September 13, 1987
WHEN TO BREAK THE RULES
By LAUREL GRAEBER

LEAD: Like most rules, dictates on dress are made to be broken.

Like most rules, dictates on dress are made to be broken.

But in the traditional arena of men's clothing, any attempt to combine authority with flair is bound to raise disturbing questions. Can a man introduce a striking cut into his wardrobe without drawing more attention to his clothes than his work? Are lavender ties elegant or merely egregious? Is a predilection for plaids or paisleys best kept - well, in the closet?

The answer, according to retailers in the United States and abroad, is that few men today should feel bound by rigid principles or by clothing itself. Within certain limits - and there are a few - you can expect more flexibility both in the cut of a suit and in your choice of accessories.

''What was formerly thought of as the right thing - the Ivy League look, with a fitted and narrow cut - is not today's thinking or any day's thinking,'' asserts Murray Pearlstein, owner and president of Louis, Boston, the men's specialty store. ''Why should you be uncomfortable just because you're wearing a suit? We've developed styling that's much more easy. The shoulders have some breadth, there's room in the back, and the waist is trim like the man's. It's a sumptuous and elegant way to dress, and it doesn't break any rules.''

By ''rules,'' most men's-wear merchants are referring to that elusive quality, taste. If a man has it, he can get away with considerable flair, no matter what his profession. And even the man who isn't so confident of his choices can still wear the new, roomier silhouette.

''The buzzword today is power,'' notes the designer Garrick Anderson, who also has a custom business for clients. ''The new suits have a broader chest and shoulders that are derived from the late 1930's and 40's, when movie stars created a bigger image, because they had to look larger than life.'' However, this silhouette is still understated, and if a man wants to wear it with a little more flair, he may opt for a suit that has a ventless jacket or one that's double-breasted.

''Non-vented is a little cleaner and more updated,'' says Wally Naymon, owner of Kilgore Trout, a men's specialty store in Cleveland. ''And in the right situation - perhaps not for making calls on customers, but in the office - the man in a double-breasted suit looks as if he really knows what he's doing.''

In single-breasted styles, most men's-wear retailers still favor a two-button jacket with a lower button placement, which they say is comfortable and allows a man to show off his shirt and tie. Finally, they note that trousers are complementing the new fuller jackets, in that more of them are pleated - and should be .

''People don't understand why pleats came into being,'' claims Joe Silverberg, chairman and chief executive officer of Bigsby & Kruthers, the Chicago specialty store. ''But they have a function -they make you feel more comfortable.'' Cuffs, too, are an across-the-board favorite. ''The trouser hangs better with a cuff,'' emphasizes Silverberg. ''And it's more of a power look.''

But if the cut of a suit can empower, its fabric can overpower. In pattern, the old rule of understatement usually applies.

''You can go for a lot of style in the cut of the garment if the fabric is conservative,'' explains James Lexier, men's buyer for Perkins Shearer, the Denver specialty store. ''Like an Armani double-breasted navy pin-stripe suit.''

This is not to say, however, that men can choose from nothing but charcoals and pin stripes. Paler shades of gray are considered an elegant but businesslike look. Unexpected colors, such as teal, rose and lavender, also are appearing in subtle patterns, weaves and stripes. And there's nothing wrong with wearing a plaid to the office, unless you happen to be in England. There, according to Ashley Lloyd-Jennings, director of Hackett, a London tailor and specialty store, the prohibition against it is ''quite categorical.'' Why? ''It isn't done,'' he says crisply.

Although it's certainly done here, men's-wear retailers caution that it had better not be overdone.

''We don't want big plaids,'' says Jerry Lauren, vice president of men's design for the Polo Ralph Lauren Corp. ''We're not all the Duke of Windsor. And (Continued on Page 46) if you're not the original, you're a clown.'' The best choices, according to retailers, are subtle plaids or perhaps an overplaid in one of the new, vibrant colors.

If a man really wants self-expression, the stores add, he should look to his accessories. ''Where you can take a risk is on the shirt and tie,'' says Anderson. ''The tie first, the shirt second.'' Ironically, this is also the category in which retailers cite the most rules: A man's tie should cover his belt buckle and be in balance with his collar and lapels - no wide collars and very slender ties. He must always wear his socks over the calf, so that no flesh shows if he crosses his legs. Under no circumstances should his tie and pocket square match, a look that retailers on both sides of the Atlantic consider hopelessly overdone. And whatever a man thinks of President Reagan's leadership, a number of stores emphasize that he is definitely not the one to emulate in the tying of a tie.

''Someone should work on his knot,'' says Lexier, noting that the President habitually ties a full Windsor. ''It calls attention to his throat.'' More flattering, the experts say, is the classic narrow knot known as the ''four-in-hand.''

But while observing these matters of form, a man can still enjoy freedom. In neckwear, almost any color but orange is considered acceptable. And although a slightly wider shirt collar - a modified spread is a big favorite - is recommended for the more fluid suits, a man can select just about anything that's in proportion with his garments. Cuffs, too, are a matter of preference, but french cuffs will add a touch of elegance. And as for pairing a patterned suit with a patterned shirt and tie, Murray Pearlstein, for one, believes that not only can you do it, but you should.

''With a bold shirt, we'd like a tie that carries that boldness through - in intensity,'' he stresses, ''not loudness. They then cancel each other out a little bit. If the patterned suit, shirt and tie are coordinated in the right way, each by itself has lost the ability to overpower -and that's the art of dressing right.''

Not all men, however, possess this self-assurance. For one who's very conservative, slenderness and subtlety - the thin stripe, the small design on a tie - are probably the key to pattern mixing. ''With a Prince of Wales plaid, a thick stripe on a shirt is a mistake,'' believes Lionel Gassouk of Arthur & Fox, a custom tailor and men's shop in Paris. ''But with a nice narrow stripe, I think it's very elegant.''

A man can take greater risk with articles not usually seen. Chipp, the New York City specialty store, provides customers with a wide range of brightly patterned jacket linings. Others point to the popularity of suspenders in a warm shade or with a wry motif.

''We have a sock with a brightly colored toe and heel,'' says Lloyd-Jennings of Hackett. ''You don't know that they're there until the shoe is off. It's like wearing garish boxer shorts - it's only when you get to that intimate moment that anyone actually realizes their presence.''

When a stylish item of apparel is going to be viewed by all, however, a man should consider his environment. At no time, say retailers, should he outdress his boss. He should also suit his physique. Although a short man, for example, can wear a double-breasted suit, a portly one is not likely to look his best in a plaid with wide lapels. Most important, however, is feeling comfortable with the clothes. A man who is confident in his style is more likely to impress others.

''I know guys who wear this shirt very easily and others who wouldn't be caught dead in it,'' says Anderson, referring to a fuchsia-and-white-striped shirt that he pairs with a chartreuse bow tie. ''And why should I tell them to wear it? I have customers who will only wear white shirts, and they should - because they feel comfortable in them.''

However a man chooses his accessories, if he is really dressed well, the retailers say, others will remember his style, but not his individual garments.

''Really, what makes a man stand out is the cut of his suit,'' says Jim Winston, vice president of Chipp. ''If he's got a flair, it may mean that he wears a colorful silk foulard pocket square, or an interesting striped shirt, or has a distinctive pattern on the suit. But that's like the cherry or the whipped cream on the sundae. What sets a man apart,'' he emphasizes, ''is the quality of the ice cream.''

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