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dressy lurking in the depths of your closet somewhere. And while a business outfit is not the best solution for a formal event, it's better than a denim skirt and a sweater with clumpy boots or the eternal pair of black pats teamed up with a so-so white shirt (an outfit that makes you look like one of the waiters serving at the event rather than one of the guests). A sharp business suit or dress can at least be dressed up to get a little bit closer to the formal event standards.

Everyone - to avoid discomfort with your formal attire (or any attire for that matter) get yourself measured by someone who knows what he/she is doing. Most dry cleaners do alterations and know how to take basic measurements (bust, waist, hips, the measurement from the nape of the neck to the knee and to the floor for the ladies; waist and inseam, neck and sleeve length, shoulder width for the gentlemen). If you do not think that your friendly local dry cleaner's associate qualifies, go to a clothing store (Men's Warehouse or S&K for the gentlemen, any place that sells formal wear or perhaps even a wedding store for the ladies). Write these measurements down. Ladies, as embarrassing as it might be, get yourself measured for the right bra size (any Victoria's Secret store will be happy to help you out with that) - two thirds of women out there wear wrong bras, and that can very much make or break your look.

Once you have your measurements, the sky is your limit. Gentlemen, look for places that sell suit separates or places that offer you an option to change out pants or jacket in a suit. The reason being that most suits go by the largest size - if you have broad shoulders and narrow hips, your jacket will fit but the pants will be too large. So, find out where you can get matching pieces that fit your upper and lower body appropriately. Find a brand of shirts you like and try several - as odd as it is, for some reason 16-1/2" for Van Heusen is not the same as 16-1/2" for Paul Frederick (I don't know why that is - it's really frustrating).

Once you have found the brand and the size that fits, write it down - that way you'll be able to order on line. In general, one of the best places to buy suits and shirts (as well as ties, shoes and socks) is an outlet - they usually include some good brand name stores (Van Heusen, Hagger, Ralph Lauren, etc.), but everything is available at a fraction of the original price. Plus, shirts are neatly arranged with matching ties, which makes things a lot

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