The same line of thinking applies to your ties. Fashion dictates will vary from year to year, sometimes wide ties are hip and sometimes narrow ties are hip but you're not interested in looking hip you're interested in looking like a professional businessman so keep your ties in the medium width range.
The collars of your shirts should also avoid extremes. If you wore one of the very wide collar shirts that were worn in the seventies you'd look like an idiot today. But even in the seventies a medium collar was very acceptable business wear. Again the idea is to avoid the extremes of clothing fashion.
Moving onto pants with the idea of middle of the road fashion sense, we'll be looking to stay away from the extremes of very loose and baggy pants and the flip side of very tight pants. Pick pants that are of medium width and tightness, that fit well at the waist and hang straight. Some width at the bottom is acceptable, as long as they aren't an overly wide bell bottom end to the pants leg.
Your shoes are another area that you should pay particular attention to. Fashion in clothing changes, and shoes area no exception. Avoid the extremes of very pointy and narrow toed shoes, and the extreme on the opposite end of very squared off toes. Pick good comfortable medium shoes in a businesslike color that isn't flashy or loud.
It's also important to remember the geographical area in which you are operating. Fashion, while in some sense universal, is also heavily influenced by the customs and mores of the area in which you live. While it may be perfectly acceptable to attend a business meeting in Texas with a string tie held together with a silver and turqoise clip, this would be frowned on in Boston.
Here are a few more things to look for when buying your business clothing. Remember, we're avoiding anything loud and extremely noticeable that may alter the perception that you're a conservative reliable businessman. Pick solid colors to wear and not patterns. The wild and crazy ensembles of the sixties and seventies are out and won't be coming back soon. Even if they should make a comeback they won't be looked on as acceptable in the business world.
When you are buying your suits, make sure that all the stitching used is a perfect match for the fabric of the suit itself. Contrast in thread is distracting and detracts from the image you are trying to project. The same with buttons. The colors of the suit should be uniform and varied. You're a businessman not a clown.
Let's take a look at some of the things that make up a good business suit.
First of all the suit should be well fitted and look as if it was a suit that was designed just for you. Any business suit should be made out of high quality materials and not the cheapest thing that comes off the rack. This idea has two advantages. First, you'll look more successful if you're wearing good material and secondly, the better materials will last much longer and lower the cost of your wardrobe over the long run. Since you will always be choosing a style that will remains virtually timeless, you'll be able to wear a good suit for many years with only minor alterations to the accessories that accompany the suit.
If you can afford only a couple of suits to begin with, pick out a suit of navy blue. Navy Blue is a color that never goes out of fashion, and this suit can be used as your primary business suit. Your jacket should be og a conservative cut, slightly narrower at the waist. This is an eternal style, one that will make you look good, creating the effect of broader shoulders. Your pants should be of the exact same fabric, well fitted and neither baggy or exceptional tight. Cuffs are preferable to straight legs.
Your jacket length is another issue that may fall prey to the whims of fashion, but since we're looking for the middle of the road conservatism here, we'll avoid the extremes once again. Your coat length should be of medium length, just falling long enough to cover your butt and not much more. Again this is a classic look and speaks of a conservative serious businessman without the need to chase the extremes of fashion.
Your pants should be examined for a variety of elements. First issue is whether or not you should wear cuffs. My gut feeling on this is that cuffs are preferable to no cuffs. There are some schools of thought that express the opinion that shorter men should not wear cuffs because it creates the appearance of shortness. I don't believe this to be the case.