1. A SINGLE BUTTON SUIT
   A one button (single button) suit should always be buttoned/fastened while standing, and should always be unfastened while sitting. Besides being a rule, it is also to avoid some ugly folds, and sometimes look that seems uncomfortably tight.
2. A DOUBLE BUTTONS SUIT
   The two button (double button) suits top button should be fastened leaving the second button down unfastened. It is unconventional to button both buttons, the rule is to always fasten only the top button while standing. When sitting the buttons should be unfastened.
3. THREE BUTTONS SUIT
   Presently, three button suits are becoming outdated, and less fashionable. In the three button suits, the first two buttons at the top should be fastened while standing, leaving the third button two unfastened. When the suit fits well on the body the middle button alone can be fastened, leaving the first top and the last down buttons unfastened. These rules apply while standing. It is untraditional to button all the three buttons.
4. SUITS FITTING
   Floppy/loose and fitted/tight suits, the fitting of suit to the body is the key to elegant look on suits. For a better understanding, the word suit means: ‘’conform to’’, ‘’befit’’, ‘’match’’, ‘’agree with’’, etc. Therefore, it is unfashionable to dress on suit that is very floppy/free that the suit droops around while walking. The traditional suit dress should conform to the body structure of the wearer. Should fit to the body without becoming or looking extremely tight to strangle.
5. SUITS TROUSERS
   If the jacket of the suit fits perfectly, without the right fitting of trouser, it is still a poor dress. The best advice on suit trousers is to wear trousers according to your body built. A fat individual should not choose a slim fit trouser, especially when the person’s thigh/flank is very big.
   The same goes for a slim person. The best trouser design for a slim person is a slim fit trouser. For a slim person wearing a floppy/baggy trouser is not formal, except for a slim person that is very tall as well. The hem of the trouser length should sit right at the top of the shoe, not folding on the shoe. As trending now, it is socially wrong to wear a formal/corporate suit leaving over 11/2 inch gap between the hem of the trouser to the shoe.
6. SUIT COLOURS
   Though black suits seems like the general code to every organization, to be more classy opt for a charcoal grey instead, or a navy blue suit. When trying to match a suit that will resonate with your skin colour, a very dark person instead of black suit, charcoal grey, should opt for a light grey, navy blue suits. Black suits are very good on people with lighter/fair in complexion.
   Stripe suits give a classy yet conservative appearance, but have to be chosen with care. For business/formal outfit, opt for a pin stripe in place of bold stripes. The background of the suit and the colour of stripe should be put into consideration while choosing your suits. Flamboyant colours like purple, orange, yellow, and others could be a glamour for a red-carpet, concert, and the like, but a suicide mission for a formal meeting.
7. SUIT LAPELSSuit lapel should be considered when choosing the size of tie to wear. The general rule here is to ensure that the tie size is of the same size with the lapel of the suit. When putting on a wide lapel suit, wear the large size tie. Medium size tie should be used when wearing a suit of a regular medium lapel, while tinny ties can only match a slim lapel suit. In most corporate organizations medium size ties are more acceptable to others.
8. NECK TIES
   The colour of your tie should be darker than your shirt, your dress shirt should always be lighter in colour to your tie. It is socially wrong to wear a tie that is exact colour with your shirt. Don’t choose ties that have too many colours on them, the fewer the colours the better. The designs on the tie should be regular and distinct.
   The length of your tie should hit right at the top of your waist band (belt). It is a poor dressing habit to wear a tie longer than your waist belt or short before the belt.For young professions, corporate employees, the width of your necktie (the widest part of the tie) should be between 3.0 – 3.5 inches (medium size ties). Ties with width size above 4inches are not recommended for formal environment.The knot of your tie should be medium or small, large knot is for those that have big heads. Dimple knot (dimple is the hollow beneath the knot) give a classic appearance to your look if done properly.
   Most bow ties are ceremonials, adds a classic look for formal events. Bow ties are best worn on tuxedos.
9. POCKET SQUARES AND LAPEL FLOWERS
   Pocket squares add an extra polish to your suit, but be sure the colour of your pocket square is different to your tie. Choose colours pocket square that can blend with the tie though different colour. You can wear a pocket square along with lapel flower for a dinner, church, and concerts, but do not wear both at the same time for formal meetings. A pocket square is more formal than a lapel flower.
10. SUIT VENTS/SLITS
    Though when choosing the vent of your suit, your concern should be the fitting in relation to your body structure. Always look out for your body structure, men with big buttocks should opt for double vents instead of single vent.A double vents/slits suit is more formal than the single vent, a double button suit is more formal than the single button, likewise a notched lapel suit (see our blog for ‘’Essential parts of suits’’) is more formal than the peaked lapel suit. All these designs are acceptable in the corporate world but when attending an important formal meetings like an interview opt for the more formal designs.
11. DRESS SHIRT
    The sleeve cuffs of your dress shirt should be exposed for about half an inch, if it is extended for more than 1 inch, your suit hand is too short, or possibly the sleeve of your dress shirt is too long. Whether on tie or without tie, the collar of your dress shirt should touch the lapel of your suit. The right collar of shirt is medium collar, large collars like in some brands is too high for an average person, unless you have a long neck. Shirts should be normal fitting, neither too tight nor floppy.
12. BELTS AND SHOES
    The colour of your belts should always match with the colour of your shoes. A dark brown belt should be worn with a dark brown shoes while a black belt should always be matched with a black shoe and suit. The best colour of shoe to wear with a navy blue and grey suits are brown shoes. Dark brown shoes are more conservative than the light brown shoes.
13. SOCKS
    When choosing your socks, go for more conservative colour if you are in a formal/corporate environment. The conservative colours are black, grey, navy blue, deep red, and others. While opting for bright colours, choose your flamboyant colours with care, don’t try to match your socks colour with your dress shirt. Multi-coloured socks also should be chose with care, choose the less pronounced colour of your socks to match your tie.
    Make sure your socks are long enough to properly your cover legs while you are sitting down.
14. SUSPERDERS AND BELTS
    The purpose of both belts and suspenders/brace is to keep the trouser at its’ place on the waist. It is socially wrong to wear belt with suspender/brace at the same time, it’s either you are wearing a suspender or a belt. We advise you use a conservative colours for formal meetings.
15. SUIT LABELS AND TAGS
    We see this dressing blunder a lot, to see a customer months later after they have started wearing the suit to still be wearing the label of the designer, maybe on the hand of the suit. Some others will be wearing the suit with the thread used to fasten the vents/slits at the back still in place.
    The thread used to fasten the vents, pockets, the brand and designer’s tags, labels should all be removed before wearing the suit.

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