You can wear a great suit and still look a little off. Sometimes it’s the bottom button pulling the jacket tight. Sometimes it’s a strip of white shirt showing at the waist. These are small details, but once you know what to look for, they’re easy to spot.
Here are nine common suit mistakes I see, what to do instead, and how to tell when the fix is a styling adjustment or a better fit.
1. Buttoning the Bottom Button on a Two-Button Suit Jacket
On a two-button suit jacket, fasten the top button when you’re standing and leave the bottom one open. The jacket is cut to fall away below the top button. Fastening both can pull the front tight and make the jacket look too small. Unbutton it when you sit.
2. Wearing a Suit With an Untucked Shirt
A dress shirt should be tucked into your suit trousers. Check it from the side and back, then sit down and stand up. If the shirt comes loose every time you move, look for a shirt with enough length to stay tucked.
3. Wearing a Tie Bar With a Vest
A tie bar holds the tie against the shirt. A buttoned suit vest already keeps the tie in place, so skip the tie bar when you wear a three-piece suit. Let the tie sit flat under the vest.
4. Clipping Your Tie Bar Too High
If the lower half of your tie still swings around, the tie bar may be too high or clipped only to the tie. Start between the third and fourth shirt buttons and clip the tie to the shirt placket so it stays in place when you move.
5. Wearing White Athletic Socks With a Suit
White gym socks stand out against dark suit trousers and dress shoes. For a classic tailored look, wear fine-knit dress socks in a color close to the trousers. Navy with navy or charcoal with charcoal is an easy place to start.
6. Wearing Socks That Show Bare Leg When You Sit
Trouser hems rise when you sit, so check sock length seated. If bare leg shows between the sock and the trouser hem, switch to over-the-calf dress socks. A seated check will tell you more than looking in the mirror standing up.
7. Wearing a Casual Belt With a Suit
If your suit trousers have belt loops and you wear a belt, choose smooth leather with a simple buckle. A wide, heavily stitched or braided belt reads more casually. Black leather is the easy choice with black dress shoes.
8. Showing Shirt Below the Button of a Fastened Jacket
Button your jacket and look at the area just above your trouser waistband. If there’s a triangle of shirt below the jacket button, the trousers may sit too low for that jacket. Check where the waistband naturally sits. If the shirt still shows, have a tailor look at the trouser rise and jacket button placement together.
9. Wearing a Suit Jacket That’s Too Short
Look at the jacket from the front and the back. On a classic suit, the hem should cover the seat. If the bottom of the seat is visible from behind, or the jacket looks noticeably short against the trouser rise from the front, try a longer jacket. Judge the length on your body, with the trousers you’ll wear with it.
Get the Fit Right Before Your Next Suit
The button, the socks and the belt are quick fixes. When the shirt keeps showing at the waist or the jacket looks short from behind, it helps to look at the jacket and trousers together. Bring photos of a suit you already own to your consultation with Dan. We can talk through what fits, what feels off and what you need your next suit to do.
What’s your biggest suit no-no? Let me know in the comments on the video.