So you need to purchase a Suit

Look for this article in the Examiner. Com.

Men and suits generally fall in four categories:
You don't own one or one that fits properly
You have your trusty suit or two for any event
You have "flashy" suits for a night on the town or church but not for a business meeting
You are the sharp dress man who has the wardrobe for business and a night on the town
If you are #4, this article does not apply to you. However feel free to add your advice to the bottom of this column. Numbers 1-3, this is for you.
I pondered writing this article after I brought one of my suits recently to a local Men's Warehouse for tailoring. Due to weight loss (through diet and exercise - the hard way), my suit jacket was beginning to look like a hand me down from a big brother and alterations were in order. Many times a Man will buy a suit when there is an occasion that arises in the immediate future e.g.; Wedding, Funeral, Job Interview, Business meeting, Upscale event, etc. However purchasing a suit at the last minute is not the best option. It is always good to have at least one suit pressed, tailored and ready to go. Here are some ideas to think about when purchasing a suit.
What color suit should I purchase?Whether you are "starting out" buying suits or have a rack of fine tailored wear, the two colors that are a must in your closet are navy blue and black. These colors are boilerplate for the business world and elsewhere. With a navy blue jacket and to a lesser extent black, you are able to wear the jackets with different colors of slacks thus expanding your wardrobe. For a second opinion, I asked my helpful Men's Warehouse representative the same question and her response was navy blue and charcoal. She stated with a Navy Blue suit you can interchange with different color slacks. An option of purchasing a navy blue with pen stripes or a black suit with pen stripes is nice, however the color of the penstripe can limit the options available for the shirts and slacks. If you have penstripes on these boilerplate suits, make sure the stripes are thin so they are easier to interchange. Regarding shirts, you can't go wrong with a plain white long-sleeve shirt. White shirts are the "plain jane" of dress shirts but for starters it will go with anything. Having at least two white shirts in your closet is handy. Blue is the second recommended color for a dress shirt.
Times are hard and money is tight, do I need to buy an expensive suit?No you don't need to spend big money on a name brand suit. However you generally want to shy away from the sub $100 suits. I know times are hard and if a suit under $100 is all you can afford, I completely understand. No snob appeal here! Keep in mind with suits the old saying applies "You get what you pay for." Speaking from experience, what I have discovered from sub $100 suits is over time the wear and drycleaning can often fade the color and will make the suit useless. I have donated suits I no longer wear, but a suit with fade spots won't do any good. Based on my experience, the material and stitching of those suits are not quality and tend to unravel in a short period of time. Not to mention the style and fit is poor. Needless to say, I no longer own those suits. On some occasions while looking for a suit, I have noticed higher quality suits near the sub $100 mark, but those were either discontinued styles or the last sizes of those particular suits in the store. Those type of suits are excellent to purchase because of the quality for the price. Suits in the $150-$350 range can provide a great fit, a professional look and earn you compliments as well. With suits, quality is better than quantity so rather than buying the 2 for $75 suits, you should hold out for a better suit that will last longer than those "2 for" or sub $100 suits.
Stay tuned for part 2 of of this series as I discuss quality and fit. Feel free to leave your comments or contact me on twitter or follow my blog.