Suits you sir!

"Clean shirt, new shoes,
And I don’t know where I’m goin’ to.
Silk suit, black tie,
I don’t need a reason why.
They come runnin’ just as fast as they can,
‘Cause every girl crazy ‘bout a sharp dressed man."

ZZ Top were right; there's nothing quite as dapper - nay sexy - as a besuited gentleman...and it turns out I'm not alone in this view; in fact, the sartorial merits of The Suit discussed at length on the Ryan Tubridy show on RTE Radio 1 this morning!

It turns out that this discussion was prompted by a book that Louis Copeland sent as a present to Ryan Tubridy (he being no stranger to dapper tailoring either) entitled "Sharp Suits", by Eric Musgrave. See http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sharp-Suits-Eric-Musgrave/dp/1862058520/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259313748&sr=1-1.

Which leads me nicely into telling you about a meeting that I had with Louis Copeland earlier this year. He hosted a Men's Tailoring & Style course for the Irish Image Consultants Institute at his Flagship store in Capel Street, Dublin, and generously bestowed the following top style tips for gentlemen:

1. Choose your suit colour carefully: When purchasing a suit for general-wear, go for darker colours which are more versatile, less likely to show up stains and are longer-wearing than lighter-coloured suits. Navy is the most popular selection amongst Irish men as it flatters Irish skin-tones.

2. Every gentleman should own a blazer: Louis recommends that you should invest in a good-quality blazer that you can get years of wear from. There’s nothing a like a blazer to smarten up an outfit! Avoid wearing a suit jacket as a blazer as this is an unconvincing look.

3. Choose trousers to suit your build: If you are carrying a bit of weight, go for a pleated trouser, which will be more comfortable to wear. It is also advisable to wear braces if you are carrying weight around the tummy area. If you have a slim build, choose flat-front trousers.

4. Jacket & shirt sleeves: The jacket sleeve length should end just below the wrist / at the base of the thumb. Elsewhere, Louis recommends that 1/2” of your shirt cuff should be visible below the sleeve of your jacket.

5. Accessorise with caution: Match your belt, shoes & socks to your outfit i.e. if you are wearing a dark-coloured suit then wear a black belt with black shoes & socks. If your trousers have belt loops then wear a belt (preferably leather). Lastly, wear long socks so when you sit down you won’t flash any flesh!

For more helpful advice on men's style and tailoring, why not book a personal consultation or personal shopping trip with Style By Caroline. See http://www.stylebycaroline.ie/ for contact details.

Yours in style,

Caroline