The suit is still the anchor of any man's formal wardrobe. Follow these tips to select the one that will dress you for success.

1. Select a suit color and pattern. Build a business wardrobe from a classic navy suit. Once you have one, consider purchasing a gray suit, patterned suit or more seasonal suits in khaki or camel. If you opt for a patterned suit, check to see that patterns line up at shoulder and lapel seams.
2. Choose a suit fabric. High-quality worsted wool is the most seasonally versatile, though cotton and linen are good for summer wear; avoid blends with too much polyester.
3. Crumple the fabric to make sure it bounces back instead of remaining wrinkled.
4. Pick a jacket style. Double-breasted jackets, which are formal and bulky, should be reserved for thin men and kept buttoned at all times. The two-button, single-breasted jacket is a popular style, while three- or four-button jackets create a younger, more fashionable look.
5. Select pants style. Pleats make pants dressy and provide room to move around in, while flat-front pants are slimming. Cuffed legs are formal and add weight to the suit; uncuffed pants elongate the leg.
6. Test for jacket fit. Make sure the collar lies flat against the back of your neck and shows a ¼-inch trim of shirt collar. Shoulders should be lightly padded and neither too boxy nor sloped. Sleeves should reveal ¼ to ½ inch of dress cuff or fall 5 inches above the tip of your thumb.
7. Button the jacket and sit down to verify that it is comfortable and doesn't bunch in undesirable ways.
8. Make sure the pants fit. Pants should sit on the waist, not hips, and drape over your shoes. Check that socks aren't visible when you walk.

Tall men should emphasize horizontal lines and avoid pinstripes. Double-breasted suits often flatter tall, thin men.

Short men should consider single-breasted, shorter jackets in pinstripes or dark solids.

Heavier men should opt for pinstripes and avoid double-breasted suits.