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Craig Twist
Fashion Correspondent

They say wearing a suit that fits you, is only one part of looking good in tailoring.

There is more to a good suit than a good fit and that sounds like sartorial sacrilege but it is true.

Yes, a tailor-made two-piece suit is the foundation every buttoned-up gent should aspire to, but that is just the starting point of looking good in formal wear.

Where suiting goes from an art to a science is in the details.

You need to know your elements, and they need to know each other.

Your shirt must complement your suit.

Your tie must complement your shirt.

Your pocket square must complement everything and I have not even got to footwear yet.

So of late some football fanatics were disappointed that the trophy did not come home, but what was striking about the match was the suits and outfits the coaches were wearing.

From France’s Deuchamp blue suit and blackshirt to the Spanish coach Luis Filipes’ cargo trousers and sneakers, the fashion statement had something to talk about.

Like the old saying, “don’t dress to be noticed but to be remembered,” Roberto Mancini is going to be remembered not only for breaking the hearts of 68 million English men, women children and millions other English football supporters across the world but also for his impeccable sense of style which was being showcased at the recently ended 2020 Euro Finals.

Mr Giorgio Armani, who was tasked to design the Azzuri’s suits said,

“I worked on an idea of elegance that is spontaneous, sporty and authentic. I created a suit that is light but dignified, and proud as our spirit should be at this time.”

Armani’s jacket material of choice was very intentional, a pale blue seer, very light in weight, unstructured, soft shoulders which was meant to bring out the classic sports coat, above all to suit European humid summer days.

Unlike the Italian Coach Enzo Bearzot’s 1982 World Cup finals who wore a light blue suit, matching socks and loafers, which Mr Armani got the Euros 2020 inspiration from.

This then made many people to question, how then do you pair your suit.

Here are some quick guides, I managed to research:

1: Be Subtle

◆ Keep it simple gents and you will never go wrong.

Going the extra mile to stand out a bit can go a long way but just make sure you don’t overdo it.

Your fool-proof mantra should be: simplicity is never outdated.

2: Light and Dark

◆ They always say that this one is pretty easy.

Across the board, ties and pocket squares should be darker than shirts. It is a standard rule for dressing and you will be sure to hit the bulls eye every time if you follow it.

3: Size Matters

◆ And so does balance. Ties should not be too small or skinny, nor too wide or high. Keep your collars and ties in proportion to each other.

4: Patterns

◆ Avoid mixing patterns that display equal size.

If you pair large patterns with smaller ones, they will visually complement each other.

5: Suits, Shirts and Ties Look Book

Rule of thumb: The suit-shirt combination is the first thing you should think about. This will be the easy part. Once you have established the primary color of your shirt, pick a tie that has a similar color in its pattern.

Purchasing a shirt and jacket to match the ties you currently own is not the smartest way to build a wardrobe.

Instead focus on matching your accessories and shirt to your most expensive items (suits and jackets!) first and work your way down to items that cost less — such as your tie.

You can’t go wrong with sticking to colours with cooler tones such as deep blue, olive green and royal purple.

This will ensure that a wide range of your shirts and jackets pair up well assuming that they are light coloured and simple in pattern.

If you would like to draw some additional attention to yourself this is where the warmer toned tie colours come into play.

Red, orange and yellow ties go well with a navy blue or charcoal suit which is a great pairing if you are giving a presentation or running a meeting.