The Renaissance of the Suit by Evangelia D. Souris

The Renaissance of the Suit
by Evangelia D. Souris

When the economy was soaring, every day was Friday. Dress codes locally and globally relaxed accordingly. The past decade witnessed the dressed-up backfire. Dot-Commers piloted in an era where cargo pants were a career move.

When the health of the economy exhibited the symptoms of a chronic flu in the new millennium, thousands were laid off, unemployment skyrocketed and each accessible contract up for bid or new position had ostensibly infinite applicants competing for it.

The result: the advantage went to the manager, who could afford to employ the consultant, company, or new employ who classed the highest in the posted requirements. One strike against you — a grammatical mistake in your proposal, or a leather jacket worn to a meeting at a stringently corporate company — could jeopardize the optimization of a winning presentation or job interview.

In these tough times, we started noticing a gradual return of the business suit. Momentum of the gradual change in dress codes has officially created a "renaissance of the business suit" and people are not only embracing its return but are using it as a self-marketing tool.

Suits immediately invoke authority and confidence, cultivating the climate for noteworthy business unlike its predecessors. This time-honored attire is affording its donners an advantage over casual competitors during an ambiguous economy.

The renaissance of the suit is a relief for those who were not whole-hearted proponents of business casual. The guidelines of its application are inherent elements of their wardrobe sense and style.

Conversely, for those who seldom have to wear a suit, confusion, disillusionment and some apprehension are common reactions. They may hate business suits, not know what defines a good business suit and may even consider a tie, a direct descendent of a medieval noose. For those, the following guidelines are presented:

FOR SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE A SUIT: Job interviews, presentations, networking events, meetings with important "others."

For both men and women, choose single-breasted suits of year-round (seasonless) lightweight wool, worsted wool, and wool crepe fabric. Avoid knits, tweeds, and clingy fabrics. Choose all natural fabrics, with the exception of a little Lycra (retains shape).

Check for wrinkling: Grasp a handful of fabric and let go of it. If the material maintains its wrinkle-free look, it will certainly look that way after normal wear.

Chose neutral colors that are versatile and professional. Black is sophisticated, dresses up and down, and can be worn year round. Gray, navy, and beige convey competence and effortlessly mix with other colors. However, beware of brown. It is seasonal, can come across as "careless," and is often incompatible with other colors.

Pay attention to the fit, quality, and finish. Look for unnatural wrinkles or gatherings. The details of the fit will transform the suit from a shapeless mass into a symbol of power. Poor fit, quality, and finish are the sign of inexpensive material and poor workmanship.

Chose classic, timeless lines. For men and women, opt for a three- or two-button, single-breasted jacket. For women, no vent or center vent are acceptable. For men, opt for a double vent first (mark of a more polished look) and then a center vent.

For women, try to buy a suit with a skirt and trousers (go with separates). It will give you more versatility. As for the skirt, a simple A or straight-line shape is preferable, not too tight or frilly. A length coming to the knee has a professional look and suits most legs. Beware of shorter and longer lengths. The shorter version may be too trendy, and the latter version may be too traditional.

Flat front versus pleated trousers: for both men and women. Both are professional; the flat front is more slimming and sophisticated for both men and women. For some larger men, pleated trousers are roomier, but again, flat front are more slimming. Pleated trousers look best with cuffs.

Both men and women can play with their suit ensemble to fit the needs of the situation. Men can wear different shirts and ties to give them more choices or can opt to replace the shirt and tie with a polo sweater. A polo sweater works best with a sport jacket but is refined enough to be paired with a suit. Especially if it is cashmere in the winter, and linen or linen/silk/cotton for the summer. Opt for navy and gray with a suit, and green and maroon with a sport jacket.

For women change the blouse, sweater, wear the pants instead of the skirt, and you have a different outfit. Although the men do not have the preceding "bottom" option, they can exercise "bottom versatility" by owning several dress pants that coordinate well with the suit jacket. The secret is to make sure that all pieces are dry-cleaned simultaneously, so color and wear differentiation does not occur as a result.

By following the preceding guidelines, both women and men can travel effortlessly between all professional and geographical venues.

FOR SITUATIONS THAT ALLOW EXPRESSION THAT IS MORE CREATIVE: Advertising, public relations, media, art or marketing.

For both women and men the look is a more creative presentation of the suit, or parts of it. The creativity may be in the accessories, glasses, jewelry, and the like, the cut, structure, and line of the suit jacket. For women it may be expressed in an asymmetrical design and untraditional color and very trendy shoes. Whereas for the men it may be expressed with a four-button jacket, a skinny tie, and slim leg trouser. Keep in mind that the "figureheads" — upper management, directors, etc. — in these fields tend to exercise their proclivities of style more than their staff. The range of creativity is defined by the organizational culture of the specific industry and the geographical area.

FOR SITUATIONS THAT NEED THE COMMAND OF THE SUIT:

If you have no reason to wear a suit but like or need the authority that it commands, then invest in a "signature" jacket that would work best with your needs, personality, and style. It should be the jacket that you go to when you know you need a little more oomph, stature, magnetism, and allure. You can throw it over jeans, flannel pants, a skirt, or a dress. The preceding guidelines apply to fabric, fit, color, and style for both men and women.

This jacket will be the one that will carry you in any situation effortlessly and immaculately. It can be your signature piece. The piece that everybody can identify you with and that will allow you to be distinguished amongst the competition, as the best.

Finally, the renaissance of the suit can allow you, regardless of whether you like, need, have to dress in one occasionally or continuously, to communicate more positively with others, create a favorable perception of yourself, and navigate its effects into a powerful self-marketing strategy.

Evangelia Souris, founder and president of Optimum International Center for Image Management (www.optimumimageic.com), is an award-winning International Certified image consultant, keynote speaker, seminar and workshop leader, trainer, and consultant. She can be reached at .