Men’s suits can be double or single breasted. A single breasted jacket has a row of buttons on one side with button holes on the other side. A double breasted jacket has two rows of buttons on each side. The sides are overlapping and the buttons are secured on the outside and the inside. Some buttons are just there for decoration.
The most common style is the single breasted suit. It will easily work for any office and matches any dress code. If you’re a new professional your first suit (or two) should be single breasted suits. You can get a single breasted suit in 2, 3, or 4 button styles and the rule is that the more buttons your suit has and the shorter the lapels are, the more modern the suit looks. If you want to look slightly conservative, then you should stick with 2 and 3 button suits. Make sure that the suit fits correction so you don’t look like a joke, especially if you are a new professional and are trying to impress your colleagues. The jacket should fit your shoulders and the sleeves be adjusted to fit properly. Thin, tall, and athletic men should go for Italian suits, as these styles are taper in the waist and have better wearing than an “American” suit, a style that is good if you want to hide your belly because it’s less tapered and hangs straight down.
Double breasted suits are much less common now but they are still the perfect suit for some men. These suits are more formal, and so they are perfect for any black tie event. Since they are more formal, you should never wear a double breasted suit without some kind of necktie, bowtie, or an ascot. Not every man can wear a double breasted suit. Short and thinner men should probably stay away from double breasted suits because they can make them look shorter. Tall and bigger men are perfect for a double breasted suit. Along with your tie, you should also have a handkerchief. The necktie should match the lapel width, so you need wide neckties that are at least 3.75 inches wide. To look perfect in your double breasted suit you should have a handkerchief in a classic style, such as the two, three, or four (crown) fold.