Learn the secrets to dressing for success from the GQ fashion editors
By Paola Kudacki and Tom Schierlitz
Dressing well for the office shouldn’t add stress to your workday. You just need to know the basics. Here are the essential items to add to your closet—and how to wear them. Follow this guide and you’ll assemble an elegant, easy-to-use wardrobe that’ll take you to the top of your game.
Rules: Building Your Business Wardrobe
The Five Suits You Need in Your Closet
1. The Gray Suit
Think of it as the anchor of your business wardrobe—strong, elegant, and always appropriate, whether you're interviewing for your first job or addressing the shareholders at your last. A gray suit looks sharp and clean with a white, soft blue, or light pink shirt but is versatile enough that it'll go with just about anything. Any shade will do, but we recommend a medium gray, like the one this gentleman is wearing. Click on the NEXT button below for the season's best gray suits, in three price points.
2. The Solid Navy Suit
You can't go wrong here. A navy suit is always a safe, classic choice, and it travels seamlessly from the boardroom to an evening out. It lends itself well to almost any shirt-and-tie combination, but to up the elegance factor, pair it with a crisp white shirt, a dark solid tie, and a pocket square (think Cary Grant). Click on the NEXT button below for the season's best navy suits, in three price points.
3. The Solid Black Suit
It used to be that a black suit wasn't a safe choice for the office, but these days it's a staple. Just make sure yours is cut on the slim side and fits correctly. (However you feel about your job, you don't want to look like you work in a funeral home.) Click on the NEXT button below for the season's best black suits, in three price points.
4. The Pin-Striped Navy Suit
A cool classic that exudes confidence. You can anchor it with a solid shirt and tie or get adventurous—like the guy here, who's mixed it with a striped shirt and a striped tie. Just keep the components within one basic-color family and make sure that the stripes of the suit, shirt, and tie aren't too close in scale; one of the patterns should be bold and the other two more muted. Click on the NEXT button below for the season's best pin-striped navy suits, in three price points.
5. The Khaki Cotton Suit
A business wardrobe might consist mostly of dark suits, but spring and summer give you the chance to lighten up (literally). Do it in style with a khaki cotton suit. Pair it with a solid (blue, white, or pink) shirt and a dark tie for the office, then loosen it up (e.g., lose the tie and socks) for an evening out. Click on the NEXT button below for the season's best khaki cotton suits, in three price points.
Suits: Know Your Size
It sounds obvious, but it's not. The most crucial element of a suit is its fit, and not many sales guys understand how a suit should fit or, more specifically, how you want yours to fit. Before you step into a dressing room, get a handle on the various components of a suit.
1) Shoulders:
The suit's shoulders should hug yours. The shoulder pads should not protrude beyond your own shoulders.
2) Chest:
You should be able to easily button the jacket without it straining. Conversely, there shouldn't be too much space between the button and your chest—no more than a fist's worth.
3) Length:
When your arms are hanging straight down, you should be able to cup your fingers under the sides of your suit jacket. However, these days, with shorter suits in style, some jackets reach only about an inch or two beyond the cuff of your suit sleeve.
Suit Buttons
Think about the style of the suit you're buying. The first thing you need to consider is the number of buttons on the suit. This will determine a good deal about the cut and fit.
The three-button suit became the dominant look in the 1990s; it now seems to be the standard young man's choice. Instead of opting for one of those high-cut versions, look for one with a roll-over lapel—one in which you button the middle button, encouraging the soft lapel to roll over the top button.
For years the two-button suit was the go-to conservative, Capitol Hill getup. Now every fashion label imaginable is designing two-button suits, except they're making them more streamlined and modern. This cut is what's most in style right now—and it's the most versatile, looking good on almost every body type.
If you're looking for something rakish, a bit more high-style, try a one-button suit. It's not for everyone, but if you can pull it off, it's a sleek look.
Vents
A center vent is all-purpose; it is both modern and traditional. You can't go wrong.
Side vents are more European, a bit more suave. They also add a little more shape to your suit.
Lapels
A notch lapel—what you see on most business suits—is the standard. You're always safe with a notch lapel. Go for one on the narrow side, which will have a more modern, slimming effect.
A peak lapel is more old-school and elegant. And now it's enjoying a comeback with high-fashion and business crowds alike. It makes a statement. Just don't get them too wide—you don't want to look like a Sopranos extra.
What a Tailor Can and Can’t Do For You
A tailor can make a good suit great, but he can't work miracles. Click on the NEXT button below for the areas you should direct your tailor's attention to.
Shoulders:
If your suit doesn't fit in the shoulders, it's not going to fit anywhere else. Salesmen will tell you they can reduce or reshape the shoulder pads. Don't listen to them.
Pants:
If the pants are an inch or so too tight or too large in the waist, a tailor can usually fix them. But if it's more than an inch, you're asking for trouble
Jacket:
A tailor will usually need to alter the length of the sleeves. Insist that you'd like a quarter inch of shirt cuff to show. The sides of a jacket often need tapering so they contour to your torso. And check out the collar: Many times there is a roll in the back of the suit jacket, up near your neck. A good tailor can correct this.
