A man's basic wardrobe

　　Suits

　　A man's basic wardrobe has three primary elements: the suit, the dress shirt and the necktie. The suit is the foundation, the base of your wardrobe. Buying a sui t is one of the most important clothing decisions you'l l make-consider it an investment. If you don't wear a s uit everyday, choose a suit from the gray family and on e from the blue family. You will also need a navy blaze r or sports coat with a pair of Khaki or gray trousers. If you wear a suit everyday, then you should have at le ast one suit for everyday of the week.

　　The sleeves should taper, gradually ending just ove r the wrist so the shirt cuff extends about 1/2 inch be yond the jacket sleeve. The length of the pants in the front should touch the front of the shoe and angle towa rds the back of the shoe to fall just above the heel. C uff or no cuff is a personal choice. A few tips to prol ong the life of your suits:

　　If you wear a suit everyday, daily rotation is esse ntial. Never wear the same suit two days in a row. Afte r wearing a suit, don't necessarily have it dry cleaned . Cleaning can be tough on clothing-and expensive. Afte r wearing a suit, don't immediately hang it in a closet . Let the suit air-out overnight, perferably in a valet . And always purchase the best suit your budget can aff ord.

　　Dress shirts

　　Consider shirts as the second major component of a basic wardrobe. While 100% cotton is the most common fa bric for men's dress shirts, you can find many fine loo king-and less costly-polyester/cotton blend shirts. Som e of the most common fabrics used for dress shirts are: oxford, which has a basket-like weave; pinpoint oxford, which has a finer weave; and broadcloth, a finely woven fabric with a cosswise weave. Whether it's all cotton o r cotton blends, it's a matter of personal preference.

　　You can identify dress shirts by their collar style s. The two most common are the button down and point fo r straight collar. The button down offers a casual, les s dressy look, while the point collar is the most popul ar style for business dress.

　　Neckties

　　Neckties comprise the last of the three major areas in your basic wardrobe. Ties offer the best way to add diversity and style to your wardrobe for the least amou nt of money. People notice ties, sometimes more than an ything else. A good collection can suggest a more expan sive wardrobe than you actually own.

　　Consider just a few basic rules when acquiring ties . Buy several matching ties at the same time you buy a new suit or sports coat. If you want ties for an existi ng suit or coat, take it with you when you shop for tie s. The best ties are made of silk and have a coarse fab ric inside to maintain the shape.

　　Indulge yourself and buy a tie-and have fun. If you make a mistake-which everyone does-hang on to it. You n ever know what will eventually end up in style again.