Many of you have seen the cartoon of the guy in a clothing store, in front of a mirror. He is wearing a new suit he likes. The salesperson, with a handful of fabric in back, tells the customer how well the suit fits, even though it is obviously too big.

Unfortunately, this kind of “fitting” occurs more than you’d think. In many clothing stores the salespeople are untrained in the art of proper fitting, so they “wing it” and hope for the best. Sometimes the suits fit so poorly, even the best fitter, working with the tailor, can’t get it right. But, “a sale is a sale.” So, the customer walks out believing he will look great in his new purchase.

Here are some suggestions to prevent this from happening to you:

1. Have an idea of how a suit should look. Be aware of others wearing suits. Usually, you will notice when something is not right (baggy pants, sleeves way too long or short, etc.). Make sure your suit doesn’t look this way when you are in front of that mirror.
2. When you are in front of that mirror, ask the salesperson to go over everything. Don’t let him just say it looks good, have him show you.
3. Finally, you should know that there are limits on how much a garment can be altered. Usually, a coat can only be let out about 2”, pant waist 2” and the seat even less. Sleeves can be lengthened no more than 1 1/2” and the same goes for shortening. If the pant seat is huge or the cloth hangs too low or too high, chances are it won’t be right after altering.

Armed with this information, you will know when the salesperson knows what can be done, or if it’s time to consider going to another store, or have a suit made-to-measure “just” for you.

Remember, no matter how much you paid for a suit, if it doesn’t fit, it isn’t worth the money!

Beating the heat in Phoenix is not easy, especially for businessmen. How do you wear a suit in triple digit weather and not sweat out all your body weight?  With the latest fashion tips this season, you’ll stay as cool as you can.

1. Lighten up this summer

Colors making the summer more manageable are cement gray, camel, white, off-white, and khaki. Keep with neutral colors in slacks and shoes. Save the blacks for cooler evenings and dinner parties.

2. Pay attention to materials

Watch out for the material of your clothes to avoid overheating and sweat patches. Any light weight wool suit in neutral gray or “soothing” blue can “come in handy” this time of the year. However, make sure that the suit is made with is 7-8 oz of wool per yard. Any denser and consider it an incubator! In addition, cotton suits breathe very nicely. Always anchor your suit with a light cotton shirt and black or blue tie.

Seersucker and whipcord are two materials that are extremely popular right now, especially among young entrepreneurs. They’re not only light weight cotton fabrics, but also a baby blue stripe pattern for seersucker and a light gravel pattern for whipcord. A Charvet silk white or off white pocket square paired with a dark or medium blue tie can really set off a seersucker suit. The seersucker material is very versatile, see four ways to wear seersucker. Wearing this during the day will make you look fashionable and keep you cool.

From left to right: Seersucker suit, seersucker vest, and whipcord suit

Khaki is a great material right now because it’s cotton and it breathes. Khaki suits have also  come into fashion lately. Worn with a white cotton shirt or dress shirt, this has a great summer feel to it.

3. Pocket squares

If you’re looking for a way to make your suit pop, a pocket square may be just the trick. They have recently made a comeback and for good reason. This small piece of fabric can add color and bring variety to any suit jacket. Keeping with the conservative look, either get solid neutral colored or small patterned pocket squares this season. And always have a white pocket square handy. The white square complements any solid colored suit.

There are only two folds you’ll need to worry about this season. For solid colors, go with the “puff” fold. Whereas for patterns, go with the two corner up fold. See how to easily fold pocket squares.

4. Keep it light and semi-casual with shirts

If you’re out and about during business hours and you don’t want to get too fancy, allow yourself to be a little casual. Go with a collared sport shirt or polo shirt. Pick a neutral color, and again they’re made with cotton and are short sleeved. Going with either a Lacoste or Polo shirt is recommended.

For a relaxed look, the guayabera shirt is made from linen and is perfect for summer days. Meant to be worn untucked, wear it with khaki slacks or jeans. But the guayabera shirt is hard to find locally in Phoenix, luckily S W Wilson makes them custom.

Left to right: cotton dress shirt, guayabera shirt, and off light pink shirt.

5. Linen slacks

Linen is a great way to offset the heat. If cotton isn’t available, then linen will work just fine with slacks.

It’s a great material for pants or shorts and can be put with just about any top: cotton shirt, light weight sport coat, sport shirt, or guayabera shirt.

Final Tips and Comments

Some last thoughts to remember are always stick with neutral colors and light weight, breathable fabrics. If it’s not as breathable, like wool, then it has to be light weight. Lastly, whether you’re in Phoenix or elsewhere, the most important part is the fit. If your attire fits perfectly to your body type with custom clothing, you’ll be sure to look your best this summer.

Post a comment below with any additional tips you want to add when dressing professionally in the summer.