Suit Jacket Length – How Long Should a Suit Jacket Be?
Get your jacket length right with this simple guide
Office Style 101: What to Wear to an Interview
Note: This story has been updated to include what to wear for all sorts of job interviews. Check out the new story. Unless you’re intent on working for Mark Zuckerberg, your collection of hoodies and jeans probably aren’t going to cut it for that job interview. As the great Barney Stinson once said, it’s time...
Partial Inner Lining
Q: You mentioned “partial linings” in your recent post, How to Chill Out Your Summer Suit. What is it exactly and how is different from your normal inner lining? – Rick T. A: A normal suit has a layer of interior lining material throughout almost the entire inside of the suit jacket (Black Lapel suits...
Learn the Difference Between a Blazer and a Suit Jacket
Confused about the difference between a blazer vs. a suit jacket? How about a sport coat vs. blazer? We've got a surprisingly simple answer.
How to Nail Your Interview Look
If there’s one question we get around Black Lapel a lot, it’s “What are the best suits for men to wear for a job interview?” In the past we showed you how to play it safe with a charcoal suit. We stand by that advice for guys interviewing for jobs where doing things “by the...
5 Essentials of the Accidental Minimalist
Check out our foolproof guide to dressing up (even if you rarely get dressed up).
Suit Cleaning 101: How To Make Your Suit Last
How often do you dry clean your suits? Should you iron a suit jacket? What do you do with a suit brush. Your suit care questions answered.
Suiting 101: Two-Button or Three-Button Suit
Suit Jacket Buttons – What to Know Men’s style is all in the details. But you already knew that. And there are few better examples than those 1-inch-diameter disc-shaped objects hanging snugly from the front of your suit. What your buttons are made of is important – real bull horn (what we use) is superior...
How To Wear A Windowpane Suit or Jacket
Windowpanes might just be the perfect pattern. They flatter like none other and are easy to match. So why aren't you wearing one?
Bench the Navy Blue?
Q: “In your latest post, you guys talked about benching the navy blue suit in favor of some brighter summer colors. My navy blue suit is the most versatile suit in my closet, why would I set it aside for the whole summer?” – Kevin L. A: Of course, you should still keep your Navy Blue...
How to Give Your Suit a Vacation
Don't leave your style behind when it's time to get out of town. We've got three stylish vacation ideas for you and your significant other complete with what to pack and how to wear it.
Suiting 101: An Introduction to Suit Jacket Construction
Full canvas, half canvas or fused? The make of your suit has advantages and consequences you should know. When you think about suit quality, what are the first few things that come to mind? How killer it makes you look (aka, the fit) is obviously numero uno. How nice it feels (the fabric quality) is...
Learn How To Wear Double-Breasted Suits
Are double-breasted suits in style? Yes they are, old school is the new school. Here's our introductory guide to the double-breasted suit.
How Should a Suit Jacket Fit? – Anatomy of a Slim Fit Suit
Q: I have an average build and want a Slim Fit suit but I’m unsure of how they are supposed to look or feel. I do like the look of the suits on your models but is one of your Black Lapel Slim Fit suits right for me? – Jonathan S. A: (See the diagram...
Matching Your Shirt and Tie – 3 Easy Combinations
See photo examples of common shirt and tie combinations that work, plus rules matching all your shirts and ties.
Adding Color to a Wintry Mix
In the dead of winter you may reach for your dark gray suits, but you don't have to leave the bold colors in the closet. We'll show you how to liven up your look with three of the sharpest colors of the season.
Learn How to Pack a Suit Like a Road Warrior
How to pack a suit in a suitcase. Because you've got enough to worry about on a business trip.
Evolution of the Bond Suit: Goldfinger to Skyfall
If you haven’t noticed by now, we love Bond. And really, who doesn’t? From his impossibly cool and cavalier swagger to his regular involvement with gorgeous women, guys (and girls) can always bond over some Bond. One of our favorite characteristics of this uber spy is his prowess with his wardrobe. 007 has an enviable...
How Long Should My Suit Jacket Sleeves Be? Ultimate Suit Sleeve Length Guide
An important element of a good looking suit is fit. Here we explain the proper suit jacket sleeve length so you can ensure you're looking sharp.
Black Lapel Custom Suits vs. Designer Off-The-Rack Suits
A Case for Custom We’ve all felt it before – the anxiety of spending a bit more money than we’d like on article of designer-branded clothing. And it often goes against our natural instincts to pull the trigger…an internal conflict often arises in this familiar form: “I don’t really want to spend this much, but...
The Four Cures for BFD (Bad Fit Disease)
Four Tips on Achieving the Perfect Fit A friend from Japan once told us that some of the most fashion obsessed in Tokyo will sometimes search for years for a single pair of perfectly fitting jeans. Even at Black Lapel, we are constantly tweaking our personal suit measurements in search of perfection to that nearest...
How to Monogram Your Custom Suit
Wondering what is a suit monogram and whether you should get one? We answer the most common monogram questions with this complete guide to monogramming your suits. We had the honor of suiting up Jeremy Lin for the 2012 Time Magazine’s 100 Red Carpet Gala. Jeremy chose to get his first and last name monogrammed in...
Suit Up For Winter
Bundling up shouldn’t mean burying your sense of style. Check out these four new suits that will have you looking cool and staying warm all winter long.
How to Dress Down Your Suit Jacket
We hear it all the time. You want to give those custom Black Lapel threads some more wear but your office is a bit too casual to handle all the sartorial heat. Now of course, you wouldn’t want to be the only one in the office who missed the dress code memo and look like...
Mastering Men’s Holiday Party Looks
Gentlemen, the holidays are upon us, and your calendar is bursting with invites. You’re not just going to another shindig, you’re stepping into the season’s most epic social arena. Let’s talk game plan for men’s holiday party looks, courtesy of Black Lapel. The Holiday Suit Ensemble The holiday party calls for a look that’s both...
Three Ways to Layer Up Your Suits for Fall
Did you feel that breeze today? That was no summer wind, friends, that was the crisp air of fall making it’s way to a street near you (that is, for you Northern Hemisphere guys). Fall means changing colors, changing temps and changing your wardrobe…a little. Fall presents a unique sartorial challenge. The temperatures will start...
A Guide to Summer’s Stylish Blue Suits
He’s the anchor of your closet. He grounds your entire wardrobe. He has taken you from job interviews to weddings to dates to court dates (well…let’s hope more of the former and less of the latter). He is a trusted friend who stood by you through thick and thin. You have relied on him for...
Triple Crown Style
Even if you've never watched a horse race, let the spirit of the Triple Crown (starting with the most famous race of them all, the Kentucky Derby) inspire you to raise your weekend style this spring.
Why I Started a Custom Clothing Company
Raise your hand if this has ever happened to you: You look at a photo of yourself taken a while ago and you see a dude staring back at you with terrible style. I mean, absolutely atrocious, WTF were you thinking? style. OK, you don’t actually have to raise your hands, that would make it...
Anatomy of a Collection – Fall 2015 Suits
Introducing the new collection of fall suits: our reinterpretation of the classics with matured tones and subtle textures. See here how we arrived at each new addition.
