Two myths about business suits

Here are two myths about business suits.

They're the same as formal suits used for special occasions

Many men who have never bought business suits before assume that they are the same as the formal suits used for occasions like weddings and funerals. Because of this, they may end up using a formal suit that they already own when they need to wear business attire for an event like an interview or for a new, office-based role.

However, whilst they look alike, formal suits worn at weddings, funerals and other special occasions are not quite the same as business suits. The former is, for example, often made from fabrics such as silk and cashmere which, whilst beautiful, are not the most robust. Because of this, if a man wears a formal suit featuring these fabrics to a business setting on a regular basis, he'll probably find that the fabric soon begins to thin out around the high-friction areas such as the elbows and collar of the suit jacket and start to look tattered.

In contrast, because business suits are worn by their owners several days a week, most are designed to be robust and often feature hardy fabrics like wool, cotton and linen that will continue to look great even when subjected to friction, perspiration and regular washing.

Mid-priced business suits never look as good as high-end ones

The other myth is that a mid-priced business suit can never look as good as a high-end one. Whilst there are notable differences in the quality of these two categories, a mid-priced suit can often look smarter and more professional than its pricier counterpart if its owner takes good care of it.

For example, if a man with a mid-priced suit invests in a garment steamer and a lint roller and ensures that the suit is crease-free and that any hairs, fluff or dust are removed from it before they put it on, that suit will look better than a pricier one whose owner has not bothered to steam it or use a lint roller on it.  

Similarly, if a man takes his mid-priced suit to a tailor and gets has a few tweaks done to it so that, for example, the suit's trousers don't drag by his heels and the waist of the suit is taken in slightly so that it skims his torso instead of hanging off of it, that suit could be far more flattering on him than a high-end one that has not undergone any tailoring.

Look for business suits to add to your wardrobe.