Written by Paddy Maddison in Tips & Advice on the 22nd December 2016

We all love to get suited and booted, but some gentlemen don’t get to do so very often. If you’re not well practised in the tailoring art of choosing the right suit and how to wear it them, it’s pretty easy to make mistakes, given the huge number of unspoken rules which exist. Luckily, we're hear to help you out. Check out this list of the essential suiting rules that every guy needs to know.

Don’t underestimate the importance of your pocket square 

You might think that your tie is what gives you the greatest opportunity to inject a bit of colour and personality into your suit, but it’s actually your pocket square. While you should concentrate on picking a tie which compliments your shirt and suit colour, with a pocket square you pretty much have carte blanche to do whatever you want.

A gap between the lapel of your jacket and the collar of your shirt is a giveaway of a bad fit 

The lapels of your jacket should rest nicely against the collar of the shirt underneath with no space or gaps. This is one of many things which make it obvious that your jacket is a bad fit.  

Always match the width of your tie with the width of your lapels 

The idea here is to create balance in your top half. If you have a modern style jacket with thin lapels then opt for a slimmer tie to match. Conversely if you’re rocking a classic wide lapel jacket, then pair it with a thicker tie.

Fasten the correct buttons 

For a two-button jacket, fasten the top button. For a three-button jacket, always fasten the middle button - but you can also fasten the top button too. For a four-button suit, step back into the time machine and turn the dial back roughly 100 years. 

Make sure your buttons sit in the correct place 

For a two-button jacket, the top button should sit just above your belly button. For a three-button jacket, the middle button should sit in the same place.

Get the shade of your tie right 

You should always make sure that your tie is slightly darker than your dress shirt e.g. navy tie on a sky blue shirt.  

Your jacket should always be the correct length 

A good way to get your jacket length right is by making sure that it just covers the zipper on the front of your trousers.

Your tie should always be the correct length 

You can get this right by making sure that your tie never comes below the top of your belt and never ends more than an inch above it. 

Your shoes should compliment the colour of your suit 

Grey suit = Black or brown shoes. Black suit = Black shoes. Charcoal suit = Black shoes. Blue suit = Black or brown shoes.

In this gentlemen's tailoring guide we list faux pas and discuss 9 Suit Rules Every Man Needs to Know.