Not too long ago and within living memory, men knew how to dress acceptably. Somewhere along the way, it became commonplace to wear jeans, shorts, logo’d T-shirts and all manner of other, shocking invaders of style which are now considered “normal” clothing. Fortunately, all is not lost, and if those gaudy, glitzy and flamboyant photographs that we see online, from fashion-shows are anything to go by, a more formal and respectable mode of men’s clothing may soon be on the rebound. The three-piece suit has been asserting itself with increasing frequency on designer runways.
A 3 Piece Suit simply consists of a suit jacket, trouser and waistcoat- with the vest of course, being the distinguishing element. Most men opt for a vest which is of the same outer fabric colour as the jacket and the trousers. But for those that want to stand out a little more, a contrasting vest fabric colour may be chosen or accessories added to express individual flair. It all depends on whether you’re going for that “look at me” appearance, or for a more understated “I know what I want” presence. Accessorise your Three Piece Suit with a pocket square, handcraft top stitching across the jacket’s lapels (matching the vest’s stitching colour) and gloves – if you want to look like you’ve just jumped off the catwalk!
4 reasons for that savvy waist coat~
The vest, while a simple and fairly inexpensive addition is actually quite practical:
- It can be worn separately without a jacket in less formal workplaces and yes; it can take the place of a jacket but remember to keep the tie.
- It provides extra warmth around the chest for those colder winter months.
- It can be “dressed down” to create a smarter casual look with a crisp white shirt, dark jeans or chinos. Loosen or lose the tie altogether to show just how casual you are.
- It also keeps the shirt and tie in place and some say, can even have a trimming effect!
3 piece suit etiquette~
A few fashion rules apply when sporting your 3 Piece Suit. Take note:
- Make sure the vest is long enough to hit your waistband and show a bit of belt buckle
- Make sure that your tie never, ever hangs out!
- Don’t close the bottom button of your vest (just like you wouldn’t close the bottom button of your suit jacket)
- Never wear the vest totally unbuttoned
- Try to wear your suit jacket unbuttoned to show off your vest
- Select a 2 button suit jacket (instead of a 3 button), so that the elongated “V” of the 2 button jacket leaves more room to show off your vest.
3 piece suits vanished in the ’90s, suffering the dual blows of minimalism and casual Friday (which spread into casual Everyday). But some men are dressing up again, thank goodness, and not necessarily just for the office; they’re even adding flourishes like pocket squares and tie bars. The three-piece suit makes a statement, literally, of one-upmanship in the dressing-up arms race. Those snugly waistcoats, chic jackets and trousers—that English gentlemanly appeal travelling back in time… like a contemporary Mr. Darcy coming to life.