This is the second in a series of articles about how to look fabulous while spending little or no money. In the first article on suits, we discussed what colors to choose, with black, navy, and gray being the favored choices. While color is vitally important to your image, equally important are style and fit. This article explores these more in-depth.

For men, a standard three-button notched-collar suit is the correct choice. Even though it comes and goes in popularity, the double-breasted suit is also a good choice for people of average weight. For larger men, the double spread of buttons shows how wide their body is; whereas, the single row of buttons adds visual height and as such a visual narrowness of the body.

Thankfully, women have more choices in style. While the standard three-button notched-collar suit is perfect for any women in a conservative industry such as banking, insurance, or law, for many other industries, the choice is more open. I like asymmetrical suits to add visual height for petite and plus-sized women. For apple shaped women, a soft unstructured jacket worn open may be acceptable. For smaller-sized women, a single-button suit is attractive. Whatever style you choose, check that it fits properly.

My initial focus is the shoulder fit - it should sit squarely. This is true for both men and women. Also, the sleeve length should come to just below the wrist to facilitate movement without over-shortening. Make sure to move in all directions to see that it moves with you.

For men, the over all jacket length should just cover the hips entirely. British suits have a double vent, while American suits have a single vent, while some suits have no vent. On larger men, a double vent is a good idea. For average sized men, you make the choice. If you want to see well-tailored suits on men, watch ESPN commentators and the Jay Leno show. Each of these has a variety of sizes and styles of suits that have been custom tailored.

For women, the length trend is around mid-hip. This cuts the widest part of the body in half. Your suit jacket can be longer if you are tall and thin, or if wearing a matched-suit. Petite women can more easily wear a cropped jacket. Ventless jackets are more common for women.

So you don’t want to buy a new suit? Take a good suit out of your closet and get it tailored. Think of it as recycling and supporting your local economy. Out-of-date lapels can be narrowed, double-breasted jackets can be made single, and most importantly, it can be tailored to fit your body. An older, well-fitted suit will always look better on you than one that is newer and poorly fitted.

Next time, we will discuss pants and skirts. Until then, check your closets to make sure that your suits fit and are current with the fashion trends. I would hate to see any of my friends in a polyester leisure suit.