On a particularly cold spring morning a few years ago, as I prepared myself to meet my godfather and his wife for a lunch at the New York Metropolitan Club, I began to ask the same question I do every morning of “what to wear?” Since the club is notorious for it’s “jacket required” entry, I wanted to make sure I was appropriately attired. I threw on my light grey Jil Sander cashmere blazer over a crisp white shirt and black trousers, the closest to being conservative item in my wardrobe.

I met them in the front of the intimidating gated building, he wore a dark grey suit, she in an immaculate cashmere beige outfit. As we entered the gilded premises, I began to observe the people around me, specifically how they dressed. The first thing that entered my mind was, perhaps my two-tone suit was not the best idea. Did I appear overly casual or did it make me look indecisive? In any case I felt underdressed for the occasion, the self-consciousness made the entire experience rather unpleasant..

The Cut
After my two-tone fiasco, I decided to do in-depth research to understand more about suits. What constitutes a great suit, what styles are acceptable, who are the leading designers in men’s suiting. If anything, the two years I spent studying Haute Couture suiting at the Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale taught me proper fitting. Although there is a distinct difference between the fit men’s and women’s suiting, the savoir-faire is more or less the same. Since then, I made it my business to come along with any friend who bought a suit, whether it was a made to measure order or in desperate need of an alteration.

In the eighties and early nineties, Giorgio Armani was all the rage, mostly due to his collaboration with Hollywood motion pictures.

These suits are cut for broad shoulders, unlike the French or some of the classic Italian labels. If you have searched high and low with no result as a petit, Prada and Dior usually have these sizes on hand. The cardinal mistake that most people make is to be seduced by labels and brand names.Each fashion house tailor suits with different patterns, which greatly vary according to their clientele demographic. A suit that looks good on one person might look badly cut on another.  And there is nothing more unflattering than an ill-fitting suit.

The fabrics
Every gentleman, should own at least one pair in black medium weight wool. If this is all you care to buy, make sure it is well made and of a fabric that will last, preferably no synthetic fiber content. For warmer days, opt for grey or charcoal, brown is rather tricky, navy screams government worker. If one wants to indulge, cashmere is soft and warm for chilly winter days, Loro Piana is the forerunner in this league.

Pin stripe suits tend to walk the dangerous line between banker and pimp, if unsure, abstain, there is always honor in refusal. Unless you truly must, then choose a fabric that does not overly contrast, never stark white on jet black, not even ironically.  Make sure all the stripes on the shoulder and sides match, when it does not it is clear evidence of bad tailoring.

Linen has always been considered a sophisticated fabric, yet notorious due to its natural tendency to crease and wrinkle and probably the worst option for traveling. Having said all that, there are almost none that can rival its casually elegant look for summer evenings worn with driving loafers and a panama hat.