How wide your lapels should be, how to pack a dress shirt and when to wear sneakers with a suit .

To DB or not DB? That is the question. Once you’ve decided that the answer is a double-breasted suit over the more usual single-breasted number, how wide or narrow should the lapels be? We provide some guidelines, below, along with some advice on how to combine Chuck Taylors with tailoring.

Chances are you’re packing a suitcase in the next few weeks. Those of you in the US who are heading away for the 4 July long weekend might well be doing so today. The garments that always seem to crease more than any other are dress shirts. When packing, you’ve got to know when to roll ’em, know when to fold ’em, as the song so nearly goes. Read on for our suggestion of the best way to fold your shirts.

Keep your questions coming, and check in next Friday when we will answer another three of the best. Until then, we’ll leave you humming that insidious Mr Kenny Rogers earworm on loop.

I’m 5ft 8in. How wide should the lapels be on a double-breasted jacket?

@kierencheung, via Instagram

It partly depends how wide you are, and how tall. It’s all about harmonious proportions, and it’s very much a visual test rather than reading sizes off a chart because even things such as your head size come into it.

The general rule is: the bigger your frame, the broader you can afford to go with your lapels, and vice versa. For someone smaller of stature, I would certainly err on the slimmer, narrower side or you could look like you’re wearing your dad’s suit.

Fit is crucial, too. A well-fitted DB jacket is flattering because it naturally creates a commanding V shape that’s broad in the shoulders and chest, narrower at the waist. Make sure there’s no overhang at the shoulders or roomy excess fabric when buttoned up, which will look boxy. Likewise, you don’t want to see any pulling or strain at the buttons or the lapels because when it comes to fit, too tight is just as unflattering as too big.

It’s important that the proportions of the overall ensemble agree, too. So, for example, you should never wear too narrow a shirt collar and too skinny a tie with a generously lapelled suit. The shirt collar points ought to tuck just under the lapels of a DB jacket. Going back to the visual test, a correctly proportioned DB jacket is a bit like a good football referee. It should almost go unnoticed, people shouldn’t register it straight away. But if it somehow looks off – too wide or too skinny – then it probably is.

How do you best pack dress shirts to avoid creases?

@mkoed, via Instagram

YouTube is awash with instructional videos on how to pack clothes. I’ve watched a lot of them, so you don’t have to, and the demonstration at the end of this one is the most useful (skip to 1.42). Some experts advocate rolling instead of folding, which tends to work better for garments made out of thicker material than cotton poplin. With dress shirts, it’s difficult to avoid creasing altogether, to be honest. However, you can keep the bib front – the main part on display – wrinkle free if you pack it in much the same way as you will have unpacked it when you bought it, or how you might see them stacked in a shop.

Basically, it's folded in thirds lengthwise, and then into thirds again in the opposite direction, so that it becomes a rectangle. First of all, button up the freshly pressed shirt and place it on its front on a table, smooth it down and fold the sleeves in across the back, doubling back on themselves. Smooth down and then fold each side lengthways in towards the middle, in line with the placket and buttons. Then fold the shirt in thirds from the bottom and smooth out to create a nice neat, flat rectangle. Finally, place the shirt in cellophane from the dry cleaners as this will greatly reduce creases in transit.

Try not to overstuff your suitcase. When you arrive at your destination, put the shirt on a hanger immediately. A quick steam in the bathroom while you take a hot shower is supposed to reduce wrinkles, but I find a quick 30-second once-over with an iron is much more effective.

What are your thoughts on wearing Chuck Taylors with a suit?

Mr Ashton Porter, via Facebook

Context is everything. Consider the event and its expected dress code and level of formality. Such a look is not going to be appropriate for a black-tie dinner or a respectful occasion such as a funeral. And be careful there’s not a jarring sartorial disconnect between the sneakers and the rest of the outfit. Chucks worn with structured tailoring, a formal shirt and tie and pocket square would be too much of a visual mismatch. These sneakers would be a better fit with a more casual unstructured jacket (preferably single-breasted) and a T-shirt, or a tie worn schoolboyishly askew with the top button undone.

Do I think Chuck Taylors and a suit make a good combination? Yes. They are an iconic shoe that will never date. They are slim in terms of last and silhouette so won’t look too bulky when worn under tailored trousers. They can be worn by men of all ages from teenagers even to men in their sixties and can take years off the wearer without making him look like he’s dressing too young. And they help soften what might otherwise be a stiff look. For the Chucks, I would stick to monochrome colours – black, white, maybe grey, maybe navy – and keep them clean, courtesy of Jason Markk sneaker cleaner and fresh laces.