"If you're 35 years old and asking me to make you a suit, I know to leave a bit of extra cloth in the waistline for later on," Wu said. "You won't find that in any pair of pants you buy off the rack."
GET A GRIP
You can gauge the proper length of your coat by whether or not you can grab the bottom of it by bending the middle joints of your fingers. If you grab it by making a fist, it's too short. If it falls as far as the first joint of your finger it's too long. This slight difference can make all the difference in the world.
BUTTON IT!
Deciding between two buttons or three is often the same as deciding between fashionable and traditional. Two buttons will have you "looking younger" many salespersons will tell you, whereas another button will have you looking like your paycheck has another zero. But unless you're of NBA height, don't even think about a 4-button suit.
FIT AND TRIM
If you can fit into a trim-cut suit -- say, a broad-shouldered ventless Italian design -- it might just have you looking like Cary Grant. Wear it! You'll have plenty of time later in life to go for the Spencer Tracy look.
PLAY IT BY THE NUMBERS
Sewed onto the inside of many suit coats is a label that reads simply "Super 100s," "Super 150s" or the like. This number refers to how many threads per centimeter the fabric contains. The higher the number -- up to 200 -- the more luxurious the fabric.
BE A SHOE-IN
You wouldn't build your house on a fabric foundation and neither should you build your wardrobe on anything other than black leather or patent leather shoes. Shinier leather will make you look more dressed up while shoes with a matte-finish can give you a softer look, and can be worn on casual days.
THAT SOCKS, DUDE!
Don't think because your pant legs cover them that you don't need to think about socks; you do. Get half a dozen pairs of identical, plain, black socks, then you don't need to think about them. Once you have the basics down you can flex your fashion muscle with patterns or colors.
TIE ONE ON
It's the part of the suit that gets the most attention and is also the easiest way to mess up an otherwise smart-looking suit. There are many variables to choosing the right tie, but here's the most important: If she's around, it must match what your lady is wearing.
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