Men’s suits are one of the most important formal basic wear in any men’s wardrobe. Every man should have at least one suit.

However, there are times when one needs to be officially attired like attending a formal occasion or a job interview which cannot be done without a proper suit.

Suits project the man’s confidence and power in business as well as stylish masculinity during formal situations. Therefore, choosing the right suit for your wardrobe is important.

Therefore, there is a choice of either having tailored suits or getting it off-rack. Tailored suits are individualized and customized specifically to fit at its best for each man’s different body frame.

So it is important to know the basics in the making of a suit to make it look best on you. Off-rack suits are readily available and possibly designed with the latest trend in mind.

However, it might not be able to fit you as perfectly since it is produced base on the frame of an average man. Having good knowledge on the basics in the makings of a suit will help in making better choice of purchase for both tailored and off-rack suits.

Types of suit jackets

• Single-breasted suits

These are the basic style of most suits with front buttons in a single straight row. There is a choice of two or three buttons.

• Double-breasted suits

This suit jacket has a front overlap with two sets of buttons on each. This is often seen as a more formal suit worn by older men.

• Sport Jackets

These jackets are more of a casual look and can be worn with jeans or casual pants.

What constitutes a good suit fit?

For either off-rack suit or tailor-made, it is importantly to know these indicators when trying on the suit for any alternation if necessary. But details like shoulders and reveres can never be altered after finishing.

• Shoulders

These are important. It is where the suit is going to hang and wrap from. Focus first on the shoulder padding used.
The preferred style should be one with soft sloping shoulders to give an overall relax, comfortable, and a smart look.

If you have a very sloping shoulder then it would make sense to have heavier padding to level up the shoulders. Ensure that the width at the shoulders provide enough room for the fabric to flow smoothly from the shoulder to the sleeves.

If made too narrow, the middle deltoids are likely to swell out at the area between the shoulders and start of the sleeves. If too wide, it can shrink the overall frame of the man.

Of importance to note in men’s suits fit around shoulders is taking the shoulder's relativity against the size of the head, waistline, and neck width.

The fabric around the shoulder back and front has to be wrapped flat with fullness without signs of strain or looseness.

• Armholes and Sleeves

Armholes need enough space for easy slipping of the arms into it and moving it freely. High armholes provide a good wrap. When trying on the suit, make big hand movements to realise lifts of the whole jacket up.

The armhole portion at the armpit should not be tight and irritate the armpits. There should be ample space to feel comfortable where swinging arms to avoid cracks between the armpit and the fabric.

The sleeves has to end around mid wrist bone where the wrist breaks with the hand. Therefore, a general criterion in fit assessment is to do it with both arms by the sides and review where the sleeves end.

• Gorge

Is the portion where the collar and reveres meet extending down to the first button. Shifts in fashion trends have influenced the highs and lows of the gorge.

Having it too high would closely imitate the 1950s era while too low resembles the 1980s trend. The width should be played around very often during different fashion trends in various decades.

For proper fit, make sure the size of the reveres is symmetrically to the body frame and shoulders. In order to avoid the suit getting out of fashion over time, stay classic in design and not get too deep into one particular fashion trend unless.

Collars should always hug around the back of your neck. There must not be any gathering or strain meaning the fit is not right.

• Waist

Fasten the waist button and then place both arms by the sides. If there is any foldings or pulls at the button holes or buttons seemingly popping out, then the fit is too tight around waist.

There are some jackets tapered at the waist, and still no recognition of such negative effect after fastening the waist button. But remember that the suit’s shape and wrap should be smooth and flat.

• Suit pants

It should always rest on waist not the hips. Resting on hips would mean the waist is too big or the pant’s rise needs adjustments higher.

Make sure the pant’s rise provides a good fit at the crotch of the pants but giving enough room for comfort. The pant’s wrap over the lower body should also be smooth and float over the legs. It must not flare like hip-hop pants.

The length of the pants will cover at least a quarter the top part of the shoes. Try walking around in the suit pants to tell if too much of the socks are being revealed. Pants with suitable length would only show your socks delicately.

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