Men’s dress etiquette for formal occasions
Introduction: In important meetings and talks, solemn ceremonies, formal banquets and other occasions, men generally wear suits as formal attire. A complete suit includes a jacket, trousers, shirt, tie, belt, socks and leather shoes. Let’s take a look at the etiquette content of men’s attire for formal occasions that I have compiled for you below.
Suits are the most popular clothing in the world and are the first choice for formal occasions. There is no need to wear a suit when you are at home, traveling, or entertaining. According to international practice, when attending formal and grand banquets or enjoying elegant theatrical performances, you should at least wear a suit.
Since suits are often used as formal wear or dresses in external activities, the choice of fabrics should be high-end. Navy blue suits are preferred, gray or brown are also acceptable, and black suits are suitable for solemn and solemn ceremonial events.
According to convention, the more formal the occasion, the more particular it is to wear a monochromatic suit.
If you want to make the suit you wear truly satisfying, you must strictly abide by the standards in terms of style, wearing method, and matching of the suit.
1. Select a suit
There are two common ways to distinguish the specific styles of suits:
First, divide by the number of pieces. Suits are divided into single pieces and suits. By convention, a separates suit is a blazer that doesn't match the trousers and is only suitable for informal occasions. The suit worn in formal business interactions must be a suit.
Suits are divided into two-piece suits and three-piece suits. A two-piece suit includes a jacket and pants. A three-piece suit includes a jacket, pants and vest. According to the traditional view, a three-piece suit is more formal than a two-piece suit. Generally, you can wear this when participating in high-level external activities.
Second, it is divided according to the number of buttons on the suit jacket. Suit tops are divided into single-breasted and double-breasted.
Single-breasted suit jackets are more traditional. The most common three types are one button, two buttons and three buttons. One-button and three-button single-breasted blazers are more fashionable, while two-button single-breasted blazers are more orthodox.
Double-breasted suit jackets are more fashionable. The most common types are two, four, and six buttons. Two-button and six-button double-breasted blazers are popular styles, while four-button double-breasted blazers are clearly traditional.
2. Six Steps to Wearing a Suit
The first step is to remove the trademark. Before wearing a suit, remove the trademark or texture mark on the left cuff of the jacket. Some high-end suits are disassembled for you when you purchase them.
The second step is to fasten the buttons. No matter what clothes you wear, be sure to button them up. When wearing a suit, the method of tying the buttons on the top is the most important. After standing up in public, the buttons of your coat should be fastened. After sitting down, the buttons on the top can be unbuttoned to prevent the clothes from going out of shape. If it is a single-breasted top with a vest or cardigan underneath, you can leave it unbuttoned when standing.
Usually, when buttoning a suit jacket, there are two buttons in a row, and only the top button is buttoned. For a single row of three buttons, you can only fasten the middle button or the top and middle buttons. But a double-breasted suit requires all the buttons that can be fastened.
A suit vest can only be matched with a single-breasted suit top. The number of buttons varies and can be divided into single-breasted and double-breasted. According to convention, the bottom button of a single-breasted suit vest should be left unbuttoned, and all buttons of a double-breasted suit vest should be fastened. Whether worn alone or paired with a suit jacket, buttons must be buttoned carefully and not left open.
Some trousers have buttons and some have zippers to "check" the trouser door. No matter which one it is, always remind yourself to fasten all the buttons or zip up the zippers carefully. And the hooks above must also be hung properly.
The third step is to avoid curling.
You are not allowed to take off your suit jacket at will in public, and you are not allowed to roll up your sleeves or roll up your trousers. Otherwise, it will appear vulgar and impolite.
The fourth step is to reduce the burden. In order to keep the suit from looking out of shape, the pockets of the suit should contain less or even no items. The same goes for tops, vests and pants.
Do not put anything else in the outer breast pocket of a suit jacket except silk handkerchiefs for decoration. The inner chest pocket can be used to store pens, wallets or business card holders, but do not place anything too large or thick. The two large pockets at the bottom of the outside are, in principle, free of storage.
The pockets of suit vests are mostly for decoration, and usually only hold pocket watches.
The side pockets of suit pants can only hold tissues, key cases or small wallets. It’s best to leave nothing in the back pocket.
The fifth step, master the four don’ts
Don’t make the sleeves too long. It is best to have 2-4 cm of shirt sleeves exposed when your arms are stretched forward.
When using a tie clip, do not leave it exposed. It is best to clip it between the fourth and fifth buttons of your shirt from top to bottom. You can also use a tie pin or tie stick. The tie pin should be inserted in the upper center of the tie after it is tied, and the tie stick can only be used on the shirt collar. But as a tie accessory, one piece is usually enough.
It is best to wear a tie when going to work, office, meeting or performing official duties. Generally, a tie is required when wearing a suit. If you are wearing a suit jacket and a shirt, they should be placed between them and hang naturally. When wearing a vest or sweater between a blazer and shirt, place the tie between the vest, sweater, and shirt. When wearing a single suit, the tie may or may not be worn. In informal events, a tie is not suitable when wearing a coat, windbreaker, sweater, jacket, or short-sleeved shirt.
In addition, the matching of tie is also very important. For example, avoid wearing a tie that is too light in color when going to work. If the suit and shirt are light-colored, it will not be easy to contrast; if the suit and shirt are dark-colored, they will appear quite frivolous. Dark suits can be paired with more ornately colored ties, in which case the shirt should be solid color; for light-colored suits, the tie should be correspondingly more elegant; if the shirt has a strong color tone and many patterns, the tie can also be relatively elegant.
Young people can choose styles with bright colors and strong contrast to enhance their youthful vitality. Elderly people should choose styles with dark colors and simple patterns. Those who are tall should choose something with a simple, elegant appearance, while those who are short should choose something with thin twill stripes. If you have a long neck, avoid wearing a bow tie and wear a tie with a large pattern. People with rosy and plump complexions should choose silk ties, mainly in plain colors. If you have a pale or dull complexion, you can use bright colors.
5. Common sense and skills in matching shoes and socks
When choosing shoes that match a suit, you can only choose dark or solid-colored leather shoes. Black leather shoes go best with a suit. Nubuck leather shoes and suede leather shoes are not suitable.
Leather shoes worn on formal occasions should not have any patterns or decorations. Lace-up leather shoes are most suitable. Some boat-shaped leather shoes, cover-style leather shoes, zipper leather shoes, etc. are not suitable for formal occasions. If a man wears thick-soled leather shoes, high-heeled leather shoes, wedge-heeled leather shoes or high-top leather shoes, he will also look nondescript.
Leather shoes should be changed and aired frequently to prevent them from smelling bad. Small bottles of perfume can be prepared just for it. When going to an appointment, your leather shoes should be shiny. When visiting others on rainy or snowy days, check the soles of your shoes before entering. If they are full of mud, take appropriate measures to remove them. Therefore, you might as well prepare a shoe brush and shoe polish in your bag in case you need them.
Socks that match suits and leather shoes are best made of pure cotton or pure wool, and dark or solid-colored socks. Black is more formal. Do not wear white socks, nor colored socks, floral socks, or shiny, shiny light-colored socks. Never wear socks that are torn, too big or too small, or go barefoot without socks. Otherwise, when it comes to taking off your shoes and sitting on the floor, you may feel embarrassed. ;