You already know the basics: don't fasten the bottom button, show a little cuff, match your belt and shoes. These 20 advanced suit rules and pro tips go one step further, into proportions, fabric, construction, pattern mixing and care, the details that separate a man who wears a suit from a man who owns it. Pick a suit to try them on from the VJV Now men's suit collection.
New to suits? Start with our 10 golden rules for wearing a suit, then come back here.
1. Check the Button Point
On a two-button jacket the top button, and on a three-button jacket the middle button, should sit around or just above your navel. Too low and your legs look shorter; too high and the jacket looks tight and old-fashioned.
2. Match Lapel Width to Your Frame
Very skinny lapels make broad men look bigger; very wide lapels swamp slim men. A medium lapel, about a third of the way from the lapel edge to the shoulder, suits most builds and never dates. Peak lapels add width at the shoulders, which helps slim men and grooms who want a strong look.
3. Keep Tie Width in Line with Lapel Width
The widest part of your tie should be roughly the same as the widest part of your lapel. A skinny tie with wide lapels, or a fat tie with slim lapels, throws the whole look off.
4. Let the Tie Touch Your Belt Buckle
The tip of the tie should reach the top or middle of your belt buckle. Tall men may need an extra-long tie or a knot like the double Windsor that uses more length.
5. No Gap Between Jacket Collar and Shirt Collar
The jacket collar should rest on your shirt collar at the back of your neck. A gap usually means the jacket is too big or cut for a different posture. A good tailor can often fix a small collar gap; a big one means another size.
6. Choose a Shirt Collar for Your Face
A round face looks longer with a point or narrow-spread collar. A long, narrow face looks balanced with a wider spread collar. And a little shirt collar (about a quarter to half an inch) should show above the jacket collar at the back.
Shop the Look: Suits with Strong Lines
7. Pick Fabric Weight for the Season, Not Just Colour
For most of India, choose lightweight, breathable fabric for daytime and summer. Save heavier wool blends, flannel and velvet-look fabrics for December and January evening weddings in the north. If a label shows a "Super" number (like Super 110s), that tells you how fine the wool fibre is: higher is softer but more delicate, so 100s to 130s is a good everyday range.
8. Know Canvassed from Fused
Inside the chest of a jacket is a layer that gives it shape. In a fused jacket it is glued to the cloth, which keeps the price low but can feel stiff. A half-canvas or full-canvas jacket has a stitched-in layer that moulds to your chest over time. Pinch the fabric below the top buttonhole: if you can feel a separate floating layer, it is canvassed.
9. Pick the Right Vents
Double (side) vents let the jacket fall cleanly when you sit or put your hands in your pockets, and they flatter most builds. A single centre vent is more casual and traditional. No vent gives the sleekest look, which is why tuxedos often skip them.
10. Don't Show Off Working Cuff Buttons
Functional (working) sleeve buttonholes are a sign of a good suit, but leaving one undone on purpose is a bit loud. Keep them fastened, and remember: they make sleeve shortening harder, so get the sleeve length right first.
11. Mix Patterns by Changing Scale
You can wear a checked shirt with a striped tie, as long as one pattern is small and the other is bold. Two patterns of the same size fight each other. With a patterned suit, keep the shirt plain.
12. Build Contrast Around Your Skin Tone
Most Indian skin tones glow in deep jewel colours (wine, teal, forest green) and warm neutrals (beige, brown, olive). Strong contrast, like a white shirt with a dark suit, looks formal; low contrast, like a light blue shirt with a grey suit, looks softer and more relaxed. Our suit colour guide goes deeper.
13. Match Shoe Formality to the Suit
Plain black oxfords are the most formal choice. Brown derbies, monk straps and loafers are more relaxed. With a dark suit at a wedding, black or dark brown works; with beige, olive or light brown suits, go for tan or brown. See our guide on the black suit with brown shoes look.
14. Treat the Pocket Square as a Finishing Touch
A straight (TV) fold in white is right for office and formal events. A puff or points fold in silk suits weddings and parties. Pick up a secondary colour from your tie, never the exact same fabric.
15. Waistcoat: Bottom Button Open, Waistband Hidden
With a three-piece suit, leave the bottom button of a single breasted waistcoat undone, and make sure the waistcoat covers your trouser waistband so no shirt shows between them. Take the jacket off at a hot reception and the waistcoat keeps you looking dressed.
Earthy Suits for Day Functions
16. Rotate Your Suits
Give a suit 24 to 48 hours of rest after a full day of wear. The fibres recover, creases drop out and sweat dries. Wearing the same suit every day wears it out much faster.
17. Hang Trousers by the Hem
Hang suit trousers upside down from the hem with a clip hanger. Gravity pulls out the creases, and they never slide off. Keep the jacket on a wide wooden hanger that supports the shoulders.
18. Wear a Thin Undershirt in the Heat
In Indian summers or a packed baraat, a thin cotton or modal undershirt soaks up sweat before it reaches your shirt. Wear a V-neck under an open collar so it stays hidden.
19. Don't Wear Your Suit Jacket as a Blazer (Usually)
Smooth, shiny suit jackets look like they lost their trousers when worn with jeans. If you want separates, choose a textured or checked jacket, or buy a proper blazer. Our post on wearing a suit jacket smart casual explains when it can work.
20. Know When a Suit Isn't the Answer
For a pooja, mehendi or the pheras, a Western suit can feel out of place. A Jodhpuri (bandhgala) suit gives you the same sharp tailoring with an Indian collar, and it looks right at Diwali and the wedding season.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should the top button of a suit jacket sit?
Around or just above your navel. On a three-button jacket, the middle button sits there.
Should tie width match lapel width?
Roughly, yes. Keep the widest part of the tie close to the widest part of the lapel so the proportions look balanced.
How do I know if a suit jacket is canvassed?
Pinch the front of the jacket just below the top buttonhole and pull the layers apart gently. If you feel a third, loose layer between the outer cloth and lining, it has a canvas. If it feels like one stiff layer, it is fused.
Can I wear a suit jacket with jeans?
Only if the jacket has texture or pattern. A smooth business suit jacket usually looks mismatched with denim; a blazer is a better choice.
How often should I rest a suit between wears?
Give it 24 to 48 hours on a good hanger. Rotating two or three suits makes each one last much longer.
Shop Suits at VJV Now
Put these pro rules to work with a new men's suit, a festive Jodhpuri suit or a sharp blazer for the wedding season. And if you want a quick refresher, our beginner suit rules are always there.
