How to tell if a suit fits
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by James Gallichio
A man will never look better than when he is wearing a high quality, well-fitted suit. Suits are designed to accentuate all of a man’s best features; they can be made to enhance the broadness of the shoulders, elongate the body and smooth away the bulges many portly gentlemen may be hiding in their bellies.
When a suit fits incorrectly, however, the opposite happens – rather than looking magnificent, he looks unkempt. Many men have trouble in this area, as pushy sales staff are oftentimes all too quick to put you in a suit that does not fit you correctly. There are three general ways in which a gentleman can purchase a suit: off-the-rack, altered from a block or tailor made from scratch. In the latter two scenarios, a tailor will fit the jacket and pants to match your body shape, which makes the selection process as easy as choosing a fabric and cut. However, when buying a suit off the rack, which is far more common and less expensive, the process is much more difficult; you’re on your own, and many men don’t know where to start.
Which begs the question: How do you tell whether a suit fits correctly? Here are some handy rules of thumb that can help you to find the best suit for you body.
0. Before You Leave the House
First of all, when shopping for a new suit, you need to dress for the occasion. Most importantly, you need to wear your favourite dress shirt – the shirt that fits you well and that you will be wearing with your suit. There is no point in shopping for a suit while wearing a t-shirt, flannel or anything in between – as this will give you a false perception of how the suit actually fits you. Bring along a tie, if you plan on wearing one with your new suit.
Similarly, you should wear a pair of thin dress socks as well as dress shoes. This will help when fitting your pants, as the hem should fall gently along the laces of your shoe.
1. The Shoulder
As we discuss with all of our image consulting clients, the shoulder is the most important part of the jacket. If the shoulder fits correctly, the rest of the jacket can be altered quite easily to fit your own individual body shape. If the shoulder is too small, it will make your head look huge; while if the shoulder is too big, it will make your head look tiny.
How to tell if it fits: The jacket shoulder should snugly along your shoulder, without any extra fabric or padding overhanging your arms’ natural slope.
If it doesn’t fit, you should: not buy it. The shoulder is the one part of a jacket that should not be altered, as doing so will not only be quite expensive but will also change the jacket’s natural design. Quite simply, if the shoulder doesn’t fit, then the jacket doesn’t fit.
2. The Lapel
Jacket lapels come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Whatever style you select, it must fit your body correctly. If your jacket’s lapel is too tight, it will look as though you’re overweight; while if it’s too large, it will make you look as though you’re pubescent.
How to tell if it fits: For a 1-button suit, do up the lone button; for a 2-button suit, do up the top button; for a 3-button suit, do up the top two buttons. With your arms by your sides, your jackets’ lapels should be sitting snug and flush with your chest. If they bulge at all, then your jacket is too small.
If it doesn’t fit, you should: avoid buying the jacket. Altering the lapel of a jacket is possible, however it will require your tailor to alter the side-seams of your jacket which will change the way the midsection of the jacket sits on your body. This will also ruin the natural design of patterned fabrics, particularly pinstripes, as they will no longer sit vertically along your body if the sides are altered. Avoid this at all costs.
3. The Jacket Sleeve
The jacket sleeve is one of the most noticeable aspects of an ill-fitting suit. A poorly fitted sleeve will make the wearer look as though the suit is borrowed, and can easily be avoided through alterations.
How to tell if it fits: The sleeve of your jacket should come up to the base of your hand, and should show off 1-2cm of your shirt cuff.
If it doesn’t fit, you should: take it to a tailor. Sleeves can be altered relatively inexpensively if they are a few cm too small or too large.
4. The Trouser Waist
Regardless of how well your jacket fits, if your pants do not match your body shape, your suit will look disproportioned and unflattering. The waist of your pant should be comfortable yet snug.
How to tell if it fits: Your pants should stay comfortably on your body without the aid of a belt. If you need a belt to keep your pants up, the pants do not fit
If it doesn’t fit, you should: take it to a talior. Having a pair of pants taken in along the waist is relatively inexpensive – but, really, why not just buy a pair of pants that fits you in the first place?
5. The Trouser Legs
The shape of your trouser leg dictates the fit of the pants, and varies widely for different cuts and styles.
How to tell if it fits: Trousers should fall straight down your leg, without any creasing or bulges, with the hem of the pants falling right along the laces of your shoe.If it doesn’t fit, you should: visit a tailor. Pants can be taken in along the seams without much hassle – however, due to the lack of excess fabric in the seams, we advise against taking out the trouser legs.
Buying a suit off-the-rack need not be a difficult task. By knowing what to look for when choosing one of these suits, a gentleman can look absolutely stunning for a fraction of the cost of a tailored suit.
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