Credit: Alexis Boddy
Source: King and Allen UK
Hey there Gentlemen, welcome to the First blog by Big and Stylish. One of the few blogs truly written by an Expert Personal Stylist for Men – Myself. Who am I you might ask?
Well, how rude of me, let me introduce myself. Hi I am Raktim Singha, the founder, owner and sole proprietor of bigandstylish.com, a Personal Stylist based out of Bangalore with years of experience in different Menswear brands and rated 5 stars by all my clients on Trustpilot at the time of the writing of this blog.
That is right, I mean I don’t mean to brag but I kind of have an undefeated streak going at the moment.
I have personally bought, explored and shopped from various Menswear houses and brands around the world firsthand myself because of which I am able to give you an unparalleled experience in terms of not just educating a Man about their Personal Style but also what kind of clothes and which brand is the most suitable for a particular man’s body type.
Due to this I have developed an innate experience in my skills as a Private Personal Stylist for men, which is why I am the only stylist out there who provides a 100% Money back Guarantee on all my long term Plans.
That’s right if you are not satisfied with my services, you get your full money refunded to your account, no questions asked.
I personally enjoy looking and feeling the best every day of the week and I know the magic your clothes can bring into your Life, henceforth I decided to share this gift with all other Men out there who desperately need it.
Most men do not realize how much change and magic just a little bit of effort into their Wardrobe will invite into their life! Ahem, I am looking at you boys out there who like to wear flip flops with your Jeans .
Now that all of that is off of my chest. I want to share with you a Full guide on how to choose and style one of my most favorite sartorial pieces of all time – The Double Breasted Suit.
In my opinion, it is one of the best investments a man can make in terms of his wardrobe. Now I know that it is not for everyone, but the good ole DB suit is definitely a style statement!
And if you want people and especially women (Wink-Wink) turning their heads when you walk by them, a Double Breasted Suit or Blazer is definitely the way to go.
And if you are wondering who the Big and Handsome Bald fellow is over at the end of the post wearing the well fitted Double Breasted Blazer, that is me. All right enough showing off, let’s get to the topic at hand.
Always have an Inspiration
Source: Daily Mail UK
Credit: 20th Century Studios, The King’s Man Movie (2021)
With any new Sartorial Piece or look that you want to go for, I always advise that you should have an Inspiration.
That inspiration could be anybody – James Bond, Tom Ford, Harvey Specter, Don Draper, Me. I mean the possibilities are endless.
My motivation or Inspiration for the particular Pinstripe Navy Blue DB suit that you will see down below was Orlando Oxford (Ralph Fiennes) from the Movie – The King’s Man.
Regarding the Duke of Oxford and why I was so inspired by him was the fact that he reminds me of one of my most favorite quotes from Jordan Peterson – “You should be a Monster. An absolute Monster. And then you should learn how to control it”.
I mean seriously the guy is an absolute killing machine but still chooses to be a pacifist throughout the first half until he has to unleash the Monster within but in a controlled manner.
Take it from a Personal Stylist, that is how a True Man should be – Dangerous but still well dressed and well-mannered with good tastes. Not someone screaming on social media for men to be the “Alpha”.
I mean just look at the guy and how he looks, If that does not make you want to go out there and buy a Custom Double-Breasted Suit, I don’t know what will!
"Peaks not Notches"
When buying any Double-Breasted Suit or Blazer for the first time, pay attention to the Lapels.
Trust me, God is in the Details. Whenever you go out well dressed in Public, it really is your details that differentiate you from looking like a boy attempting to look like a Man and looking like a mature man who knows what they are doing.
Think hard, which one would you rather look like?
Henceforth, the first detail that you should look at in terms of the details of your Double-Breasted Suit is the lapels.
If it’s not already apparent from the heading, your DB suit should always have Peak lapels, if you own any Double-Breasted Suit with notch lapels, go to your backyard right now, throw some gasoline on it and burn it to crisps. Trust me, take this piece of advice from a Personal Stylist.
Another small detail you need to look out for is the buttoning of your Double-Breasted Suit.
Is it a 6 button show-2 button working or a simple 4 button show – 2 button working jacket.
Alright, I see all you guys scratching your head. Let’s make it simpler! For most men you only need to stick to really two buttoning systems on your DB suit or Blazer.
A 6×2 or a 4×2 buttoning. The first number is the number of buttons that are visible on the jacket and the second number is the number of buttons that can actually be buttoned.
The handsome lad on the right (or bottom if you are viewing this on mobile) you see is wearing a 6×2 button DB blazer while Ralph Fiennes in the photo you saw above is wearing a 4×2 button DB Suit.
If you are above 5’10 go for the 6×2 and if you are below 5’10 go for the 4×2.
Source: Pexels
Photo by Rahib Hamidov
Fit is King when it comes to looking like a King in your Double Breasted Suit
Photo Credit: OLUWATOBI BALOGUN
You must have heard it countless times. If it doesn’t fit, don’t buy it.
Well, nothing could be more true in case of the Double-Breasted Suit.
In case of a standard issue Single breasted jacket, you can get away like a smooth criminal with a poor fit in certain areas. But a Double-breasted suit demands absolute perfection in terms of the fit.
Make sure the shoulder seams are right where your shoulders end, the waist is cinched in just right and the sleeves are tapered correctly and in terms of length should show at least 1/4 to a 1/2 inch of your shirt cuff.
Trust a personal stylist, any kind of blunders in the fit department in terms of your Double-Breasted Suit
Will very quickly have you looking like a boy who is wearing his elder brother’s hand me downs, forget looking like you run a secret underground spy organization.
Here are 3 ways to style your Double Breasted Suit by a Personal Stylist
Number 1: Full formal
Well, if it wasn’t already obvious this is the safest and the simplest way to rock your Double-breasted suit.
Steal a classic wide tie from your old man or Grandpa’s Closet pair it with a patterned pocket square that compliments your tie (not identically matches it),
Add a formal shirt and then top it all off like the cherry on top of your cake pair it with a classic formal Oxford shoe,
I mean “Oxfords not brogues” am I right! (We will break down that fashion Faux pas in another blog)
Number 2: As a Blazer with Odd Jacket
Another Obvious one.
Here I am wearing the Double-Breasted Suit as an Odd Jacket/Blazer and I have ditched the tie for a more colorful Pale Pink Shirt.
I have changed up the fold of my Pocket square to a Puff Fold to give a more relaxed vibe.
I have changed up the suit pants for a Khaki trouser and matched it with some Dark tan Oxfords with some broguing (Yes Oxfords can also be brogues).
Now this kind of an Outfit is more appropriate for a relaxed evening at a fancy dinner party or on a Yacht.
Number 3: Full Casual with a T shirt and Denim
And this is probably where all the Classic menswear conspiracy theorists will run after me with a torch and Pitchfork!
Now I personally am a big fan of Dark Wash Denim, NOT ripped or faded jeans but Classic Dark Wash Denim.
They have stood the test of time and are a durable piece of garment you can throw around and not worry about them getting dirty or torn unlike a pair of Fine Wool trousers.
If a proper suit and tie is not your cup of tea, then is the way to go for you.
As for the shoes you have a couple of options in this case, you can go for a classic pair of leather sneakers, boots and even a more casual dress shoe as I am wearing here.
This kind of Outfit is perfect for a Casual outing with your girl or at a house party at your friends where you want to stand apart just a tad bit and dress up your Tshirt and Jeans.
That was all the information for today’s blog Gentlemen. I will see you again in the next blog that will contain more valuable information like this from a Personal Stylist. Now if you want to learn more from me and improve your Personal Style check out my FREE Style fundamentals Video Training and if you want to sit on a One-on-One Call with me and learn where you can improve in terms of your Personal Image and Personal Style then you can Book a FREE 30 min Style Call with me