Fit and style tips

Celebrity stylist Robert Verdi and suit specialist Nish de Gruiter have a few suggestions. Let these two experts be your personal stylist for the moment.

Guys tend to buy clothes that are comfortable but don't fit them, Verdi said. "They say, 'I wear a large,' and really they're like a medium or small," he said. "Clothes that fit make you feel younger and look slimmer. Even if you're in bad shape, you'll look in better shape."

"Don't wear suit pants as you do your jeans, or they'll look too baggy," De Gruiter said. "Suit pants need to fit right on the hips, and the length is crucial." The hem should extend to about an inch above the heel of the man's shoe, seen from the back, with a short break in front.

Widths are narrower this fall, and fabrics are less shiny, more textured. "We don't have many silks; we have nice wool cashmere knits," De Gruiter said. "Your tie should never be louder than your personality."

"It's very important, if you wear a tie, that there be no gap between the shirt collar and your neck," De Gruiter said. With arms next to the body, the cuff should end where the wrist becomes the thumb. The seam between shoulder and sleeve should be on top of the shoulder, not drooping down the arm. If the suit has a slim fit, the shirt should, too.