In an ideal world, we all wear tailored, Italian suits that cost several thousands of dollars and they fit us oh so perfectly. Well, since this ideal world is not an actual scenario and many of us have to settle for a basic suit and trousers, we thought, what would be the best way to upgrade a suit so it looks like it’s tailor-made? Well, we’ve come up with some inexpensive, yet, very effective ideas. These tips and tricks might just up your suit game a level or two. Stick around, take a look at our list and eventually, maybe even try some of them out.
1. Tailor the jacket but don’t forget to take in the sleeves
When we buy a suit, we mostly focus on the most eye-catching details. By that, we mean we focus on the shoulders and the waist. Obviously, you don’t want your shoulders to be too narrow or hanging off of your own shoulders, they’re definitely the key element of the jacket silhouette. Also, you don’t want your waist to be flappy or your buttons to pop off every time you drink a glass of water. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about sleeves? Often you’d see a suit jacket perfectly fitting a torso, but the sleeves are reminiscent of those of a renaissance shirt. The reason behind this is that it’s easier to make the sleeves thinner rather than wider. So, the next time you go jacket shopping, when the tailor is measuring your shoulders and waist, ask them to take in the sleeves. Make them tight, but not too much, just enough that you can move your arms freely without ripping the fabric. Also, keep the sleeves short enough so your shirt cuffs can be seen and you don’t dip them in the soup next time you’re at a restaurant.
2. Replace the buttons
You’ll find that most of the inexpensive suits don’t really lack in quality of the fabric that much, rather they skimp out on details, like buttons. Most of them will come with some cheap, shiny, plastic buttons that are usually not even properly sewn in. Chances are, you’re going to have to tailor your suit anyway, so while you’re at it, just ask them to replace the buttons as well. It’s a simple and minimal change that will definitely improve the look of your suit.
3. Tailor your trousers as well
Having a well-fitted suit doesn’t only apply to jackets. Your trousers should fit you perfectly as well. It has to have a slim, tapered leg and another thing you can do to add to the whole look is make a small cuff at the hem. It’s a feature that is almost impossible to find in budget suits, so it’ll make yours feel more premium just by having that feature.
4. Have a great pair of shoes
You may and you probably should save some money while buying a suit, but you really shouldn’t when it comes to dressing shoes. They essentially make or break the whole outfit. You could have the fanciest suit there is and pair it with a faux-leather, shinny, plastic-looking dress shoe and the outfit is gone. We’re not advising you to spend a fortune on shoes, absolutely not, get them while they’re on sale, save some money, just don’t buy bad shoes, they’re not worth it.
5. Use lapel pins
Having the right accessory for your suit can be essential. You never want to go overboard with it, meaning, you don’t need a funky lapel pin, a handkerchief and a tie pin. It’s too much. You can find great custom flower lapel pins at gs-jj.com, with no minimum order requirements and just liven up your jacket with that.
Whether you want to customize your own lapel pins check more details on Vipinins.com.
A great pin can go a long way. It’s just enough of a detail to accentuate the outfit, without being too distracting.
6. Go monochrome
A great way to make your suit look trendy, but slightly different every time is to try and follow this trend. This essentially means going with a single colour. Pair your navy suit with blue shirts – that will make the suit stand out more. Just keep switching up patterns or shades of the shirt to avoid looking like you wear the same outfit all of the time.
7. Use cravats or bow ties
Cravat, or a necktie, is of the most important accessories you can own. A cravat can make such a difference. They come in different sizes, colours, shapes so you essentially have endless possibilities when it comes to matching a tie with a suit. Same goes with bowties. The only difference is, cravats are more formal than bowties. Unless you’re wearing a tuxedo than a black bowtie is a must.
8. Use tie pins
Another great way to upgrade your outfit is an accessory for an accessory – Inception-style. Jokes aside, a tie pin is a very useful and a very stylish thing to own. It keeps your cravat in place if you’re moving around constantly or you’re wearing your jacket open. You’ll admit that looking at a wavering necktie is a bit distracting. On top of all that, they come in all sorts of different colours, shapes, motives, so if you can decide if today you’re going for a formal look with a good old silver pin, or you might go ‘devil-may-care’ and strap your tie with a mini guitar.
9. Use a handkerchief
A handkerchief is not only a useful thing to have on hand, but, it’s also a great detail to complete the outfit. Just make sure you match your pocket square with your shirt or cravat, you don’t want it to stand out. As far as folding goes, it all depends on the look. If you’re going no-tie and an unbuttoned shirt, just make a neat bunch and place it into the pocket. If you’re feeling formal, a nice, square fold will do the trick.
10. Wear colourful socks
This is one is fairly optional and dependent on the setting. But if you want to liven up your outfit, make it fun and quirky, you can always wear some colourful socks with all kinds of different motives. Of course, you don’t want to be inappropriate, choose your settings. What is a good fit for a night out, might not be a great option for a job interview?
That would be 10 tips on how you can upgrade your suit game in 2024. If some new trends come up in the meantime, we’ll be on it, but for now, hopefully, these will do the trick for you.
