Where the number of buttons are concerned, it is useful to know that a suit with more than 3 buttons are best left for hotel bellboys. The one and two button suits are always much more attractive. Good quality buttons are made of buffalo horn and should never contrast, with the exception of casual blazers, which traditionally come with gold buttons, please note the word casual! Blazers of this type are commonly found in navy blue and do not come with matching trousers. Khakis and denim jeans are the most preferred companion.

If one happens to run into suits with satin lapels or fabric covered buttons, be aware that these are to be worn only on very formal occasions with a black or white bowtie in respect to the degree of formality.

The make
Not all of us are fortunate enough to afford a bespoke (professionally custom tailored suit), and although we live a million miles away from Saville Row*, it is a good idea to understand the most basic fundamentals of master tailoring.

*Saville Row: a shopping street in Mayfair, central London, where the best of the best tailors of the world assemble to hand sculpt made to measure suits formerly only available to aristocracy.

To briefly touch the subject, these masterworks are always measured to the exact size of the wearer. It will have hand sewn button holes and on more couture-esque models, functioning button holes on both sleeves. These suits are internally constructed with horsehair chest plates, fully interfaced, hand stitched lining all involving hundreds of hours of painful man labor. It is not a mystery why such suits start at $10,000 – $40,000. +insert suit construction

Discovering personal style
There are many ways to expand knowledge and to further research on this topic, books on menswear will be a great source of basic know how in understanding what to wear for what occasion. Turning up in the wrong type of suit can be a horrible faux pas, in a sea of tuxedos; a two-button suit will certainly stand out, and not in a good way.
• The Fairchild Encyclopedia of Menswear
• Men and Menswear (History of Retailing and Consumption) by Laura Ugolini

Bespoke: a term which dates from the 17th century, when tailors held the full lengths of cloth in their premises. When a customer chose a length of material it was said to have “been spoken for”, hence a tailor who makes your clothes individually to your specific personal requirements, is called bespoke. Unlike “made to measure” which simply uses a basic pattern which is then simply adjusted to your measurements.Labels known for superior fabrics:
• Loro Piana – www.loropiana.com
• Hermes – www.hermes.com

Browsing in department stores and specialty boutiques will provide the most practical experience. Although they come in commercial sizes, on the sport professional alterationists are ready to pin and mark. As the expression goes, “ the more you try, the more you know”.

Labels to look for:
• Dior Homme – www.dior.com
• Brunello Cucinelli – www.brunellocucinelli.com
• Jil Sander – www.jilsander.com
• Prada – www.prada.com

Auguste Soesastro has lived and traveled through different countries from a very young age. He worked as a curator in Australia for Indonesian arts, specializing in antiques and regional textiles and costumes. He held a degree in Film and Digital Arts from the Australian National University and later studied Fashion at the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture in Paris, France. He interned at some major haute couture houses during his studies in Paris, and later moved to New York to work for Ralph Rucci, an American couturier. Then he freelanced as a pattern maker at some American high-end leading designers before finally launching his own line in 2008.