When it comes to starter suits, the dark gray two-piece charcoal suit gets the professional's nod. While navy is more formal, charcoal complements more men's complexions. In the case of the young man, navy's starkness frequently accentuates a pubescent face.

The dark gray dress suit empowers the knowing wearer with unrivaled flexibility. It can be accessorized with a white dress shirt and dark tie for uptown, black turtleneck or T-shirt for downtown. Such fashion fluidity makes the charcoal two-piece the blazer of male suits. As the well-heeled Milanese's most worshiped worsted, the perennially stylish charcoal affords the maturing master of the universe a neutral canvas on which to rough out the morning's vestiary possibilities, readily accommodating a larger variety of colored or patterned furnishings than any other single suit shade.