From dealing with the sales guy to choosing lapels—everything you need to know about buying the perfect suit.

1. Use the salesperson to your advantage
He’ll tell you whatever you want to hear—that everything looks great on you, that the store’s tailor can fix any suit. And you can almost be guaranteed his sense of style will be different from yours. For all these reasons, you need to know as much as possible about how a suit should fit and what kind of suit you’re looking for before you walk through the door. Remember, you’re the boss, not him. If you need his/her help finding the size and style you want, do so. Remember you will most likely be able to find the same suit online for half the price.

2. Know why you’re buying a suit
Are you hunting for a suit that you’re going to wear to the office once or more a week? (If so, keep it dark and classic.) Or are you looking for a suit you’ll wear a few times a year to weddings and funerals? (Black or navy is a safe bet.) Is it a suit you’ll wear to job interviews? (If so, you want to be well dressed but not better dressed than the guy interviewing you, so nothing too pricey.) Or is it the kind you’d wear with sneakers and a T-shirt, or wear just the jacket with a pair of jeans? (Think designer, Ermenegildo Zegna, Giorgio Armani, or Canali, not Brooks Brothers or Hickey Freeman.)

3. Start at a department store but purchase online
When you’re ready to start shopping, grab a friend who won’t hesitate to provide you with a blunt opinion, and head to a store like Barneys or Saks or Bloomingdale’s. You’ll be able to view a variety of brands instead of just one. Once you’re inside, do a lap of the suit floor by yourself. See what styles are carried—what grabs your attention. Look at prices. Ask for a salesman when you’re good and ready. Now, allow the salesperson to help you find your size if necessary. Once you determined the correct size it is time to go online to the Best Designer Suit Store and save enough money to buy a second suit or a pair of shoes.

4. 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…
Shoulders:
The suit’s shoulders should hug yours; shoulder pads should not protrude beyond your own shoulders. If you stand sideways against a wall and the shoulder pad touches the wall before your arm does, the suit is too big.
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.
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 beyond the cuff of your suit sleeve.

5. Start thinking about the number of buttons
Now you need to think about the style of the suit itself. 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. Here are some basic pointers:
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.
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.

6. Think about the vents on the back of the suit jacketA 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.
A ventless jacket is just plain wrong. It says you think it’s still 1986.

7. …and the type of lapel
A notch lapel—what you see on most business suits—is the standard. You’re always safe with a notch lapel.
A peak lapel is more old-school and elegant. And now it’s enjoying a comeback with the high-fashion crowd. It makes a statement.

8. Now head to the dressing room
If you’re not wearing a dress shirt and dress shoes, ask for them; a good store should be able to hook you up. Then, find the three-way mirror and size up your suit. And not just the jacket. Consider the pants, too: They should be comfortable, and the rise (where the pants sit on your waist) shouldn’t be too high or too low for your taste. If you don’t think the pants fit right, try on another suit.

9. Know what a tailor can—and can’t—do for you
Here are 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 usually will 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.

Any tailoring required to obtain that perfect can be done locally with funds saved by shopping online.

By RAY A. SMITH

Every workday, scores of businessmen go through the motion of putting on a dark suit and tie. These men end up looking almost indistinguishable from every other guy—and that's part of the problem.
For the man who wants to stand out, but not stick out, there are ways both subtle and bold to inject personality into a suit-and-tie look without prompting gawks from the office peanut gallery.

The trick is navigating how much to push the personalization. The look must be comfortable and confident, never forced or affected. Taken too far a man risks being accused of having a mid-life crisis or becoming a slave to fashion.

Suiting Up
Popular in the big-shouldered '80s, the double-breasted suit is mounting a comeback.

"Personalizing your suit demonstrates confidence and creativity," says David Lisbon, a menswear personal shopper at Bloomingdale's Manhattan flagship store.

Men just starting their careers may see the suit-and-tie thing as restrictive, a capitulation to a future of being just another bland man in a gray flannel suit. Older men may want to add some personal flair to their old standard.

Robin Walker, a Chicago-based image strategist, says her average client is 45 to 60 years old: "They are bored wearing the same old stuff," she says. "It may be stress-free and a no-brainer but they are tired of looking at it."

At the men's fashion shows in Europe late last month, some designers showed suits accessorized with gauzy scarves, T-shirts, sandals and even shorts.
Still, a man has to know when to say what's right and what's not for him—and avoid being a slave to outré runway looks.

Often, personalizing a suit just involves small tweaks and accessories. That can mean something that isn't immediately apparent to others, like a barely there pocket square. Or a leather braided or beaded bracelet worn just above the watch, recommends Eric Jennings, men's fashion director at Saks Fifth Avenue. "When you're reaching for your glass of wine or fork, [others] will see a flash of it." Mr. Jennings says he noticed a number of men wearing such bracelets last month in Italy, where he was attending menswear shows.

Another way to personalize a suit is with a custom belt, suggests Mr. Lisbon. The Trafalgar label, for example, has a program in which shoppers choose belt color, leather type, buckle and monogram style.

When it comes to cufflinks, going whimsical and quirky is acceptable, says Mr. Lisbon, so long as the designs aren't objectionable or offensive (no pin-up girls). Cufflinks can add a hint of color and humor to a more conservative look and also reflect the wearer's off-work interests with, say, a golf motif or images of sailboats.

A pocket square is an easy way to distinguish a suit. "It's a small thing but it does speak volumes," sending the message you care about the way you present yourself, says Mr. Jennings.

"Don't get hung up on the proper way to fold it," he adds. "There is no right or wrong way." Mr. Jennings notes that the Brunello Cucinelli label showed pocket squares folded in a number of different ways at a recent trade show.

The perfect suit watch is an equal mix of conservative and trendy, says Mr. Lisbon. He recommends a Frederique Constant model that is rose gold, which is popular right now, but is otherwise understated. While it can be worn with many suits, "it just oomphs up the classic khaki suit," he says.

Ms. Walker says it's OK to be a bit adventurous with the watch, choosing one that has a bolder face or evokes a certain time period. "It means [others] will have something to talk about when they shake your hand."
Leather bracelets, called wristlets, can be worn above a watch for a personalized look. Ms. Walker says one of her clients, who is more rock'n'roll when off the clock, wears a skull and crossbones bracelet under his suit to reflect that part of his personality.

She approves. "The outside of the suit is for everybody else, the inside is for you," she says.

Double-Breasted Lite

The double-breasted suit, popular in the big-shouldered '80s, is mounting a comeback. It was all over the runways at the recent spring 2012 men's shows in Europe and the July issue of GQ featured a double-breasted suit jacket on its cover for the first time since 1998. The look can give off a yacht captain or Masters of the Universe vibe without attention to a man's accessories. One key to personalizing the double-breasted suit (Z Zegna, $1,275, above), Bloomingdale's David Lisbon says, is to invest in a newer model that's slimmed down with four buttons rather than the typical six or more. Since the jacket covers more chest than a single-breasted, adding a lot of color with the tie (Turnbull & Asser, $185) and pocket square (Duchamp, $85) is the crucial play. A briefcase bag (Salvatore Ferragamo, $990), rather than a traditional boxy briefcase, also diffuses the stuffiness.

Power Khaki

In some people's minds, a khaki suit (the Men's Store Bloomingdale's, $350) can come off as Dockers-casual. While it's less formal than a wool suit, there are ways to personalize it to hit a sweet spot between basic-dressy and sporty. One way: Ditch the tie and focus on the shirt color, says Bloomingdale's David Lisbon. This bold purple-and-white check patterned shirt (Eton, $245), makes for a sophisticated, office-appropriate look. Other company men will wear their khaki suit with a tie, so going without will appear unique in a good way. Add a simple white sneaker (Jack Purcell for Converse, $80), as opposed to an athletic sneaker, to 'make it a little bit more summery nice,' Mr. Lisbon says. For the man who's just not a sneakers-guy, he recommends a slip-on loafer in some shade of brown. Adding a sleek, soft, attaché-style brown leather bag (Jack Spade, $375) 'dresses up the suit a tad,' Mr. Lisbon adds.

Urban Southern

In the wrong hands, a seersucker suit (Hugo Boss, $795) can look like a costume from the old-timey South—one reason some men find seersucker hard to pull off. The key to owning this look is to make the warm-weather Southern fixture more urbane, starting with the shoes. 'You're taking something classic and adding edge to it with a nice brown monkstrap, with or without a sock,' says Bloomingdale's David Lisbon. The shoe (Bruno Magli, $570) also helps dress up the seersucker. A simple pocket square—seersucker already makes enough of a statement so no need to go wild—adds a touch of formality, while the slim cotton tie (The Men's Store Bloomingdale's, $59.50) keeps the look relaxed and balanced. Another modernizing accessory is a backpack (Prada, $830) with a top handle so it can be carried by hand to a meeting, without wrinkling the jacket shoulder.

The New Navy

For the man who wants to project to the wider world that he is conservative but signal to intimates that he has some style tricks up his sleeves, start with a navy suit (Canali, $1,695). Whimsical light-blue cufflinks (Jenny Knott, $350) stay in the blue family but add a pop of color that mostly will be noticed by people in direct contact with the wearer. Socks (Duchamp, $35) are another opportunity to sneak in some personal style, says Bloomingdale's David Lisbon. 'He can be very conservative on top but show personal flair on the bottom.' Mr. Lisbon recommends a tie bar, 'which adds that extra layer of sophistication.' Look for one with some texture or engraving (Burberry, $150). For shoes, Mr. Lisbon prescribes moving away from the expected lace-up with a simple loafer with a modern edge, and less of a rounded toe. A loafer (Salvatore Ferragamo, $570) also tends to be lower in the front, a better way to flash a bit of fun sock color.

Preppy versus bohemian; those were the two main looks fighting for supremacy at the men’s shows in New York.

Squaring up in the preppy corner were Calvin Klein, Antonio Azzuolo, Billy Reid and hipster label Band of Outsiders. The most applauded show of the season was Calvin Klein, where designer Italo Zucchelli’s use of waffle materials and puffed-up tweeds enhanced the models’ air of authority, while exaggerated blousons and padded trench coats gave the consummate alpha male on display a cartoonish superhero twist.

Blazers in bouclé wool and Linton tweed appeared at Antonio Azzuolo’s French take on the preppy theme, which was inspired by the Seeberger Brothers’ early 20th-century photos of smart French resorts. In spite of the label’s non-conformist name, Band of Outsiders’ show evoked wholesome university graduates in college scarves, Native American-inspired graphic cardigans and wool blanket coats.

Another strike for the preppy gang came from Billy Reid, a southern gent who won the Best New Menswear Designer in America award last year before scooping the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize. He gave his gents a rugged masculine air with dinner jackets in undyed velvet and waxy leather pea coats worn over construction boots that were soiled but still polished.

Meanwhile, Andrew Buckler, Richard Chai and John Varvatos flew the flag for a more bohemian approach.
Andrew Buckler’s boys strutted out on to the snow-streaked SoHo street where he staged his show wearing floppy necked T-shirts, rock star-like mechanic boots, yellow leggings and oversized cardigans with hoods, recalling the painters and sculptors who used to inhabit this neighbourhood.
If Buckler’s catwalk character also had a posh attitude, taking meetings with his agent in sleek double-breasted jackets and canary yellow parkas, happening designer Richard Chai imagined someone with such a bohemian disregard for convention that they might wear a dressing gown to a restaurant. Think pyjama tops with crisp pants and cardigans and long-john leggings with shiny nylon coats. For fringes-of-society-chic, there was John Varvatos and his artful dodger-style frayed suits and great bashed-up Dickensian wingtip boots with khaki cloth sides, while slightly wrecked jeans are still de rigueur at Buckler, Varvatos and Ralph Lauren.

At Tommy Hilfiger and Lauren, however, the lines between these two dominating concepts were more blurred. Lauren, the ultimate establishment brand, launched a whole new range of rugged jeans called Black Label Denim. Although brand new, they looked as if artists in Brooklyn bedsits had worn them in over a couple of years. Tommy Hilfiger, who already has a collection entitled Prep World, also mixed up the opposing ideas with a show he called “Indie Prep” after “the meeting of indie rocker and college preppy”. Staged in West Village restaurant The Lion – decorated like a Pall Mall private members’ club with panelling and quirky prints – the show also featured the key outerwear of the American season – the big blanket coat, ideally in broad horizontal stripes. After a bitter winter left every street corner in Manhattan covered in black ice, perhaps it’s little wonder that designers created something so cozy.
It wasn’t until a rather quirky event entitled “The Ultimate Dream Date”, however, that the winner of the sartorial battle was clear. Financed by toymaker Mattel, the show involved designers such as Billy Reid, Simon Spurr, Yigal Azrouel and Michael Bastian creating a range of clothes for Barbie’s “beau” Ken. The result – a college-boy array of New England beach shorts and sailing sweaters with miniature Scottish and American flags and even a wool tam o’ shanter – was a deciding blow for the preppy crew.

Creating a Successful Business Image : Proper Fit for a Jacket

Learn tips and advice on how to develop a professional wardrobe for men, including business casual style and the proper fit of a suit jacket in this free how to video.

By ADAM TSCHORN, Los Angeles Times

Designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were the toast of the town during last month's men's fashion week in Milan. It wasn't just because of their 20th anniversary menswear show, which included Morgan Freeman in the audience and Annie Lennox at the piano - it was the star-studded red carpet gala that followed later that evening and a three-day public exhibit at Palazzo Marino (Milan's city hall) that featured rows of gleaming Apple iPads, flickering TV sets and the tools of the tailoring trade that once belonged in the atelier of Dolce's father.

Three days later, the Gabbana half of the design duo shared some of his thoughts on what's changed since they sent their first menswear collection down the runway in January 1990, five years after launching as a women's line. Sitting in the company's Via San Damiano headquarters in Milan, on a red velvet couch the size of an automobile, surrounded by a sea of leopard-print wallpaper and curtains and flanked by autographed photos of Nicole Kidman and framed Madonna album covers, Gabbana spoke of slim white shirts, David Beckham and Twitter.

Q: Do you take any time off between working on the men's collections and the women's collections?
A: Tomorrow we go to Moscow for a party celebrating the D&G store opening. After we come back from Moscow, I'll take about three days off, then it's right into the women's. I prefer it that way because of the adrenaline. We will work until the end of July and then take the month of August off.

Q: When it comes to inspiration and design, are the men's and women's collections conceived of together?
A: The collections are completely different, but sometimes the moods will be similar. And since the men's show is at the end of June, we have all of July, August and September to further develop and change the idea, to try different things (for the women's collection).

Q: How did the men's side of the Dolce & Gabbana label come about in the first place?
A: We decided to make men's because we had a hard time finding clothes we could wear. At the time we wore Japanese designers like Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto, but I couldn't find white shirts that were just a little bit slim, and unconstructed jackets without shoulder (pads), so we started to make them ourselves. And when our friends started asking about the clothes and where we got them, we decided to start doing a men's collection.

Q: What has changed the most since that first menswear collection hit the runway in January 1990?
A: It has totally changed - the roots are the same and the taste is the same, but that was 20 years ago.
Men used to have these Superman bodies when we started - like bodybuilders. Proportions have changed, and men's bodies are sporty but not built like they were before. People are healthier and more body conscious. Even the black suit has changed because it's more slim now - but at least the tank top hasn't changed!

Q: Dolce & Gabbana has always been able to leverage celebrity. Over the years, who has had the biggest effect on your menswear business?
A: Things really started to change in men's when we started to work occasionally with David Beckham. He was the channel we needed to speak to men. Here was a soccer player who is straight, with a wife and children, and men were saying: "If he wore it, I can wear it too." Before that it felt like men's fashion was just for gay men or strange people - men were afraid to wear something special.

Q: How did Annie Lennox become involved in your 20th anniversary menswear show?
A: Making a fashion show is difficult, because you aren't just presenting a new collection, you're trying to make an emotional connection. The customer needs that. We were reminded of that about a year ago. So when we started working on this collection, we wanted something that would be quiet, almost relaxing, but powerful at the same time. And that made us think of Annie Lennox. We didn't think she would do it, but we asked her and she said yes.

Q: What happened a year ago that made you rethink how you connect with the customer?
A: This was about the women's, not the men's, but we received an anonymous letter from a customer that said: '"Where are Dolce and Gabbana, and why don't you make the real Dolce & Gabbana (label) anymore?" That was kind of a shock because we were so focused on always looking for the new, we left the rest behind. So this was a real moment for us to stop and look back at who we are and to focus more on the customer and not the trend. Right now we don't care about trends.

Q: You were some of the earlier designers to embrace the blog culture and social networking. Why?
A: Two years ago, we were the first to invite bloggers to sit in the front row at our shows. We understand what people want - it's another point of view and it's democratic information. Now we also post short videos to YouTube right before we show a collection, because that is our chance to speak directly to the consumer. It is our point of view, just like the newspaper or magazine is the point of view of the journalist. There is room for all of it.

Q: And now you use Twitter, right?
A: Yes, sometimes I'll use Twitter to ask whether people prefer black or white, corset or no corset. Two months ago, I took a picture of a flower and some said: "Why don't you use that on a fabric?"

Q: Do people know it's actually you?
A: Yes, but sometimes they'll ask: "Is it really you?" We have a separate account for Dolce & Gabbana PR, @stefanogabbana is my own, and I don't just talk about work, I talk about my dog, my dinner, my friends, the sunset. I love to work between technology and tradition. If you find the balance, it's interesting. You don't want to lose the tradition, but you don't want to ignore the new.
Later, Dolce, co-founder and partner in the Dolce & Gabbana brand, responded through his publicist about the importance of including items from his father's atelier in the 20th anniversary exhibit in Milan.
Domenico Dolce (via e-mail): That's my father's certificate from the Palermo tailor school, which my father attended and graduated from in the early 1930s. The Milan exhibit also featured the mirror of my father's atelier. I am very attached to both, I learned from my father the art of tailoring. I grew up among fabrics and patterns, and at age 7 I was already able to make a pair of trousers. ... At Palazzo Marino, the tailor's installation, in contrast with the technology of the other rooms, is a way to say thank you to what tradition and roots represent and have represented for me. I do not forget roots and that certificate is maybe the symbol. I am very attached to it and I keep it in my personal atelier; where I do the initial fittings for the collection.

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Construction
Same deal as with cars and watches: It's what's inside your suit jacket that counts the most, and for summer you want to avoid any padding or lining that might prevent your body from breathing. For maximum comfort, go completely unlined with the likes of this Zilli suit.

Cloth
Look for lightweight wools or some blended variation thereof — e.g., the wool-and-silk weave of this Brioni suit. Wool is usually weighed in ounces, and weaves in the seven-to-ten-ounce range (with seven being lighter and thinner) hit the summer sweet spot. You should also pay attention to the so-called super number (e.g., this suit's super 150 designation), with a higher number indicating finer, lighter-weight cloth

Color
If your job entails going from air-conditioned car to air-conditioned office and back again, you can get away with wearing dark suits straight through Labor Day. But if you're in and out of doors all day, opt for a lighter shade (like stone, pictured here) that reflects light and minimizes heat.

Technology
Beware newfangled technology in tailoring — except when said technology actually works. This Cool Effect suit from Ermenegildo Zegna, for one, is made of brown wool that has been dyed to take on the reflective properties of a much-lighter-color cloth.

Just weeks after her appointment as the successor of the deceased designer, Sarah Burton will show her first collection for Alexander McQueen during men's fashion week in Milan, kicking off June 19.

Burton has been working for McQueen's label for almost 15 years and acted as his right hand for the decade leading up to his death. Now, she has shared a preview of her first range with Women's Wear Daily, explaining: "The collection looks into English culture over the decades and to the England of Alexander McQueen, referencing the gentlemen of Savile Row, World War I Tommys and the demob."
At her appointment in May, she told the press: "The creation of modern, beautifully crafted clothes was at the heart of Lee's [Alexander McQueen's] vision. I intend to stay true to his legacy."

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By CHRISTINA PASSARIELLO

As they scrambled to whittle down dozens of outfits for Saturday's Dolce & Gabbana men's fashion show, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana paused earlier this week to debate a sandal made of rope. "This looks too fashion, too wild," Mr. Gabbana sneered at the shoe, its thick cord wrapped around a male model's ankle. Mr. Dolce grabbed a rope flip-flop. "That looks more adult," Mr. Gabbana said approvingly.

Over the past 20 years, Messrs. Dolce and Gabbana have built one of the biggest and most successful men's businesses by navigating the fine line between style and fashion. "Women are into fashion, men are into style," said Mr. Dolce, in between fittings for the 20th anniversary runway collection. "Style is forever."

The difference between the two meant a striped linen jacket and a silk blouse didn't make the cut from the new collection, whose motto -- "Sensual, Sartorial, Sicilian" -- marks a return to the brand's roots. A nautical theme permeated the looks that made the cut, from the sailing rope Mr. Dolce stranded through belt loops to a rugged beige fisherman's sweater. Dolce & Gabbana's show kicks off Milan men's fashion week, which runs from June 19 to 22.

Men have more style than ever to choose from. Luxury labels from France's Hermés to American icon Ralph Lauren are opening stores dedicated to men. Nearly all of the most prominent women's fashion houses -- Gucci, Prada, Dior, Chanel, Burberry -- dress men too. Online retailer Net-a-Porter announced earlier this month it is creating a men's site, Mr. Porter, with labels such as Lanvin, Yves Saint Laurent and Balmain.
Yet with two decades of experience under its crocodile belt, precursor Dolce & Gabbana has well-established legitimacy in the booming men's segment. Half of the company's €1.2 billion in 2008 sales came from the men's collection, a balance that no other major fashion house has achieved.
"In the last 20 years, the biggest revolution has been in men's fashion collections, not women's," said Mr. Gabbana. "Now men have an outfit for work, another one for dancing, another one for going to the restaurant -- like women."
Though suits remain at its core, the label has appropriated the full range of the male wardrobe, from underwear and sportswear to pageboy caps and wingtips. "It's clothing for the weekend, the office, going out at night," said luxury-brand consultant Robert Burke. "That's been their secret because they are that customer."

In fact, with their contrasting personalities, Messrs. Dolce and Gabbana are very different customers. The tall Mr. Gabbana, 48 years old, extroverted and flashy with a large ruby stud in his ear, brings the brand its richly baroque element visible in velvet slippers and brocaded jackets. The short, bald Mr. Dolce, 52, likes muted colors -- gray, blue, black, beige -- detests prints, and refuses to wear tank tops: "I'm ashamed that I don't have big arm muscles."

Men are more interested in their looks than they let on -- a fact that the design duo understands, said Jim Moore, creative director at men's fashion magazine GQ. "Men are innately not fashion people," he said. "But there's an inner peacock and we know what looks good on us."
Yet men's fashion can at times seem more farcical even than outrageous women's trends. Three-legged trousers from designer Thom Browne and Jean-Paul Gaultier's "Monsieur" line of mascara and other makeup are far-removed from wardrobe classics such as the suit, chinos and jeans.
Dolce & Gabbana has occasionally misfired by veering too far from the classics. Oversized paisley prints and grungy flannel lacked Italian chic. A spate of body-belts in the late 90s, worn over shirts and trousers, cinched waists in a feminine way. Mr. Dolce said an early-90s hippie-inspired collection -- complete with flower power and peace signs -- strayed too far from the brand's look.

Twenty years ago, the designers were the rising stars of Italian women's fashion with their five-year old brand. Messrs. Dolce and Gabbana, who met while working in a Milan design workshop in the early 80s, dressed in cutting-edge Japanese labels Comme des Garçons and Yohji Yamamoto. (The designers were romantic as well as business partners they announced their split five years ago.) Italian men's attire -- classic suits from Brioni, Giorgio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna -- was too staid for their urban lifestyle.

But the Japanese designers didn't fulfill all their wardrobe needs. "There were some things we couldn't find, like tighter white shirts and slimmer pants," said Mr. Gabbana, dressed in ripped jeans and a black vest.

Still, they started timidly in 1990 by tweaking the classics. Three-button suits and pageboy caps worn with a scarf recalled Mr. Dolce's upbringing as the son of a Sicilian tailor. Pleated pants were paired with white shirts or voluminous overcoats. "Not a collection tied to the trend of the moment, but all what a man would like to have in his wardrobe," the designers advocated in their show notes, citing Luchino Visconti's classic 1963 film "Il Gattopardo" as an inspiration.

They soon settled into a routine that continues to this day. Mr. Dolce pores over racks of trousers, shirts, vests and underwear, pairing and reshuffling outfits, while Mr. Gabbana sits back and comments. "He likes to sew, to alter the clothes," said Mr. Gabbana, as his partner sliced a crisp pair of white pants into shorts with five swift cuts.

Gradually, the designers branched out beyond the elements of a suit. White underwear revealed a new body-conscious trend among men. Then came jeans, long before they were acceptable office attire. By the mid-90s and the appearance of track pants and sneakers on Dolce & Gabbana's runway, heralding the casual turn men's fashion was taking, the brand had a full repertoire of apparel that spanned any occasion.
Yet Dolce & Gabbana never abandoned the suit. Mr. Dolce said he changes it each season, making it closer-cut under the arm, dropping the button to reveal more chest, shaving extra volume off the shoulders. For the 20th anniversary collection, they come hand-stitched in washed silk. "Once, the suit was worn as a uniform," he said, spare pins sticking out of his pocket. "Today you wear it because you feel good in it."

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John Varvatos FW 2010 Fashion Show

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Louis Vuitton Menswear FW 2010 at Paris Fashion Week

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