Owning a striped suit won’t make you the Wolf of Wall Street overnight, but you can be sure that when it comes to professional business attire, you can’t do it any better.
A tailoring cornerstone, the three-piece power suit has origins in the 17th century when King Charles II introduced the waistcoat into the men’s wardrobe.
Today, the combo of jacket, trousers, and waistcoat, all cut from the same cloth, is one of the smartest sartorial moves a man can make.
It’s probably best not to wear a three-piece power suit every day. However, if you’ve got a very important meeting, or are going out for a lunch conference that day, you can. Choosing your shirt and shoes for a three-piece suit is another important point.
As hinted above, do wear a three-piece suit to work when you’ve got a presentation. Wearing a classic three-piece power suit will boost your confidence and make you feel like you own the room!
Usually, when you’re standing, we suggest you button your jacket, and when you’re seated, we suggest you unbutton it. When you’ve got a three-piece suit on, the vest means you can leave the jacket open when standing and still look put together.
When rocking a power suit, the idea is to focus on details and subtle elegance. For example, rather than overdoing it with brash colours and bold accessories, try to opt for barely noticeable features.
Pairing it with a white or blue dress shirt is an excellent pick for a stylish and classy getup. Wearing a bold pattern a bright coloured shirt is a recurring mistake when wearing a three-piece suit. A power suit is bold enough on its own! Let the suit do the talking and use accessories to complement its chic-ness.
Your vest can be the same colour as the rest of the power suit to add subtle elegance or stand out using a subtly contrasting colour. For instance, the suit may consist of a pattern weave, which works best with dark and muted colours. A great example would be herringbone, which remains conservative while blending in with colours like charcoal or navy without losing visual interest.
Either way, there must be no gap between the vest and the trousers. The shirt should not be shown tucked into the pants. A great way to maintain the proportion of the outfit is to opt for a higher waist on the trousers.
The fit should be modern and flattering without being overly tight. The overall objective should be towards confidence. Similarly, aim for classic and conservative details such as notched lapels, straight flap pockets, and side vents. Ticket pockets and contrast stitching are indeed possible but won’t be quite as effective.
Furthermore, consider a plain white cotton pocket square in a classic TV fold. This choice of the pocket square would be an excellent detail, whereas other folds and styles may risk being too flamboyant. Similarly, luxury cufflinks that use simple metallic colours are particularly effective.
Choose a single-breasted jacket. Continuing with the simplicity and subtle elegance, go for a simple single-breasted jacket. Why? When buttoned, the double-breasted jacket is likely to cover up all or most of your vest, which will diminish the style impact. A skilled tailor or designer can, of course, create a double-breasted jacket that still manages to let a significant percentage of your vest peek out, but in general, a single-breasted jacket is a safer and smarter pick to pair with a vest.
Keep the rest of the accessories simple. Never wear a belt with a three-piece power suit. A belt will take away from the simple elegance and add bulk to the look. Instead, opt for side tabs on your trousers. A pocket watch is a nice, subtle accessory that can be added without taking over the style of the suit.
When it comes to footwear, introduce a pair of dark leather dress shoes to the equation to infuse sophistication into your outfit.
Finally, the tie should offer a balanced level of contrast without overpowering the entire outfit. For instance, note the burgundy dotted tie in this guide’s accompanying images. A brown tie will also add dimension to the power suit without overpowering the look and disturbing its balance.
Stripes are historically associated with gentlemen in high positions. Think CEOs and 1980s Bankers; a striped suit can add extra authority to your boardroom attire.
Reach for this shadow pinstripe 3-piece suit, and you’ll look like a true style expert without much effort.
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