Menswear Tips (for the Woman who dresses in Drag)

They call me Billy "The Jack." On Friday and Saturday nights, I work for Lili's Burlesque Review in Minneapolis. I'm the well dressed man who works the Little Red Room, where I see a good number of women in drag, wearing men's suits. I've seen a few who have looked stunning and natural, but most women don't quite pull it off well. Think about the male in drag who has stubbly cheeks, clownish makeup and lumpy, unnatural looking boobs. A badly dressed woman in drag is the same.

Like women's fashion, there are certain rules to looking good in whatever you wear. By following these guidelines, you will look great in that suit.

A man's suit of clothes includes the jacket, vest (optional), slacks, shirt, tie, shoes and socks, belt or braces (suspenders), and the pocket square.

There are two types of suit jackets: one that buttons up the center is called "single breasted," and a "double breasted" jacket buttons over itself like what the Italian gangsters on TV wear. A single breasted jacket will have one, two, three, or four buttons, (five or more is excessive), but you never button the bottom button of a single breasted jacket, unless there is only one.. I think that most women would look best in a three or four button single breasted jacket: because of it's cut, it should de-emphasize your breasts. If your features are round or if you're a little rotund, try the double breatsed suit: it's lines will give you a slimming, more angular look. It doesn't matter what color you choose, but for a more formal look, a black suit is best. Pinstripes are less formal, but they're more classy!

Your jacket sleeves should never hang lower than your wrist, because you'll want the edge of your shirt cuffs to show. For the length of the jacket, stand in a natural position with your fingers in their relaxed state; the jacket should be hang about the same length. Unless you're a body builder, the jacket will always be a bit big in the shoulders: a little extra shoulder padding should take care of that problem without need for tailoring, or you could get a suit in the boy's section.

A vest is purely optional, but at this time, most suits do not have one, so I can't really help you with that.

The Slacks should match the jacket, and they should be cuffed and creased, so that they drape properly. The bottom of your slacks should only cover the tops of your shoes.

A shirt with a button down collar isn't formal, and should be avoided. And never wear a button down collar with a double breasted jacket. The collar shouldn't be wider than the jacket's lapels. When you button the top button, it should be snug enough so that you can only place two or three fingers between the fabric and your skin. The shirt sleeves should only hang to where your thumb joins your hand, and they should only be long enough to do so.

The tie's main purpose is to cover your buttons, and should always be tighted to the top button. If you do not button the top, tighen the tie to the upper most clasped button. It doesn't really matter what kind of knot you use, but the knot should not be wider than the shirt's collar. Your tie should never, ever hang past your pubic bone, nor stick out below the jacket. Ideally, it should just hang just below your belt line. The tie is aslo an individualizing statement, which means that it can be in whatever color and pattern you choose.

Black socks are the best for any suit, but they shouldn't be too much lighter in color and texture to your suit, and your shoes should be well polished. For a more formal look, always go swith hoes that do not rise above your ankles.

Always wear either a belt or braces, and never both. The braces should connect to the pants via inside buttons: clip on suspenders are verboten.

Finally, I belive that a pocket square is a nessecity, but it is usually the most overlooked aspect of a suit. (The pocket square is the hankerchief that resides in your jacket's left breast pocket.) The most common misconception is that the pocket square should exactly match the tie. The pocket square should at least be complimentary to the tie. You can even match the pocket square to your shirt. A white pocket square will always look good with any shirt and tie. And it doesn't matter how the square is folded into the breast pocket; choose the way that you like best.

If you follow these guidelines, You should look stunning! And I hope to see you in all of your finery some night at Lili's Burlesque Revue. If this badly written article helped you in any way to look great in a suit: I drink beer.

-They call him Billy "The Jack" because he knows a little bit about everything: he's a self-reliant individual and curious beyond belief! Among other things, he's been a multi-instrument musician in many local bands, a DJ at First Ave, an audio engineer for live television, and a graphics and web designer. He's produced recordings for The Ed Gein Fan Club, The Divebomb Honey and Reverend Poky Bunge, and he's recorded The Mighty Mofos and The Epoxies live in the Entry. He's the gorgeous, fashionable ugly little bad man wearing the Italian suits in the little red room of Lili's Burlesque, where he does a little bit of everything (except perform). You can find out more at his website.