How Should a Suit Fit?
A suit is a staple in most men's wardrobes, known for hundreds of years as a sign of sophistication and style. If there is anything that can take away from the look of a suit it’s when it does not fit the wearer properly. Not everybody can afford to get suits completely made from scratch for them, which is why they are often bought from shops. The good news is, suit alterations are available to take these suits from off-the-rack, to perfectly tailored to your body. The fit of the suit can make all the difference to how you look and feel, which is why we are here to tell you all about how a suit should actually fit. Keep reading for all you need to know about the fit of a suit and the alterations available to give you the perfect fit.
What to Look for in a Well-Fitted Suit
Trouser Back
The back of your suit trousers should drape smoothly, sitting loosely against your underwear without becoming too tight against your bum or draping loosely on your thighs. You can typically spot an ill-fitting pair of trousers when there are horizontal wrinkles just under the bum caused by too tight of a fit, or a u-shape sag on the back of the thighs when the trousers are too large. It is much easier to adjust a pair of trousers that are too large, so if you are trying to decide between two sizes go for the larger pair and then visit a seamstress.
Trouser Break
The break of the trousers is the small wrinkle that appears on the top of your shoe that stops your trouser cuff from falling to its full length and dragging on the floor. The perfect fitting break should be a small, subtle feature that creates one horizontal crease so it looks the perfect length and not too long or short. You want the break to rest on top of your shoe and have contact, but not much more than that and definitely not longer than the heel of your shoe. This is quite a simple adjustment to make, and as mentioned in the previous post if you are torn between sizes always go for the longer pair. It is much easier to cut material off than try and find extra material.
Shoulders
A well-fitted suit should have the shoulders lie flat. You want the seam on the top of the shoulders to be the same length as the bone in your shoulder, meeting the sleeve of the suit right where your arm naturally meets your shoulder. If when you put on your suit jacket the seam that connects the sleeve to the jacket is either hiked up or dangling too far down, the jacket doesn’t fit properly. When this happens you’ll get a ripple effect that creates a lump or creates a wrinkle on the top of the jacket. Alterations can help this, though you are better off starting with a larger jacket as it is easier to take in than let out.
Jacket Closure
One of the key parts of trying on a suit should be checking how the jacket closes over your body. It is typical for men to have their suit buttoned when standing, then undoing it when sitting, so you should always check the fit of the suit while you are standing. The button of your jacket should close without any strain and not cause wrinkling from the closure. Taking in or letting out the waist to help the jacket close more comfortably is not a difficult adjustment for professional seamstresses, but it does have limitations. Your seamstress will be able to help you see what can be changed about the jacket to achieve the desired fit, and also offer some tips on which style of jacket would be best for your body shape.
Jacket Sleeves
When wearing a suit you want about a half an inch of the shirt cuff to be visible beyond the cuff of the jacket. This is, however, a general guideline and not something to be too particular about, it is more about your personal style and what makes you the most comfortable. Something you do need to be aware of is that the sleeve doesn’t rise up too high and show the cuff entirely, which makes the jacket look like it is too small for you. On the opposite end, you don’t want the jacket sleeve to entirely hide the shirt sleeve as it will make the suit jacket look too large on you.
Everybody has different length arms, which is why it is best to get this aspect tailored to your personal preference. The right sleeves can really make a difference to the overall look and fit of a suit.
A well-fitted suit can make all the difference, and every man should have at least one staple suit that they can just throw on and know it fits them perfectly. If you are looking for suit alterations, our professional alterations team will be able to assess your suit and help you understand all of the aspects that need to be adjusted to your body.
Get in touch with us today for a consultation.