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Dress and style

7 style sources for suits and jackets

How you dress is super-important for a freelancer. In the client’s office you need to fit in and get things done. But, you also need to command respect and carry an air of authority.

Can clothing really be a super-power? Even in the most casual work environments, a jacket can give you a subtle edge.

But, where do you start? The single or double-breasted world of blazers, jackets and lounge suits – bespoke, made-to-measure or off-the-peg – can seem absurdly complicated.

Here are seven style sources to walk you through the differences.

1. What is a lounge suit?

What is this “lounge suit” thing? And, is it different from a business suit? Ape to Gentleman has the answers with its article on Lounge Suit Dress Code.

2. The unspoken rules of suit-wearing

Because there are always rules. Menswear Style has a guide to fit, accessories, how much shirt cuff to show and how short your trousers should be. (Not at all short! …is the answer. We don’t need to see your socks. In my opinion.)

3. So, tell me all about suits

The Permanent Style site has a five-part guide to absolutely everything you need to know, including:

  • The difference between bespoke and made-to-measure.
  • Single-breasted: one, two or three buttons?
  • Double-breasted: didn’t that die in the ’80s?
  • Fitting a suit to your body shape
  • Choosing fabric, colour and pattern

4. If not a suit, then Business Casual

Like its dreaded cousin Smart Casual, Business Casual can seem a minefield. But as Gentleman’s Gazette has it:

Business Casual in a Nutshell = No Suit, But Also No Jeans

This article is a great guide to the history and meaning of Business Casual (there’s a video, too).

5. Sports jackets and blazers

What’s the difference between a suit jacket, a blazer and a sports jacket (“sports coat”, I think, in the US)? Ape to Gentleman has a guide to history, fabrics and some current examples, here.

6. Separates: what to wear with your jacket

Having filled your wardrobe with sports jackets and blazers how do you combine them with appropriate trousers? Again, Ape to Gentleman has the answer, here.

7. How to stuff your pockets

Finally, how do you fit everything you need into your stylish wardrobe without looking, well, lumpy? Art of Manliness has a neat guide to staying neat, here.