I’ve only been a lawyer for two years, but already I’ve seen hundreds of my male colleagues commit a serious transgression of Bay Street style rules: the saggy bum. I’m not talking about anatomy, but what happens when a grown man wears his suit pants so low Justin Bieber would approve.
As any tailor will tell you, the mark of a well-dressed man is how his pants fit. Suit pants are designed to complement the male form, and they do this best when they sit at the waist and fall, without getting bunched up, to the top of your shoe. So pull those pants up!
I understand, though, that keeping them up is not always easy. As younger lawyers get used to the stressors of life in law, unexpected weight gain or loss is common — and suddenly, your suit pants don’t fit. (No? Just me?) Luckily, the solution is simple: a hand-stitched English bridle-leather belt.
Is it necessary to get so specific? A thousand times yes. Learn from the rookie mistake I made as an articling student when I thought a cheap bonded leather belt would suffice. One day, while heading into a client meeting, my belt snapped in half.
I found myself holding onto my loose pants lest they fall down. Not the best look for a student trying to make a good impression.
So if you haven’t invested in a good belt, it’s time to buckle up. My favourite source for bridle-leather belts? Equusleather.co.uk. They make them with the same leather used in horse saddles, and the belts start at about $150. You won’t find anything like it in Canada. Plus, if it’s good enough for a Kentucky Derby-winning thoroughbred, it’s good enough for you.
Christopher Kalantzis is an assistant Crown attorney with the Ministry of the Attorney General and a referee for the Canadian Fencing Federation
This story is from our Summer 2016 issue.