18 Types of Suits For Men: A Guide to Styles, Jackets and Brands

Picking the right suit comes down to two different factors—your personality, and the occasion which you are buying the suit for. Different events require different suit formalities. For example, the suit you would wear as a groom or one of the groomsmen, is probably different than the type of suit you would wear to the office. While both require a formal suit, a wedding will probably have you wearing some sort of lapel (notch, peak, shawl, etc), whereas for the office—a good percentage just wear a traditional double-breasted or slim-fit suit—which is a completely different look. The tie you choose to wear can also distinctly define the occasion, but that's probably a different article for a different day.

There's also the question of how often you'll be wearing said suit. For example, if you are lawyer, a slim or casual fit suit is probably your best best as you want to look professional, but not too dressy. If you can get away with blazers—even better as they are less expensive than buying a whole suit, and are easy to mix-and-match. Hopefully by the end of this article you will be more than familiar with the various types of suits if you aren't already.

• Best For: The Office, Attending An Evening Event
• Pants: Flat Front Lined Pants
• Jacket: Fully Lined Jacket
• Lapel: Slim/Slightly Loose Blend for Modern/Athletic Look
• Our Favorite Suit: Nautica Men's Modern-Fit Bi-Stretch Suit, $395

The Modern Fit suit. Traditionally speaking, modern fit suits blend together the structured tailor element of slim-fit suits, and the relaxed looser component of athletic suits. If you've never tried/worn a slim-fit suit before, or a suit that steers towards sporty/athletic for the matter, the modern fit is the perfect go-between to the strike that balance. The versatility of modern fits makes them appropriate for just about any occasion, and with them you still get a sharp sleek look without any potential discomfort from the suit being too tight.

• Best For: The Office, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Slim-Fit Lined Pants
• Jacket: Slim-Fit Jacket
• Lapel: Slim for Formal/Semi-Formal Look
• Our Favorite Suit: Giorgio Armani Slim-Fit Button Suit, $2,995

The Slim-Fit Suit. Slim-Fit suits are tailored to perfection, and meant to highlight every line, chisel, and muscle in your body. Slim-Fit suits enhance all of your best features with its defining contour, all while hiding anything that you personally consider to be a flaw of any type. If you need an example of somebody who frequently wears the slim-fit, all you have to do is look at anybody who has ever played the role of James Bond in the history of, well, ever. James Bond and slim-fit suits go hand-in-hand, and they are quite frankly one of the most popular suit types on the market.

• Best For: The Office, Company Outings, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Slim-Fit Lined Pants
• Jacket: Slim-Fit Jacket With Two Buttons
• Lapel: Peak, Shawl, Notch
• Our Favorite Suit: Indochino Sailsbury Linen Green Suit, $499

The Single-Breasted Suit. What exactly makes a suit "single-breasted?" By definition, a single-breasted suit has one column of buttons and a narrow overlap, which is what separates it from double-breasted suits which we'll get into a little later. Single-breasted suits can come with either one button or two, and boasts a look that is sleek and form-fitting, while not being quite as tapered as a slim-fit, which provides a little more breathing room.

• Best For: The Office, Company Outings, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Regular/Slightly Slim-Fit Pants
• Jacket: Regular Standard Jacket
• Lapel: Regular Collar
• Our Favorite Suit: Canali Men's Solid Wool Two-Piece Suit, $1,995

The Classic Fit Suit. A classic is a classic is a classic y'all. The cool thing about pieces defined as "classics," is that you can rest assured that they are versatile quality clothing items that will withstand the test of time in the sense that they will never go out of style. That's precisely why they are called classics. When it comes to the classic suit, the emphasis is more so on the color than anything else. The most common colors to rock with classic-wise are black, and different shades of blue and gray since those are versatile colors appropriate for every event. If you want a suit that is going to last you a lifetime, perhaps consider going the classic route. It will never leave you hanging.

• Best For: The Office, Casual Wear, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Regular/Slightly Slim-Fit Pants
• Jacket: Regular/Slightly Slim Jacket
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: ZEGNA Notch Lapel Sartorial Suit, $2,990

The tried-and-true Notch Lapel. For those unsure exactly of what a notch lapel is and how it separates itself from the pack—a notch lapel suit or jacket is when there is a "notch" where the jacket collar and lapel meet. This notch is traditionally v-shaped, and tends to accompany suit jackets/blazers that are more on slim side. A notch lapel suit is an automatic for just about any upscale occasion as it has a naturally formal look, and can be worn casually/semi-casually if only wearing the jacket portion of the suit.

• Best For: Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Regular Dress Trouser on The Slim Slide
• Jacket: Regular/Slightly Slim Jacket
• Lapel: Peak Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Peak Lapel Reda Navy Suit, $895

The Peak Lapel Suit. Now, what exactly is a peak lapel and how does it separates itself from the bunch? A peak lapel is classified as suit where the top of the lapel kind of "points" at an angle. A peak lapel is considered to be a very formal suit for the most formal of occasions—perhaps the most formal of them all. If you are in the group of individuals that have got multiple weddings to attend this year, consider picking up a peak lapel suit. They will never know that you're wearing the same suit over and over again. Trust us on this.

• Best For: Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights, Formal Events
• Pants: Regular Dress Trouser That's On The Slim Slide
• Jacket: Regular/Slightly Slim Jacket
• Lapel: Shawl Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Todd Snyder Italian Linen Shawl Tuxedo, $868

The Shawl Lapel. Okay, so what makes a Shawl Lapel different from its siblings? Suit jackets with a shawl lapel have an unbroken shawl of fabric around the collar of the jacket. While some may say the peak lapel is the most formal suit of them all, we'd argue that the shawl lapel has a strong case for being the most formal too as these are the types of suits you bust out for exclusive black tie events. Shawl Lapel suits are definitely "special occasion" suits that should be worn every so often as opposed to every day or every week.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Regular Slim-Fit Pants
• Jacket: Regular/Slim Jacket
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Bonobos Unconstructed Blazer, $229

The Unconstructed Blazer. Let's take a second to talk blazers as they are an important part of suiting culture too. What makes an unconstructed blazer from standard blazers as we know it? Is an unconstructed blazer the "standard blazer?" An unconstructed blazer or jacket is one that either has very small shoulder pads, or none at all. So to answer the questions above—the unconstructed blazer is a bit less common as most blazers do tend to have padding, but it isn't a rare concept in fashion either if you catch our drift.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening, Date Nights
• Pants: Tailored to Regular Fit
• Jacket: Normal Fit Size
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Suitsupply Navy Lazio Suit, $698

The Single Vent Suit. The single vent suit is one of those suits that you see all the time, but you may not have necessarily known there was a specific name for them. A single vent suit is a jacket where there is a split at the center back of a hem. Single vents can be found on just about any type of suit as its more so a "feature" element that is up to designers on whether not they want to include. Single vents allows for more breathing room and comfort.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Tailored to Regular Fit
• Jacket: Normal Fit Size
• Lapel: Medium Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: State & Liberty Athletic Fit Stretch Blazer, $450

The Double Vent Suit. Now onto the double vent suit. The double vent is similar to the single vent with the exception of there being two openings (also referred to as twin vents) at the back of the hem as opposed to just one. Single vent suits are more common in America, whereas the double vent is more associated with Italian and British styling. Similar to the single vent, double vents allow you slightly more breathing room and maneuverability.

• Best For: Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Flat Front
• Jacket: Slim/Normal Fit Size
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Dolce & Gabbana Double-Breasted Stretch-Wool Suit, $2,645

The Double-Breasted Suit. If there is any one particular suit that you should have stashed away in your closet as a just in case, it's the double-breasted suit. If you recall, earlier we covered the single-breasted suit, which features one column of buttons and a slight overlap. A double-breasted suit has two columns of buttons with an overlapping front lapel. Double-breasted suits automatically command attention due to the button placements, and can be worn to just about any formal event.

• Best For: Cocktail/Evening, Formal Events
• Pants: Tailored Flat Front
• Jacket: Slim/Normal Fit Size
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Peak Lapel Tuxedo, $550

The No Vent Suit. The name say is all here folks—a no vent suit is a ventless suit, which is often only viewed as appropriate in formal wear. No Vent Suits are very popular in Italian style, and with the suit jacket being unbroken, that means you'll probably have to prepare for a bit of discomfort (especially if you've never worn a no vent suit before) as there is far less room for movement compared to suits with a vent/vents. That considered, it's probably best to save a no vent suit for special formal occasions as opposed to everyday wear.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening, Casual Outings
• Pants: Tailored Flat Front
• Jacket: Slim/Normal Fit Size
• Lapel: Notch Lapel
• Our Favorite Suit: Brook Taverner Navy Henley Classic Wool Blend Patch Pocket Blazer, $184.56

The Patch Pocket Blazer. There isn't much separating a patch pocket blazer from a regular one. The only difference is patch pocket blazers have a piece of cloth sewed/laid onto the top of the jacket with the top being left open. Sometimes patch pockets can be hard to identify upon first look because they blend right into the rest of the suit, making them a handy undetectable feature that you can put your smaller belongings in.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening, Casual Outings
• Pants: Tailored Flat Front
• Jacket: N/A
• Lapel: N/A
• Our Favorite Suit: Jos. A. Bank Traveler Performance, $59

Flat Front Pants. When it comes to suit bottoms, flat front pants are probably the most common you are going to see floating around in your suit search. In flat front pants, the material lies flat in the front near the zipper, which in turn gives you a more tailored slim fit. Flat fronts can be worn for just about any event including the office, weddings, date nights, etc., it's just about what jacket/top you choose to pair them with.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Cuffed
• Jacket: N/A
• Lapel: N/A
• Our Favorite Suit: Topman Skinny Suit Trousers, $27.30

Cuffed Pants. This is once again more so a distinct feature that separates the different types of suits, as pants being cuffed is a stylistic/personal preference thing. Cuffed pants feature folded up fabric at the bottom part of the pant leg that is on the outside of the pant leg rather than the inside. Not only is cuffing considered the ultimate sign of tailoring, but it instantly gives whatever a formal look.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Pleated
• Jacket: N/A
• Lapel: N/A
• Our Favorite Suit: Sand Pleated Braddon Trousers, $199

Pleated Pants. It's the same deal with pleated pants/trousers as well. Pleated Pants are pants that have folds and/or pleats along the waistline—the point of which allows pants to expand as you sit, adding to the comfort level. Whether or not you choose to wear pleated pants depends on what look you are going for. If sleek and sharp is the objective, then pleated pants isn't something that you should go for

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Flap Pocket
• Jacket: N/A
• Lapel: N/A
• Our Favorite Suit: The Flap Pocket, $85

The Flap Pocket. If you want a pair of pants that's slightly more versatile and dressier than the patch pocket we listed above, then you can always go with the a flap pocket. For those unaware of a what a flap pocket is, flap pockets are rectangular welt pockets sewn onto the pants that have a flap you can open and close to your liking. Patch pockets can be dressed up for your regular degular suit, or paired casually with a blazer. Your choice on this one.

• Best For: The Office, Corporate Events, Cocktail/Evening
• Pants: Jetted Pocket
• Jacket: N/A
• Lapel: N/A
• Our Favorite Suit: Charles Tyrwhitt Birdseye Ultimate Performance Suit Jacket, $389

The Jetted Pocket. What exactly is a jetted pocket you might ask? A jetted pocket means that there is also a pocket sewn into the inner part of your jacket as opposed to just pockets on the outside. That's it—a pocket on the inside. A very handy pocket we might add.