The wardrobe is a very important element at the time of making a good impression. When we make an appearance, the first thing people notice is our external look. The basic wardrobe of a gentlemen must include a group of essential garments that will help us cover the commitments we may have in the family, social, and work area.

The suit is the king by excellence for men. The jacket must perfectly adjust on the shoulders, and it should hang at least a hand distance from the knees. The sleeves, with straight arms, should reach the wrists, and with bended arms, the fists of the shirt have to be seen. The rear hang of the jacket must cover the seat of the trousers.

The trouser must be at the height of the heel of the shoe. If the socks show, then the trouser is too short, if it drags the floor its too long, it must be at least three fingers over the height of the ground. The double-breasted jackets are more classic, formal and are always on fashion, as opposed to the straight one. The doble-breasted jacket has two bottons, the straight has only one superior botton.
The lapels and the cuts tend to vary with the fashion, although they all maintain a very similar style. The best fabrics for men suits are wool, linen, cotton, or the alcapa (there are other compositions and mixtures).

Regarding the shirts, the fabrics more commonly used are cotton and silk (although the synthetic mixtures are often used). The socks should match the shoes and/or the trousers.
The belt must match the shoes. Even if you dress sport, don´t undo more than one botton of your shirt. Avoid combining squares with stripes, and don´t mix more than three colors at the same time.
To dress a suit, the accesories used would be a cufflink or a botton cover and a                            tiepin. Use the minimun amount of rings. Remember whatever you wear, keep the good taste, without loosing your own personal style.

BE CAREFUL WITH YOU SUITS

Empty you pockets. Other wise they would get used to the weight and become bend and baggy. Brush your suits. This removes the earth or dust on the surface and prevents from subsequent forms of stains.

Treat the stains immediatly. The small stains could go out with cold water, remove and erase with a clean cloth, never with paper towels. Ventilate your suits. Leave te garments extended over the bed or hanging in a hook half an hour to drive away the odors that could have been absorbed, like cigarette smoke.
Hang you suits. The garments made out of fabric should hang in the closet with a wide space to let the crease extend.
Fold them and place them flat, with breathing space in a shelf or the space you use in your closet.
Give them a break. Wait at least 24 hours before you use your garnments again.
Dry clean with moderation. The excessive use of dry cleaning could leave a shiny appearance.
Never dry your damp suits with heat. You could shrink them.

Put them away correctly. If your putting them away for a long period, first dry clean to keep the moths away. This removes the body oils to witch their attracted to.

THE TIE

How to choose a beautiful tie. Above all you have to be aware of the quality, anythig but a cheap tie, their´re not pretty and the cut and fabric leave a lot to be desired.

How to distinguish a good tie

-It must have a sewing at the end of the thin part to keep it straight.

-In the back, at the wider part, it must point horizontally, this way the tie won´t open.
-A thin tie never presents creases. A thin tie must be confectioned in a high quality fabric that allows, ones the knot is done, to hang free and gracefully. La quickest way to know if a tie is of a good quality and is perfectly made is to fold it in a half and see if both ends (thick and thin) hang straight.
-When a tie brings a fault in the making, at the moment of letting it drop in the table, or land in the hand, the tie will bend. The fabric of a good tie shouldn´t be very thin nor weak, because it would cause the knot to be thin and bodyless. That´s why, in the silk ties, its important, after making the knot, addapt it a little with the fingers.

Types of ties

Silk
Solid, light, and nice to the touch, the colors sink well. It dosen´t stand hot water, and its not stretchable. In case of any stains its necessary to wash and iron dry. You have to be careful because it doesn´t resist rubbing or perspiration.

Wool
Good thermic insulator, great absorbing power. It shirks with hot water and it can alter when its hanged. Be careful because it can turn yellow.

Cotton
Fresh, free and solid. It shinks with hot water, it irons well, wash separately if it´s been dyed. Be careful because the color doesn´t sink well and it wrinkles.

Polyester, nylon, lycra (synthetic fibers)
Very solid, doesn´t create creases and the colors sink very well. Very sensitives to heat, they have to be washed with lukewarm water, and its ironed with vapor. Be careful because they´re very flammable and they´re charged with static electricity.

Tie presentation
The tie must never pass the waist of the trousers. It mustn´t hang above the belt by neither of its ends. The narrow part of the tie, mustn´t show over the wider part. The knots of the tie should be always tight to the neck, the upper botton of the shirt mustn´t show. Don´t match the pattern of the shirt with the one the tie has. The general rule, with its exception, is to use a pattern shirt with a plain tie, and plain shirts with pattern ties. Avoid, unless its for an important event, using shirts with bottons in the neck with ties. Shirts without neck bottons are more elegant. Don´t use big knots with small neck shirts and viceversa.

How to take care of a tie
TIES MUST NEVER BE HAND OR MASHINE WASHED. IF FOR SOME REASON IT HAS STAINS, IT MUST BE DRY CLEANED (dry-cleaner´s). TRY NOT TO PUT AWAY YOUR TIES WITH THE KNOT STILL ON, THE BEST WAY IS TO HANG IT IN A SPECIAL PLACE SO THEY CAN REMAIN STRETCHED AND WRINKLE FREE.

The most common knots are:
•  -Simple knot
•  -Crossed knot
•  -Simple double knot
•  -Butterfly knot
•  -Windsor knot
•  -Semi Windsor knot
•  -Small Knot
•  -Ascot knot
•  -Bow tie knot.

Steps for doing a simple knot:

•  Place the tie around the neck, with the tip of the end of A (right) longer than the end B(left) and cross A over B.
•  Pass the end A under B.
•  Return once again to the end A over B.
•  Pull the end A upwards, passing it under the end B that´s closer to your neck, forming a knot.
•  take the knot softly by the front, and with you index finger pass the end A under the loop that was formed on the last turn of A, and pull downwards.
•  Adjust the knot sliding it upwards, in a way that its comfortable to your neck, stopping at the same time the end B.

Steps for doing a Windsor knot:

•  Place the tie around the neck, with the tip of the end of A (right) longer than the end B(left) and cross A over B.
•  Introduce the end A under B pulling it out from the front, forming a knot.
•  Pull the end A from under B towars the left, from under the knot.
•  Cross the end A in front of B from left to right.
•  Pull the end A upwards from under the knot.
•  Go down and introduce the end A on the loop formed from the last turn the end A gave.
•  With both hands tighten the knot and adjust it upwards, in the way that´s comfortable for your neck.  

Steps for doing a simple Windsor knot:

•  Place the tie around the neck, with the tip of the end of A (right) longer than the end B(left) and cross A over B.
•  Pass the end A around and under B.
•  Take the end A upwards.
•  Introduce the end A from behind pulling it out from under, forming a knot.
•  Take the end A in front of B from left to right.
•  Once again introduce the end A below the knot, pulling it from the front.
•  Take the end A from below the knot passing it in front of the loop formed by the last turn that the end A gave.
•  With both hands tighten the knot and adjust it upwards, in the way that´s comfortable for your neck.  

Steps for doing a Bow tie:

•  Place the tie around the neck, with the tip of the end of A (right) longer than the end B(left) and cross A over B.
•  Cross the end A over the end B.
•  Take the end A upwards from below B giving a turn, and forming a knot.
•  Fold the end B by the front of itself.
•  Lower the end A on top of the center of the folding that had been done by the end B.
•  Fold the end A from below itself and place it in the other end, behind B, forming a knot.
• Pull and adjust the knot to the center.