Congratulations!
You are a Modern Day Businessman. Though you have a very busy schedule, you always find time to look sharp and to dress to impress.
You can usually be seen wearing a slim fit suit, either two- or three-piece. And while it is obviously required in your day-to-day life, that's not the only reason you wear it. It fuels you with passion and gives you a confidence nothing else can provide. When you wear a suit, you are not just another being, you are the king of the jungle.
On your non-dominant hand, a watch can be observed at all times. Rolex or Omega, Tissot or Tag Heuer, what matters is that it's a timeless piece that you never neglect. You walk proudly wherever you go, chest pumped and head held high, taking each step in a pair of dapper leather dress shoes (Oxfords, Derbies, Monks and so on). Other accessories that never leave your side are ties, pocket squares and maybe even signet rings.
During mornings you are either jogging through the central park, grabbing a to-go coffee on your way to the office or already up-and-about with a client in a very important business meeting. At lunchtime, only the fanciest restaurants deserve your attention and at night you like to lay back with a glass of whiskey or an Old Fashioned and be thankful for how awesome your life is.
"Trendy is the last stage before tacky." —Karl Lagerfeld
5 Rules Every Modern Day Businessman Should Know
1. Never Mix Leather Colors
This is the no.1 mistake you could make that would get you from "Successful Business Man" to "Boy in a Suit" in less time that it'd take for you to say "Poor Taste". If you wear black shoes, wear a black belt and a black watch strap. Same goes for brown, blue or whatever other color you could think about wearing.
You know what? I'd even go as far as saying that it's better to not wear a belt and a watch at all than to commit this atrocity.
2. Always Pay Attention To The Suit Jacket Button Etiquette
The rules are simple:
If you're wearing a two button jacket, never unbutton the lower button
If you're wearing a three button jacket, fastening the first button is optional, and fasting the lower one is, yet again, not allowed
If you're wearing a double breasted jacket, always fasten all buttons, except for the lowest outer one, which is optional.
Furthermore, you should also know that:
When sitting down, ALWAYS unbutton every single button, UNLESS you're wearing a double breasted suit, in which case you don't have to unbutton anything.
3. Always Align Your Front
Three things must always be aligned in order for your outfit to look presentable. You placket, your belt frame and your pants' fly piece. If any of the three is misaligned, your whole outfit will look out of place.
4. The 1-3-7-100 Suit Rule
The story goes like this:
If you are just now getting into men's fashion, you will need to buy your first suit. This one suit will most likely only be worn on special occasions, and most men would believe that it should be black. this is, however, only a common misconception. This 1 suit should preferably be navy, light gray or charcoal gray. These are the most versatile suit colors.
One suit however is arguably not enough for a self-respected man. No. The minimum amount I would personally recommend is 3. Three suits will allow you to show up to all the important events in your day-to-day life (dates, interviews, weddings, fancy dinners, etc.) and not seem like you're wearing the same clothes each time. I'd tell you to get one day suit (tan, white, light blue, etc.) and two dark colored suits (navy, grey, charcoal grey, brown). If you'd like you can even go the extra mile and have one of the two dark suits be double breasted. Otherwise, keep them simple.
Now that we have gone through the bare minimum, a new standard must be set. If you like looking dapper or are otherwise required to wear suits to the office every day, you will need at least 7 suits. At this point wearing a suit becomes a lifestyle and you will probably start looking into not only color, but also material and pattern diversity. The colors remain the same as for the previous point, but you should look into different variations, such as double breasted suits, pinstripe suits and three piece suits. This would also be the perfect point in which you should buy yourself a quality tuxedo.
Lastly, we are talking about men who are passionate about suits. These men can have up to 100 suits and they could still keep going even past that.
We all have to start somewhere, so I advise each and every one of you who are new to fashion to start by buying a qualitative suits first and then going through each phase mentioned above.
Also, if you would like a full on guide in which I go more in detail about which suits (colors, materials, types) I would recommend for each category, drop me a comment down below.
5. To Wear Or Not To Wear A Belt: That Is The Question
Well, though that might be the question, the answer is quite simple. I see a lot of people promoting belt-less suit pants nowadays and I simply can't wrap my head around it. A good, sleek belt that goes well with your leather shoes will always bring your outfit to the next level, so why would you forgo it?
There is, however, one suit that should never, EVER, be accompanied by a belt, and that is the three piece suit. It's a rule that shan't be broken. Opt instead for a nice pair of qualitative suspenders.
5 Items Every Modern Day Businessman Should Own
These are the 5 items we at the Gentlemen's Order recommend every Modern Day Businessman to possess in order to elevate their outfits and style:
1. A Sleek Black Leather Belt
While brown also works, black will always be the more elegant color of the two and it will work with more suit colors than brown.
2. A Dress Watch
It is a common misconception that diver watches shouldn't be paired up with suits. This is wrong. But even though they can be worn underneath a suit jacket, dress watches are still preferable.
3. A Clean Pair Of Qualitative Oxfords
Derbies and Double Monks also work. This shoe will make you stand out from the sea of sneaker wearing suit wearers who look as though they have a business meeting at 4 and a meeting at the skate park at 5.
4. A Striped Tie
Everyone wears simple, non-patterned ties in one solid color. Dare to be different and wear a striped tie. Some good possible combinations are navy and red or navy and grey.
5. A Simple, White Pocket Square
The beautiful thing about white pocket squares is that they are more versatile than you could possibly expect. You can wear them with virtually any suit.