Q. As a researcher I have never needed a suit, but my new position is research for a law firm. Clearly this is a suit office in which I would stand out too much by avoiding suits. That said, I cannot, at least yet, afford too many suits, or particularly expensive ones. How can I acquire the right look for under $1,500 (preferably under $1,000)?
I should point out that I've already spent the first $400 of that on a solid dark gray suit, which was of good quality and on sale.
A. The good news is that by combining different shirts and ties skillfully, a few suits can look like a whole wardrobe. You can add variety to a couple of suits and dress them up (or down) with accessories. A few useful rules can help.
First, the darker the suit and tie and the lighter the shirt, the dressier the look. A white shirt and dark tie (perhaps with very small white pin dots) are the expected accompaniments to the very dressiest of men's suits, which is the navy pinstripe. Since it is so formal, a pinstripe should not be one of your first few suits.
The next step down in dressy attire is the suit you bought, a solid color. For some reason, a solid gray or navy suit is not as formal as, and more versatile than, a pinstripe. It combines well with the same white shirt and dark "chairman-of-the-board" ties. For a more approachable look with either of these, a colored shirt is the key. Try a light blue, a pale pink, and (if you can find this elusive item) a clear ivory shirt. Subtle stripes also make a dark suit less imposing.
A medium-dark shade of blue or gray is another step down in formality. If you don't want your closet to be made up of only dark suits, choose one of these for your second suit. And, since your first one was gray, medium blue seems to make the most sense.
Your shirt options can change your look completely. And not merely the difference between dressy French cuffs and standard button barrel cuffs. Fabrics count. A solid smooth broadcloth says "dressy," a pinpoint Oxford says "sophisticated," a button-down striped Oxford cloth says "preppy," and a tattersall or mini-check says "casual." You decide which message you want to send.
The tie you choose creates perhaps the biggest difference. Crisp, small patterns and stripes in sharp color contrasts are dressiest. To make a combination less serious, instead of a dark pin dot or bold stripe, try a muted shade -- rose, burgundy, medium blue or green -- in a medium-size pattern. The lighter the color of the tie and the larger the pattern, the more casual the look. If you wear a well-knotted bow tie once in a while, no one will notice that you keep repeating the same few suits.
Incidentally, the same shirt and tie concepts work when you're wearing something less dressy than a matched suit, such as a blazer or sport jacket.
Subtle touches, too, can change the tone of an outfit. Dressy additions such as a white pocket handkerchief, a tie clasp, French cuffs and cuff links, or wing-tip shoes all move a combination up to a more formal level. In the other direction, adding a colored pocket square, a slightly darker shirt, a sweater vest, an open-at-the-neck shirt, loafers or cap-toed lace-ups effectively dress down your look.
In any event, do not ignore consistency. Jarringly different items do not soften a suit's formality. They merely ruin the polished effect. As examples, the new funky patterned socks worn with a business suit, or pairing an oversize floral tie with a dark "power" suit, projects a confused image.
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High Profile on 04/26/2015