The suit world is an expansive and confusing. There are dozens of fits, patterns, collars, fabrics, and hundreds of brands. When you dive into the world for the first time, it is quite easy to get overwhelmed by what you find. Everything from your body type to your lifestyle need to be considered before you throw money at your suit. Ideally, you want to go to a professional suit maker so they can evaluate you, measure you, interview you, and find out who you really are to help you in your decision making. But, in case you are the kind of guy who is used to the solo mission, we are here to help you figure out what types of men’s suits are out there.
One note to keep in mind…there are way too many “types” of suits to nail down in one place. Unless you are ready to read a Lord of the Rings sized epic on the suit world. Therefore…we’re sticking to the basics here. There are more categories, sub-categories, off-shoots, and rare/unique examples. But these are the most common things you will run into.
Single-breasted
This is the most common look nowadays. While many men will point to this as the basic suit, it is easily dressed up or down, depending on your event. This style of suit is characterized by the single column of buttons down the front of the jacket. These come in one, two, three, and sometimes four buttons. One of the biggest things to know about this particular suit is that there is an etiquette to which buttons you should have done up when you are standing. If you have a three button suit, the rule of thumb is to start at the top and recite: sometimes, always, never. That means you will sometimes button the top button, depending on your own personal style. You will always button the middle (or this being the top button on a two button suit or the single button on the one button). And never ever button the bottom button. This is a rule with menswear in a lot of places. Cardigans, vests, etc.
Double-breasted
This suit is the more formal of the two main structures. While you can dress it down sometimes with contrasting pants, or dark dress denim if you are feeling particularly squirrely, it is the more advanced look. The double breasted suit is characterized by the four, six, or eight button styles where the left side wraps over the right and closes off center of the torso. The closing of this suit sits higher on the chest and therefore makes a vest less likely, or sometimes completely pointless. This is also a suit you will almost always have shut. Here is a tip for your tailor; the pants will almost always be cuffed at the hem. This is a traditional look, and you should tell them up front if that isn’t what you want. With the whole “old is new” thing back…we say keep it going that way.
Tuxedo
This isn’t a suit, per se, but if you don’t know what you are looking for, you could end up in the wrong thing for an event. In the grand scheme of suits, the tuxedo is the upper echelon of formality. This is the black tie event, the white tie event, the formal wear, lovingly called the “Penguin Suit.” If you want to know how to tell the difference here, it is all in the fabrics. Most tuxedos will have a much thicker wool as its make-up, but there is an even better way to tell. The lapels will almost always be a contrasting satin and the pants will have a satin stripe down the side of the pant…much like Han Solo had a red stripe down the side of his blue pants. You will never not see that now.
Solo jackets
Not every suit is a full suit. Well, it is, but we want to cover some off shoots so you have a complete picture. All of the suits above have a less formal counterpart, which is just a simple jacket. The single-breasted suit has the sport coat and a casual single-columned jacket without pants. It is the most casual of anything on this list. If you do it right, you can even wear your suit coat as one of these. The double-breasted suit has a blazer. This is a six-button jacket (typically navy due to its origins in the Navy) with contrasting metal buttons. And the tuxedo has a dinner jacket. James Bond made this famous with his stellar wear of the white dinner jacket. It is a step up from the blazer and the suits but not quite on the tuxedo’s level.
These are the basic suit types you are going to run into. Now it is up to you to start looking for the right suit for you and your lifestyle.
