The Journal — Wardrobe

Charcoal is the most serious color in men's suiting. It is the color of authority — of the partner at the firm, the senior executive at the table, the person who has stopped needing to announce themselves and lets the clothing do it quietly. A well-made charcoal suit, properly fitted, is one of the most powerful garments in professional dressing.

If a man owns one suit, it should be navy. If he owns ten, one of them should be navy. The navy suit is the most versatile garment in men's professional tailoring — more adaptable than charcoal, more formal than grey, more interesting than black. It is the suit that works.

The honest answer depends on how often you wear suits and what occasions you face. The question is less about a number and more about a hierarchy — what to own first, what to add second, and when the wardrobe is genuinely complete for your life.

New York in July is a specific challenge. The temperature on the street is 90 degrees with humidity that makes fabric stick to skin. Three blocks of walking produce enough warmth that the suit you entered the taxi in feels like a different garment by the time you arrive. And yet: the meeting is at 9am, the dinner is at 7pm, and neither context will forgive arriving visibly disheveled.