Simply stated, a 3 piece suit is no different from any other suit except it has one extra item – the waistcoat. So a three piece suit comprises of a jacket, suit pant and a vest. The three-piece suit can be an extraordinary addition to your wardrobe and can be worn if you wish to appear smart and presentable at important meetings, business conference and social gatherings.

After people had forgotten the three piece suit and at a time when it was acquiring a vintage look, the world of fashion has suddenly rediscovered the charm of three piece suit. Whatever the reason may be for the re-appearance of the three piece suit, many traditionalists and people with puritanical dress sense are only too happy to welcome the time-honored three-piece suit.

The three piece suit has had a long-standing history. The waistcoat became a part of the suit when King Charles II wore it way back in 1666 and since then it had been in fashion for long. In fact, the three piece suits were in vogue until World War II, but had to disappear when the governments imposed cloth rationing and men had to forego the waistcoats.

Since then the waistcoat has been regularly going in and out of fashion but always had a unique charm when well tailored and perfectly fitted the physical shape of the wearer.

The lean people favored the three piece suit because it made their chest look broader and the stout men preferred it because it made their waist look slimmer. One helpful feature of the waistcoat is it has a back adjuster. The purpose of this is to let the wearer to adjust the vest to fit perfectly over his waist.

The return of the three-piece suit means that the waistcoat has to be cohesive and match the fabric, texture and design of the other two pieces of the suit. Many fashion experts opine that the V shape of the waistcoat should break somewhere between the sternum and the base of the rib cage.

An important factor to bear in mind is to color match the waistcoat with your suit. The suit jacket, the pants and the waistcoat should be made using the same fabric of the same shade and you will have to buy them as a set and wear them as a set. It is worth repeating that a three-piece men’s suit commonly consists of a single-breasted jacket, a waistcoat, and trousers all made from the same material and lining. The three piece suit tailored in any other way will look odd and make the wearer appear clownish.

During summer months however, it will obviously be very uncomfortable wearing a three piece suit and in such cases, you can certainly discard the waistcoat and wear it as a two piece suit.

The noticeable aspect of the three piece mens suits is the compulsory wearing of a neck tie. As only a few inches of the tie will be visible, the tie knot should appear neat and perfect. Make sure that the tail end of the tie does not peep from under the bottom of the waistcoat.

The three piece suit offers a distinct elegance and is indeed a worthwhile investment for men looking to add class and variety to their dress wardrobe.

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