Tailored tales from a suit maestro

Phuong Vo is a menswear designer for Trenery, based in Melbourne, Australia. Ntombenhle Shezi speaks to him about all the important things to consider when looking for the perfect suit

CHOOSING THE RIGHT FABRIC

Without high-quality fabric, you don't have a high-quality garment. When choosing the right fabric for a men's suit we always use natural fibres. Natural fibres breathe, move and are more beautiful to wear and touch. We love using pure wool or wool blended with luxurious Mohair yarn. This gives a beautiful dry handle, creates a robust cloth and a beautiful matte sheen - it's quite a modern look. Also, we love opting for Merino wool blended with cotton or linen - for the best of both worlds.

CHOOSING THE RIGHT COLOUR

Colour is definitely important when it comes to selecting a suit. However, there are other factors that really make the look work. I believe that the navy blue suit should be the cornerstone of your wardrobe. Gone are the days when a plain black suit should be a gentleman's first foray into a tailored wardrobe.

My belief is that it should be a rich and inky navy blue suit. Aside from occasions where a dinner suit is required, the navy blue suit takes you through most occasions, from day through to evening and from work to weddings - it's a wardrobe workhorse!

Dark-coloured suits are the most versatile when it comes to the frequency and variety of occasions you can wear it to. From the office to weddings and special occasions, this is your easy go-to.

For those after a more confident look, paler hues in grey or mid-light neutrals (I'm thinking mocha and pewter tones), grounded with warm chocolate and tan accessories for a refined look.

FINDING YOUR FIT

Fit is make or break - no matter how affordable or expensive the suit might be. A little trick I use to find the approximate jacket size of a customer, when using our sizing scale, is to find out the customer's trouser size. There's a trick to this: For a regular customer, I add 6" onto their trouser waist size to determine their jacket size - this is called a "6"-drop" and is a standard measure of jacket-to-trouser proportion.

So, for instance, if you are a size 32" waist, try on a size 38" jacket. Or if you're a size 36" waist, try a size 42" jacket. It's always good to try a size up and down from there just to be sure you have the right fit. For a customer after a more athletic fit, I would recommend going to an "8"-drop" - however, this only works when it's a truly slim-fitting suit.

Take the jacket, and see how the shoulders fit. This will vary from brand to brand and fit to fit. However, the shoulder line should sit naturally with your shoulder slope line and cleanly against the side of your shoulder while maintaining structure - the trick is a well-considered shoulder pad with the best materials and thought-out construction.

If it's a two-button single-breasted suit, it doesn't actually matter what fabric or colour it is - you can always make suits with sneakers work

Gone are the days of a bold shoulder line - say goodbye to the'90s! The jacket hangs from the shoulder, so this is where you should start. From there, I generally look for the shape through the body.

This can vary depending on the fit the customer is after. Personally, I prefer a suit that offers a clean, streamlined look while providing some comfort. This is something we are proud to have perfected at Trenery. The look should be clean and slick at the front of the garment. At the back, it should offer some room while still offering shape.

This is the start of a great- fitting suit. Some alterations are probably inevitable to ensure your investment looks its best. If it's a centimetre that needs to be shortened in the sleeve - do it! It's the smaller details that often let down an otherwise perfect garment.

The trousers should sit comfortably at the hip (not the waist). My trick is to run two fingers' worth of space around you, between the waistband and yourself to ensure the perfect fit. If the trouser waist is too big, if only by an inch, I encourage trying on a size smaller. In a well-made tailored trouser, there should be extra room constructed into the centre-back of the waistband. There is usually 1-1.5" of extra room.

THE BEST SHAPE & SILHOUETTES FOR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS

There is no better fit than the fit that works for your body. The two-button single-breasted suit is still the most versatile - and definitely suited to any occasion. You can get away with a black, two-button single-breasted suit for black tie (if you really have to), as much as you can for a work interview. Buck the trend though; wear navy wool to your interview.

When it comes to sports jacket and blazers, peak lapel, or notch, patch pockets or flap - whichever takes your fancy. I think a peak lapel is a more confident, sharper look. Patch pockets are more dressed-down, but don't let that stop you if the jacket is perfect.

From a fashion and runway point of view, the three-button is slowly making a comeback. Double-breasted is still huge from a trend perspective, but really only suits a select few body shapes - if the tailoring and fit of the garment is right.

When it comes to more down-to-earth trends, the single-button jacket is a great option for a more forward look. This is the silhouette you should opt for when looking for a tuxedo for a black-tie event. For the spring and summer season, a single-button sports jacket or blazer is what's hot. Secretly, I'm looking to bring in a beautiful Italian linen/cotton blend suit for high summer, with patch pockets and a single-button fastening.

LET'S TALK ABOUT ACCESSORISING

I'd like to say there are no rules when it comes to accessorising. However,there are rules - let's just call them loose guidelines. Matching shoes to a belt? Still a must when you're wearing a woollen suit for work or an event. A black suit - absolutely always black shoes and belt.

A navy or blue suit - warm hues work perfectly here. Just make sure the contrast isn't too high. If it's a dark navy suit, I would go for deeper, richer tones - dark chocolate, deep tan (never go too pale in accessories). For a lighter-coloured blue suit, you can go for paler tan accessories, or ground with deeper tan and chocolate.

When it comes to a navy suit - black accessories are always safe, especially in the workplace.

Where you can have some fun is with your shirt and tie and, to top it off, a pocket square. Pattern play, print play, and bold colour combinations are my recommendation.

As a sneaker is differently proportioned to a derby or brogue, you'll need to compensate with a slightly more cropped trouser

When it comes to making the look work - regardless of the colour of the suit - it's the accessories you put with it that will help you nail the look. The great thing about changing your accessories to alter the end-use of your suit is that these things are affordable and easily change the look and feel of your outfit.

Let's take a navy blue suit, for example. For work, team it with a soft blue shirt or navy and white stripe shirt and black leather accessories, such as a slick black derby shoe and narrow black belt. To take this suit up a notch for an occasion there's nothing more confident than teaming a navy blue suit with deep tan accessories.

Style it with a burnished tan brogue, matching belt and either a bold checked shirt or the understated simplicity of a crisp white shirt, finishing the look off with a white pocket square. It's a simple yet quietly confident look that will get noticed for all the right reasons.

Remember: black accessories will always make the look more serious. My belief is to leave it for the workplace, or for when you're wearing your tuxedo. For celebrations, opt for tan and chocolate.

THE RULE FOR SNEAKERS

It's a fine line with making sneakers work with a suit - you don't want to look like you have just finished work on a Friday, and literally just put your sneakers on.

If it's a two-button single-breasted suit, it doesn't actually matter what fabric or colour it is - you can always make suits with sneakers work. What really makes the difference are the smaller details.

Ensure that the sneakers are simply detailed, and slim. White, grey, navy, black - keep it simple and monochrome. Continue the approach of simplicity when it comes to the selection of your top-of-body option. Take a solid-coloured shirt, polo or T-shirt, or a refined knit - whether it's crew-neck, polo-neck, or v-neck knit. Just make sure that it's simple - to match your simply detailed sneakers.

Anything goes really, but the look should be clean and simple. I like to go monochrome with my look, keep two colours as key, and only bring in a third if you need to, but no more.

When it comes to fit - to nail the look, it really needs to be a trim-fitting, or modern-fitting suit - the look in itself is meant to be modern. One last thing: the trousers should be a touch shorter than the traditional length.

The length will depend on your own preference, but as a sneaker is differently proportioned to a derby or brogue, you'll need to compensate with a slightly more cropped trouser (and make sure it's a slimmer fit!). Also, I'm going to be bold and suggest - go sans belt.