When to suit up? Part 1

First and foremost is that you must know why you want to buy this suit. On what sorts of occasions do you think you will wear it?  What sorts of places will you be during those occasions? e.g night club as opposed to five star hotels? Will these events occur during the day or at night?  Is the suit for working at the office or attending a wedding and other fancy parties? Is it for formal or casual situations? 

As you can gather from my questions, there are certain suits only suitable for certain occasions.  Imagine a guy wearing a loud chrome suit with funky designs for a job interview, which is fine if it was for the circus or a nightclub, but totally wrong everywhere else. 

Formal Events:

Photo via: Mr Porter.com

This means funerals, black tie-events, and weddings.  I have been appalled by the lack of formal wear by so many Taiwanese men when they attend a wedding. Is the wedding not one of life’s most celebrated and important events? Naturally I am aware of the difference in cultures between Taiwan and Western society, but I still think it is a sign of respect to the married couple and their family. Suits are considered formal wear, yet we wear suits when we go to work, when we make presentations in class, but don’t wear suits when attending weddings?  How does that make sense? A lot of girls dress up for this event, why shouldn't guys do the same?

Assuming you agree with my opinion, what should a respectable gentleman wear to such events?  Obviously a suit or a tuxedo in this case, but generally a black suit is most appropriate. Dark charcoal and very dark blue is also fine, but if you are unsure, go with black for these situations. Normally it is a two button suit with shawl or peak lapels. Light to medium grey is fine when the wedding is during the day. White suits are only suitable if you are in the tropics or in a boy band.

Photo Via: Tom Ford

• To complete the ultra-formal look, wear a white shirt, as it is considered the most formal, with cuff-links. 
• Wear a solid black tie or bow-tie, no clip-ons! A man should know how to do his tie just like he knows how to pee while standing! If you don't, I highly recommend you learn otherwise you will lose soo much respect.
• Remember to wear leather dress shoes, no sneakers, no sports shoes, and definitely no slippers!! You can choose any colour, as long as its black.
• You can add a pocket square, but white is most formal.

The points above highlight what is considered the most formal. If you want to play around and add your own style, like I do, it will be less formal, but in this day and age, it is acceptable, since most people don't know what is formal anymore.