Heather R
Last week’s article looked at what to look for when buying a new suit or how to get the one you already own, to fit better. I forgot to mention one detail about the suit pants. When you buy a new suit, the pants will not be hemmed. The reason is that men come in different heights. So they leave you to decide on the length that suits you best. Do not wear the pants before hemming them because that is not part of the design. It therefore means that, you are supposed to have them hemmed.
The accessories to a suit:
The tie
Please avoid a dwarf of a tie (a tie tied too short and fat), because that looks silly. The best length is for the tip of the tie to touch the tip of the buckle of your belt. It should not to cover the buckle of your belt though. If you tie it too long it ends up drawing attention to the wrong part of your body. I am sure you understand what I am trying to say here. If your tie is too colourful or floral, keep the shirt and suit plain or vice-versa. You have to avoid the clash of the prints and colours.
Unlike women who have a myriad of accessories to work with, men have very few and a tie is one of those few that you can use to express yourself. When attending an important meeting or presentation, a solid colour works best. Avoid bright colours and pastels.
The Shirt
As with suits, shirts are also available in slim fits. This should come as a relief to my slim brothers out there seeing that, you no longer have to worry about excess fabric on the back or arms of the shirt. Baggy shirts only make you look smaller.
- Chamisa under fire over US$120K donation
- Mavhunga puts DeMbare into Chibuku quarterfinals
- Pension funds bet on Cabora Bassa oilfields
- Councils defy govt fire tender directive
Keep Reading
Depending on the occasion, you can wear a shirt with or without a tie. You can opt for a plain shirt or a striped one. Just do not go crazy with the print because simple is strong in most of the cases.
A beach shirt would be inappropriate if you decide to combine it with a suit. You could also vary your shirts between ones that are to be worn with cuff links and those that are to be worn without. Cuff links are a subtle way of personalising your look.
The belt
It goes beyond just holding up your trousers, since it is also an expression of your style. Are you simple and understated or you are flamboyant? The buckle of your belt and the material used to make your belt, speak on your behalf. In order to bring your look together perfectly, match your belt with your shoes. Save your belts with over-sized spinning buckles for your jeans during the weekend.
The shoes
Dress shoes are best for a suit. The celebrities who usually attend music awards have made it look fashionable to wear suits and sneakers, but that look is best left on TV. It does not translate well in real life. There is a style of shoe that I do not comprehend — the elf shoe.
You know Santa’s elves wear turned up shoes. This makes me wonder if this is the inspiration of this particular kind of shoe on the streets of Zimbabwe. Surely if the nose of the shoe turns up, it means it is too big and so the excess space turns towards the sky. It is not a good look. I wonder if it is deemed fashionable to wear oversized shoes.
What to consider when choosing a pair of socks to wear
I will repeat this over and over again until all the men get it right; when deciding on a pair of socks to wear, your motivation should not be to match your shirt but your trousers or shoes. So, if you are wearing grey trousers and black shoes, you have the option of wearing black socks or grey ones. If you are wearing a red shirt, red socks are a no go area. White socks and black or brown shoes look despicable. White socks can be worn if you are wearing white trousers and white shoes; black socks would look tacky, in this instance.
