o Black (harder to match and less versatile, but very formal)
o Medium gray (not appropriate for highest levels of business formality)
o Dark brown ((not appropriate for highest levels of business formality)
_____Select a business-appropriate pattern:
o Solid (most common)
o Pinstripe (thin white stripes only)
o Visible texture (herringbone, birdseye, etc. — less formal than plain solid)
_____Select a style of jacket
o Single-breasted, two button (most common and simplest)
o Single-breasted, three button (good for tall men)
o Double-breasted (elegant but less versatile)
o Three-piece (single-breasted with matching waistcoat)
_____Select a fabric
o Basic worsted or flannel wool (fineness in the 70-100 range, if listed)
o Superfine wool (100+ fineness)
o Textured weaves (tweeds, birdseye, barleycorn, etc. — more casual)
o Cotton twill (affordable but less flattering than wool)
o Linen (lightweight and prone to wrinkling; meant for summer wear)
Combined, these four things give you a very specific target for shopping. Ask a salesperson for “a plain charcoal gray suit, single-breasted with two buttons, in worsted wool” and you've already eliminated 90% of most stores' inventories.
_____Step 3: Choose Your Store or Stores
_____Identify the kind of tailoring and construction you want:
o Bespoke (completely custom made — most expensive option)
o Made-to-measure (a pre-made pattern sized specifically to you)
o Ready-to-wear (pre-sized off the rack; some stores do in-house adjustments)
_____Select a type of store:
o Department stores (Sears, Macy's, etc. — low prices, but limited selection/quality)
o Menswear chains (Men's Wearhouse, Jos. A. Banks, etc. — wider selection and better in-house service/fitting)
o Independent boutiques (unique selections; tend to have better service and quality)
o Bespoke tailors (custom design and construction)
o Online (you send your measurements and payment; they ship you a suit — can require several back-and-forth shipments to get fit right)
_____Step 4: Go Shopping
_____Head to your target store or stores (see step 3)
_____Identify the suits that fit your selected description (see step 2)
_____Within that selection, find the suits that fit your measurements (step 1)
These are the suits you have to select from. Take your pick, and don't be shy to ask about alterations as needed! If you can't get exactly the suit you want, move on…there are other stores out there, and with this checklist completed, shopping is quick and easy.
I'm Antonio Centeno, the founder of RMRS. I'm a former Marine Corps Officer with a BA in Evolutionary Biology and Philosophy (Cornell College 98') and an MBA from The University Of Texas at Austin (07'). I studied the Science of Style in London, Hong Kong, and Bangkok and have created over 5000 videos/ articles to help men dress better. Click here to discover more about me and our mission here at RMRS.
Ready to earn more money and command respect with the right clothing? Want to start dressing sharp today? Click here to discover The Style System , the BEST Professional Style Course on the planet!
