Ok folks, after many years of buying and selling suits on Ebay, I find there are a few basics that you need to master.

1)  Know your size!  If you don't, go to a local men's store and try on jackets or have a sales person measure you.  Also, too big is better than too small!

2) Find a TAILOR!!!  These guys are worth their weight in gold....here's why:  You don't have to get exactly your physical size.  Even a new suit will require some minor alterations and you still pay for them....most drycleaners offer alteration services at very reasonable prices.

3)  What can be altered and what cannot?  Slacks generally can be altered easily for the waist...in or out 1-2" is generally acceptable without throwing off the "balance" of the slacks.  The length can be altered to the max of what is available or shortened indefinitely.  Cuffs generally go with pleated slacks, and no cuffs with "flat front", this is not a hard rule and preference should decide....typically shorter men will look taller with uncuffed slacks.  On the jackets: Sleeves can easily be lengthened or shortened, the collars can be raised or lowered so it will fit smoothly next to your shirt...allow 1" of the shirt collar to show.  The back of jackets can generally be "taken in" if you like a tighter fit to the body.

4)  The most expensive suit will look terrible if it is not fit for your body type...Italian/European suits typically fit slimmer men better, American suits are cut better for larger men.   3 button suits are better suited for thin men...two button and double breasted fit the average guy better and give a slimming effect.  Also, get a dress shirt that fits properly, most guys wear the collars too small and sleeves too short..1/2"-1" of shirt cuff should show past the jacket cuff.  Also, don't let that Armani suit fall onto old worn out shoes...fine leather dress shoes separate the men from the boys, and trust me, she'll notice!  A new tie can also be purchased on Ebay for way under retail...the novelty ties should be left in the 80s...

5) An older suit will have a slimmer cut to it...just a fact of life

6) Tags cannot always be reliable due to the age of the suit, possible past alterations or inexperience of the seller in establishing the true size of a suit.  Subtract 10 from the European jacket size to get the American size (50-10 = 40)

7)  "I bought a suit on Ebay, it just doesn't fit me", this happens to all of us...first see your tailor, if he cannot help you it is best to take it as a learning experience, resell the suit, or donate it to charity...it takes a few Ebay buys to learn all the nuances of buying a used suit, but once you establish your size and best designers /styles for your body shape, you'll laugh all the way to the bank with the money you will save over retail.

8)  Buy/Read Alan Flusser's "Dressing the Man", a definitive guide to men's style and fashion, bar none!

9) Have fun, no one is an expert at this overnight.