Jay-Z shows the Rest of the Forbes 400 How to Dress

The most delightful thing in the Forbes 400, our annual ranking of the 400 richest people in America? The photograph of dapper rapper Jay-Z and billionaire investor Warren Buffett (No. 2 on our list) drinking strawberry malts and chatting about business, success and philanthropy with Steve Forbes. Perhaps Jay-Z picked up some investing tips during the time he spent with Buffett, or maybe the Oracle of Omaha picked up some of the hip hop mogul’s sartorial savvy. Come to think of it, most of the billionaires on our list (ehem, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg) could learn a thing or two about dressing from Jay-Z–who really stepped up his game for his meeting with Buffett. Let’s take a look.

I want to point out that Jay-Z does not look at all trendy here. He is wearing a classic suit in a conservative color–navy blue–that is not cut too slim (as is the fashion now) but that fits him, a simple detail that manages to elude even the wealthiest businessmen. The first fashion lesson to glean from Jay-Z: Get a tailor.

Second, show some cuff. Notice the length of the jacket sleeve: he’s showing about an inch–perhaps a bit more–of his white shirt cuff underneath. I can’t tell if he’s wearing cufflinks, but if he is, extra points to him.

Third, wear a pocket square. I don’t know why more men don’t wear pocket squares: They can easily individualize and spruce up any old suit. And they’re so versatile–they can make you look polished and professional or dandy-ish and outrageous, depending on your preference. Jay-Z’s is a vibrant Dutch blue, like his tie, but not in the same pattern–ties and pocket squares should compliment, but not match, each other.

And last, I love the tie. It’s not what I would pick out for someone to wear, but it has a lot of personality without being overly loud. The fact that the tie is blue plaid and has some navy to tie it down to the navy suit helps. Again, Jay-Z shows that he doesn’t care so much about trends by opting for a wider tie. But the look is great on him, and it helps him stand out from the crowd.

So, billionaires, businessmen, aspiring media and entertainment moguls. Look at this photo of Jay-Z: study it, memorize it, tape it to your closet door, learn from it.

Courtesy of Forbes.com
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