6 Tips for Building and Preserving Your Suit Collection, from Suitsupplys Nish de Gruiter

Buy the basics first.

Your first few suits should be versatile navy or gray basics. Thisll allow you to make a third outfit by matching up the gray pants with a navy jacket. Throw on a solid white or light blue shirt and you can practically triple your options. After those essentials, go for something sportier.

Dont size up.

Sometimes guys go up a size for a bit of extra space or comfort, or hiding a bit of unwanted weight. This will usually end up making him look like a kid wearing his dads suit. Remember, there should always be a bit of shirt cuff showing. This not only protects the jacket sleeve, but gives off that slim, proportional appeal that a modern, well-tailored suit should have.

Know an S150 from an S100.

Wool is sorted by its S or Super number, a unique classification of quality and performance. Higher numbers, say, S140s or S150s, suggest that the wool fiber, like silk or cashmere, is extremely fine. Suits in this class are delicate and not the best for frequent, everyday wear. S100s and S110s, on the other hand, have a thicker fiber diameter. This is definitely the way to go for a suit thats going to get a lot of use.

Get a feel for canvas.

Canvas is a free-floating layer of material between the outer fabric and lining of the suit. Suitsupplys canvas is made from a blend of horsehair and camel hair. This allows the suit to retain its shape and naturally conform to the individuals body type. Full-canvas suits feature this special layer all throughout the front of the jacket, while a half-canvas suit cuts off around mid-chest.

To preserve your suit jacket, take it off.

Those who have long commutes or spend their day at a desk should remove their jackets while working or driving. The constant rubbing of the sleeves against a desk, or the subtle strain put on fabric while driving or doing any sort of strenuous activity can deform or fade the fabric.

Invest in a quality steamer.

A steamer is a great way to get rid of wrinkles and odors. Until you buy one, you can always hang your suit up while you shower and the steam will remove [both].

This article is part of the Birchbox Man 31-Day Challenge for January 2015. Click to see all daily challenges and to learn how you can win sweet stuff all month.