The suit - man’s defining feature

Gone are the days when looking and feeling good was only reserved for women or when women were thought to be the only ones who had the luxury to go out of the house dressed to the nines.

The modern day man is the sort who when geared up and wearing his finest leaves behind a string of envious eyes following his every move. It is in the way that he calmly walks into a room, the scent of his cologne trailing behind him and his crispy white shirt telling its own tale. The modern man is one who smartly dresses in a suit that fits him to the tee, no loose ends, no handing sleeves and most importantly his shoulders are just right, he does not appear to have added extra weight on his shoulder.

In the days of social media, when such a man posts a picture on social media you will instantly see the number on the like button growing every second with many admirers not holding back when it comes to praising his dress sense.
A suit is a defining feature in any man’s life especially for the businessmen and those in the corporate world. It is very important for one to know and identify either on their own or with the help of a professional what will work for them and what will spell disaster. “To me, clothing is a form of self-expression. There are hints about who you are in what you wear,” says Marc Jacobs.

When renowed American Fashion designer, Jacobs penned this expression, he could very well have had the modern day man in his thoughts at that precise moment or these two gentlemen in mind. Style shopped around for ideas about what makes an ideal suit. And what we found out from our two fashion gurus is that their secret lies in tailor-made suits and nothing else. The duo of Wanetsha Mosinyi and Khali Mothopeng, two professionals working in Gaborone swear that there is nothing that looks good in a man than a tailor made suit, simple.

Mosinyi, who is very passionate about his fitness purchases has his tailor made suits from London and Hong Kong after discovering that the suits he bought were either too short or were unsuitable for his height. The fact that his body is well trimmed also means that he can never go wrong when it comes to his clothes. He advises that when one is choosing a suit, one should be mindful of one’s age.Although he is modest when quizzed about what makes a suit, he offers that his preferred style is the classical look and that he is not one to run after trends.

“How you feel and look is very crucial,” he says. He also says that accessories such as pocket squares bring life to a suit. “My preferred choice of style is a classic suit, accessorised to make it modern,” he says. For Mothopeng selecting a suit depends on a number of factors such as weather conditions. Fabrics such as wool are suitable for winter, while light fabrics such as linen are ideal for the warm days. He also looks at factors such as colour, the designer and what his/her finishing touches look like. Mothopeng also swears by tailor made suits.

“You can’t go wrong with a tailor made suit especially as the designer has taken all your measurements and makes that suit based on those measurements,” he says. His advice to those planning to buy suits is to remember to check factors such as long sleeves, shoulders, and the length that might work against them.

His preferred accessories to make a suit stand out to in different forms such as flower lapels, and pocket squares. “Men also have the option of accessorising with happy socks. But they need to remember that the socks should match either the pants or the shoes and that there should be uniformity,” he cautions.

According to the Store Manager of Levisson’s in Game City, Nisah Tladinyane, when it comes to picking a jacket for that suit, one should always remember that it should not hide the cufflinks or the watch. Levisson’s stocks accessories such as cufflinks, pocket squares and ties. And they have Italian brands such as Hugo Boss, Ettore Ravelli and Angelo Nardelli.

The shirt, she says should end at the wrist. A plain shirt should be paired with a detailed tie, while a patterned shirt should be paired with a plain tie. “For those who are into double buttoned suits, they need to remember that one button should be buttoned especially the top one and that the belt should be showing,” she says.

The bold suits, she says, are making a return in the market, as well as suits with gold buttons. “The bold suits are ideal for certain events such as cocktail dinners, she explains. 

“One of our most selling suits is the corporate Hugo Boss suit in charcoal,” she notes.