Formal wear is the category most men engage with least frequently and therefore feel least confident about which creates a slightly unfortunate situation where the occasions that matter most are also the ones where the styling decisions feel most uncertain. We’ve been there. Standing in front of a mirror forty minutes before a wedding wondering if the tie width is right and whether brown shoes actually work with a navy suit and whether anyone will notice the jacket sleeves are slightly too long. The answer to most of these questions is that getting the fundamentals right matters far more than the details and that the fundamentals are simpler than most men think. A well fitted suit in the right colour with appropriate accessories and decent footwear covers the vast majority of formal situations convincingly. This section is about building the foundation that makes formal occasions feel like something you can handle rather than something to get through.