Your Fashion Questions Answered

Buying the right suit for the right occasion

Suits are an investment piece and deserve some consideration. Whether you’re buying for business-wear, or a formal dress suit, the colour, fit and even tie matching are all important factors that can be the difference between your suit looking good or exceptional. 

 

What should I know before buying a suit?

There are a few prerequisites to buying a suit that will help you get the most out of your experience. Things like what are you missing in your wardrobe, preferred colour, the occasions you intend to wear it on and budget are all important, and will help to refine the scope when it comes to selecting a style you prefer. 

In saying this, finding the perfect suit should be a fun experience. Our customers thoroughly enjoy the experience at RJB Design as we guide them through fabric selection, and style suggestions to discover the ideal option for them. If you’re unsure what you’re looking for, the in-store experience could be perfect for you. 

 

What colour shirts match with grey pants?

Grey is highly versatile and pairs well with many colours. Shade is important though, with lighter spring or summer colours pairing well with lighter fresh shades of blue and pink. , and darker grey pairing well with black and navy as well as you classic shades. Your best bet is always to try colour combinations first to see how they look and feel on you. 

 

What are some perfect businessman/office dressing styles?

Dressing for work will all depend on the dress code of the office you work in. 

For very formal offices, a ‘business professional’ style is appropriate, with either a suit and tie, or jacket, trousers and a nice button-up shirt. The Razor Blue Pure Wool trouser is a great, classic option, which pairs well with a white cotton dress shirt like this one from R2 Amsterdam.

 

 

These can be paired with a good dress shoes and a leather belt, and accessorised with things like tie clips and cuff links or a pocket square. 

For slightly less formal or smart casual offices, trousers or chinos pair well with a button-up shirt. You can also layer this with a sweater or more casual jacket, perfect for winter dress while wearing dress shoes or loafers. 

How to buy a suit that will never go out of style?

Keep to a classic style, know what is on trend but use this knowledge to keep on trend but close to the classics  A solid colour like a black or navy two-piece suit is your best bet for a timeless and versatile suit that will never go out of style. 

For black suits, these are perfect for evening wear, paired with black dress shoes, a black belt and a black silk tie. The Lithium Black Suit by Gibson is a great example of a classic black suit that will have you looking the part. 

 

 

A navy suit can be worn with brown dress shoes and as a lighter option, is appropriate for a number of occasions, from wedding wear to business wear. Opt for a contemporary fitting option like the Navy Classic Pure Wool Suit by Joe Black to add a classy staple to your wardrobe. 

 

 

Your best bet is to work with a tailor to design a bespoke suit that will complement your body shape and suit your personal style. 

 

What colour tie works with what colour suit?

When it comes to ties, a generally accepted rule is that your tie should be darker than your shirt. It can have a similar tone to your suit jackets and trousers or  alternatively a hint of the shirt colour Options like the Purple Black Silk Tie by Cerruti 1881 are perfect and will complement any suit. Patterns can also work well, as long as your suit is not heavily patterned too.

 

 

What is the difference between formal and black tie?

In the context of event dress codes, formal wear usually requires you to wear a suit, or trousers and a dress shirt. Black tie events are more formal and indicate that you should wear dinner suit it is more accepted now that black tie does not literally mean black suits only. It stipulates the importance of the event, so a classic dinner suit like the Sloane Dinner Suit by Gibson is a perfect option, with matching trousers.  

 

 

What's the difference between a suit and a Dinner suit?

A Dinner suit differs from a suit in a number of ways. Dinner suit  are worn with a black bow tie and have satin lapels, while suit lapels are made of the same fabric. Dinner suit  pants also include a satin stripe. A Dinner suit  is usually reserved for very formal occasions, events, or ceremony wear, whereas a black suit is slightly less formal and more versatile.  

 

Dress shirts

What is considered a quality dress shirt?

A quality formal shirt is always down to craftsmanship; the fabric used and the quality of the stitching and seams. The collar is also important as is the sewing of each individual button. There are a number of factors to consider and like any clothing item, it’s attention to the small details that matter when selecting high-quality business shirts.

 

What is the difference between a fitted and regular shirt?

A regular fit shirt is great for larger men or anyone who wants room to breathe, offering more room around the middle. They’ll allow for more movement and typically will not taper down from the torso to the waist. 

A fitted or tailored shirt is tapered and designed to curve towards the waist. These give the appearance of a more tailored, slim-fitting look, like the R2 Amsterdam Bright Blue Poplin. If the fitted look is desired and you have broad shoulders, a muscular frame or a larger body type, it usually pays to have a shirt custom-tailored to get the size right.

 

 

Dress pants

What is the proper length for men's dress pants?

Trouser length will vary based on the style of suit and personal preference. Referred to as the ‘break’ this is how much of the pant leg hangs over the shoe. There are five types of pant breaks, ranging from full breaks which leave the most length over the shoe, to slight, or no breaks, which cut off before the shoe and reveal your lower leg/ankle.  

It is important to note the difference between traditional and contemporary dress. While the full and medium break is common in a classic, formal men’s suit, the slight break is fashionable in contemporary formal wear and a great option for a slim-fit trouser paired with loafers and a dress shirt. 

 

Which colour shirt should I wear with black dress pants?

Black pants are highly versatile and will work well with most shirt colours. Lighter colours or soft whites do tend to work best and it depends on the occasion and factors like skin tone and personal style.

 

Which colour shoes can be worn with black men's pants?

Black shoes are perfect to pair with black trousers and are your safest bet. In saying this, a quality brown shoe can also pair well, whether they are oxfords, brogues or loafers. The shade is especially important and a darker brown should always be chosen. You do not want to contrast heavily.  

While these may have answered some of your questions, don’t forget to keep asking more. By discovering more about fashion and exploring the potential your wardrobe has, you’ll uncover your own personal style, become more confident and bold in your choices and find the experience of adding to your wardrobe more rewarding as a result. 

If you’re looking for more wardrobe essentials or need an extra hand finding your perfect fit, join us at RJB Design. We can take you through our full range, in our men’s suits store Auckland, where we have the most incredible selection of menswear, men’s work essentials and men’s suits NZ wide. You can also check out a selection of our range online. 

We look forward to seeing you, 

The team at RJB Design.