Bespoke Suit Wearing Etiquette
Wearing a Suit is very different from wearing a “bespoke” Suit. When you enter the realm of bespoke tailoring and decide to start wearing a bespoke suit, you take the responsibility of keeping the bespoke tradition alive left behind by the nobles of the yesteryears who believed that only wearing a bespoke suit can make one achieve their full potential in life. These gentlemen who left their mark on the face of the world were known to believe that men were meant to be sublime and that achieving anything was possible as long as you had the knowledge to dress for it. You were meant to dress not like who you are, but who you want to be. Sartorial knowledge was not only considered the stepping stone of success but the power which could propel you to become one with the forces of nature, allowing you to change and shape your life in any way you wanted. If you aspire to reaching the epitome of sartorial elegance, it is absolutely necessary to follow the basic bespoke suit wearing etiquettes which will build the foundation for you and put you on the road to arriving at your destined door of unknown pleasures in life. Below are ten basic bespoke suit wearing etiquettes one absolutely must follow when wearing Bespoke Suits:
1- In a single breasted two button bespoke suit, always fasten the top button and leave the lower button undone. The same rule applies for a Vest, leave the last button undone.
Reason: Back in the 1900’s King Edward VII was a fairly healthy Gentleman and was not able to button up his lower button due to his rotund physique. Everyone around him did the same in his presence out of respect for him as to not make him feel inferior. Since then fashion has evolved but it still remains to be an unsaid rule for every Gentleman wearing a two button single breasted bespoke suit to leave the last button undone.
2- Always unbutton your bespoke suit jacket when you sit down unless it is a Double Breasted bespoke suit.
Reason: A double breasted bespoke suit has enough buttons done up to give the bespoke suit jacket a reasonable amount of support when you sit down. However, if you sit down without unbuttoning your single breast bespoke suit jacket, you run the risk of ruining its form and construction apart from looking very sloppy. In the Gentleman’s world, it is the equivalent of dropping your jacket on the floor and stepping on it. In a double breasted bespoke suit your buttons would remain done up all the time as it would float about in a very haphazard manner and look inappropriate if not done up.
3- Always ensure that your bespoke suit tailor keeps the length of your trouser such that the front just kisses the top of the shoe and the back comes mid way behind the shoe.
Reason: A well tailored bespoke suit trouser will never have too much of a ripple in the front as it looks sloppy and neither should it be too short so as to show your socks when you walk as it’s not a good visual. The trick here is to have the bottom done at an angle so it has only one break in the front and is slightly longer at the back to cover half the shoe. This will make it look smooth and straight in the front and will also never show your socks when you walk.
4- Always choose a proper peak lapel when getting a Double Breasted bespoke suit.
Reason: The Double Breasted bespoke suit which is of English origin is till date chosen by many Royals and Heads of state as their ultimate gentlemen’s armour as it gives a powerful impression when wearing it. A Gentleman always respects tradition and ever lasting style. It is an absolute must that a double breasted bespoke suit is always worn with a Peak lapel just the way others who have changed the world and left their footprint behind have worn it.
5- The bottom of your tie should just kiss the top of your belt when wearing a bespoke suit.
Reason: A famous Gentleman named Oscar Wilde once said “A well tied tie is the first serious step in life.” To show that you are serious you should make sure the length of your tie is such that it doesn’t cover your belt and neither should it be so short that it makes you look disproportionate. It should just touch the belt so that the people looking at you can realize the care you have taken to do up your tie while you look your impeccable best in your bespoke suit.
6- The collar ends should never show from your bespoke suit.
Reason: if your collar ends show from your bespoke suit jacket, it means that enough care has not been taken by your bespoke tailor to craft your bespoke suits which will eventually become an extension of your personality and a companion for life. The collar of your shirt should be broad and wide enough so that the collar points do not pop out from the lapel of your Coat. A Gentleman would immediately see how sloppy this can make you look if not taken care of in the most appropriate manner.
7- Never match your tie and your pocket square when wearing bespoke suits
Reason: If you match your tie and pocket square it tells others that you do not put enough time and thought to the way you dress by going for the most obvious decision, which also reflects on your character and gives people the impression that your decisions in life are made hastily. Make sure your tie and pocket square complement each other by belonging to the same family of colors but do not match it exactly. Matching your tie and pocket square steals away the flair. Its almost as bad as matching your suit and your shirt to the same color which showcases a reflection of your personality in the poorest manner possible.
8- Your belt and shoes should always match whenever you wear bespoke suits.
Reason: Since your belt and shoes are placed far apart from each other, when you match then it makes everything go in harmony with each other and gives you a more complete look when wearing your Bespoke Suit.
9- Shirt sleeves should always show from your bespoke suit jacket.
Reason: Make sure at least 1 to 2 centimeters of your shirt sleeves show from your bespoke suit jacket. It is one of the first signs of a well tailored bespoke suit and is one of the most elementary and basic rules to follow in the realm of bespoke tailoring.
10- Always remember to practice with utmost care the mannerisms, ideology and qualities of a true Gentleman when wearing a bespoke suit.
Reason: Back in the days, only true Gentlemen wore bespoke suits and it was a given that a person wearing a bespoke suit was a thorough Gentleman. Both went hand-in-hand in a manner that neither one can be complete in its truest sense without the other. It is for this reason that timeless elegance is enjoyed only by people who wear bespoke suits as being a Gentleman never goes out of style!
