Many of us live by the falsehood that if the suits still fits good, it still looks good. That is NOT the case. I am regularly greeting by very nice, and very professional men in very outdated suits. Fortunately for men, suits tend to have an incredibly long shelf life, relative to almost any other clothing. A suit style can be “fashionable” for anywhere from 2-8 years EASILY; if not longer. But like anything else, “all good things must come to an end“. And for some of us, the victim is the 4-button suit. For a few years, they were the fashion statement. Especially among black men. I had about 12 of them. You couldn’t tell me my suit didn’t look good. And I made a TON of them for my clients. But much like bell- bottomed jeans, MC Hammer pants, and Zima; their time has come and gone. I’m not trying to trash anyone’s wardrobe, or make them feel bad. But I would be doing you a brave disservice my not pointing out this fact to you. It was a big blow to my checking account when I had to replace all of my 4-button suits, but I had to do it just like you. And unfortunately,  having my suits made by my own company costs more than most suits cost off the rack. Today I’m giving you a short list of things to get OUT of your closet. Please don’t be offended. This is coming from a good place.

1. As I’ve already stated, remove all 4-button suits from your life. You can opt for a 3-button if you prefer, and your height affords it. 2 button suits will ALWAYS be in style. 100 years from now, the standard 2-button suit will still be wearable. (Provided it’s not purple, made of polyester, or look like it came out of Craig Sager’s closet)

2. Kill the huge knotted ties! They too, have had their time. Instead, wear the tie in the traditional manner it was intended, and accompany it with a Windsor, Half-Windsor, or 4 in-one knot.

3. Go with flat-front unless they’re off the rack. This is geared mainly toward my African-American brothers. Most pants sold off the rack are not constructed to accommodate our bugger posteriors and thighs. For this reason, if you HAVE to by pleated pants do so. But if you can properly fit a flat front pair of pants, by all means, go that route. The lack of pleating material provides a smoother, more custom fit, and alleviates the baggy, unfit look that I see on some people.

4. NO MORE WIDE LEG PANTS: Steve Harvey made them famous, but even HE doesn’t wear them anymore. Unless you wanna look like an old school player, or a black southern preacher, get rid of the wide leg pants. Enough said.

5. Death to the wide lapel: The era of Michael Irvin, and Keyshawn Johnson rocking the wide lapels is long gone. They have been replaced with a standard, or slimmer lapel. Typically 2 to 2-1/2″ in width.

6. Don’t make your suit the show: I am often emailed pictures of suits to critique that somehow manage to have every color in the color palette. There is NOTHING wrong with wearing a simple suit, and adding a nice shirt, and maybe a tie and pocket square with a dash of color. But don’t go to far. The suit, shirt, tie, pocket square, tie pin and shoes shouldn’t ALL be fighting for attention.

I could go on, but this is a good start. I know some of you are saying, “I don’t care what he says, my suit fits me good, and I’m gonna keep wearing it.” That’s cool. That’s your prerogative. I’m just giving you the same advice CEOs pay me thousands of dollars for. Updating your wardrobe may not be in your budget right now. Given this economy, that’s a totally legit reason. Just don’t say you can’t afford to dress appropriately if you’re out buying tables and bottles at the club. Or your dropping hundreds on the golf course or about to buy a sexy new Benz, Beemer, or Lexus. Your look is your first impression. And YOU WILL BE JUDGED BY THE WAY YOU LOOK. Don’t let arrogance and pride interfere with success and greatness. Until next time….

God bless and dress well,

William Wilson, CEO

William Wilson Clothing

Follow William on Twitter: @TheClothier