A well fitted suit to a woman is what lingerie is to a man
A suit is a great staple piece in any man’s wardrobe and every man should have one, even if you don’t need one for your day job as there will always be a function that requires one, be it a wedding, a christening, a funeral or a job interview.
There is a wide variety out there and short of having a bespoke one made by a tailor specific to your measurements and tastes, you’re in the same boat as the majority of the rest of us and will buy off the peg but when doing so just make sure that you buy the best that you can afford.
SINGLE OR DOUBLE BREASTED? TWO OR THREE PIECE?
When buying a suit you initially need to decide if you want single breasted or double breasted and if you want three pieces i.e. a jacket, trousers and a waistcoat or a two piece without the waistcoat.
Taupe three-piece suit from Next.co.uk (find similar here)
A double breasted suit doesn’t tend to come with a waistcoat and I personally buy three pieces whenever possible which are single breasted and a lot of off the peg suits are now made in three pieces.
With a three piece suit you have options; wear the waistcoat and trousers on warmer days and forgo the jacket and still look smart and wear all three pieces on cooler days.
Donegal tweed double breasted suit by Burton Menswear
A single breasted suit simply does up straight up the front and will have one, two or three buttons. One button if fine, three looks a little dated and isn’t particularly on trend right now but two is the best option for most men.
A double breasted suit wraps over itself at the front and will have four or six buttons and the choice here is entirely up to you. A larger gentleman may wish to avoid a double breasted suit as it can accentuate a fuller figure. The lines of a single breasted jacket will give a leaner appearance.
Once you’ve decided that, you then need to consider colour, fabric and fit.
FABRIC
I would personally choose a suit with both wool and manmade fibre as the wool will provide warmth and the manmade fibre will make it longer lasting. If you opt for a slim or skinny fit suit look for something with a touch of elastin so that it has a little bit of stretch, that way you’ll be able to sit without feeling that the trousers are going to cut you in half at any moment or that you’re wearing a pair of flight socks.
Polyester suits are inexpensive but have a horrid sheen when in sunlight, they are cheap and I have seen full suits for just £35 but they look like a £35 suit. Don’t do that to yourself, you’re better than that. Having said that, if this is your first suit and you’re buying it for your prom, go for it as it’ll no doubt end up burned by cigar butts, soaked in cheap cider and vomit and be left in a crumpled heap on some poor girl’s bedroom floor.
COLOUR
The range of colours of men’s suits has never been bigger and options in powder blue, bright purple and even full floral are available along with bold checks and the traditional dog tooth design and pin stripe.
A plain navy or grey suit will suit most occasions but you may want something brighter for a wedding or christening but you can always wear brightly coloured or patterned accessories to lighten the look if you do decided to go for a plain suit. A black suit is good too but is restrictive if it’s going to be your one and only suit and you’re not going to wear it every day.
(Find similar black here, grey here, and navy here.)
Don’t shy away from a pin stripe or checked suit and look at all options, considering which function you will be wearing it for and the versatility of the design/colour.
Navy pin stripe suit £185 by Next (similar here) Brown wool check suit £185 by Next (similar here)
THE FIT
These days you can buy a suit in four different fits:
- Regular fit which is a traditional and slightly looser fit
- Tailored fit which is a little more fitted`
- Slim fit which is very fitted
- Skinny fit which is tight fitting
From tailored to skinny suits – available from Moss Bros – 1, 2, 3, 4 (Find similar here – 1, 2, 3, 4)
Slim fit and skinny fit suits are very on trend right now so if you’re buying your one and only suit with a view to keeping if for 3-5 years I’d suggest a regular or tailored fit as the trend for slim and skinny fit suits will be sure to have moved on by then.
THE JACKET
The jacket sits perfect at the shoulders on this suit by Next
When trying on a jacket, it should fit you comfortably and not restrict your movement (unless you choose a skinny fit suit which is intended to fit very snuggly) Put it on and look at yourself in the mirror. Do the shoulders sit in the correct position? They should not hang past your own shoulders and the seam should sit comfortably at the edge of your own shoulder.
Make sure that you can do the jacket up fully without it stretching and causing creases and puckers in the fabric. On the flip side it should not be baggy and you shouldn’t be able to pull it more than a couple of inches away from your body. Consider what you want to wear under it. A double breasted jacket looks good over a turtle neck sweater so make sure there is enough room for a knit if you feel you may wear one.
Check the length of the jacket too, traditionally it should cover your behind but the current trend is for slightly shorter jackets so don’t be too concerned if the jacket finishes mid butt, so long as it fits correctly in all other areas (particularly the sleeve length). To check the correct jacket length, put your arms by your sides and curl your fingers up under the hem of the jacket. The bottom of the jacket should sit in your curled fingers. Too much fabric in your hand means the jacket is too long. If you can’t touch the bottom hem it may be too short for you (unless you are opting for a shorter design, but check that sleeve length!)
As mentioned above sleeve length is important so while wearing the jacket over a shirt stand again with your arms by your sides. The sleeve should finish at your wrist (around the same area where you wear your watch (where your arm ends and your hand begins). If it sits over your hand it’s too long. If it shows more than an inch or so of shirt cuff it’s too short.
The jacket collar should sit neatly and comfortably around the back of your neck and not feel tight or restrictive and neither should it be baggy and sit away from your neck. The collar will run around the sides of your neck and be attacked to the lapels. These again should sit neatly on your chest and not gape.
A jacket will either have a single vent in the middle at the back or two vents, one on either side of the jacket back. There are no real rules here and I own jackets with both types so it’s down to your personal preference but a larger gentleman may look better with two slits. Please note that when you buy your jacket the rear vents will be stitched shut with a small cross of stitching. This is to maintain the shape of the garment while it is in the store, just make sure you remove it before wearing it!
Your jacket will of course have pockets. It is normal to have one on each side of the outer jacket at the hip and a breast pocket on the left side for your handkerchief and one or two internal breast pockets. Some jackets also have additional pockets both on the outside and inside and again this is down to personal preference. Again pockets will be stitched shut to maintain the structure of the garment while it is for sale; I have heard many men say that they have bought a jacket with fake pockets. This isn’t the case and you’ll need to carefully unpick the stitching on the inside of the pocket once you’ve bought it.
TROUSERS
The current trend is for a flat fronted trouser but you are able to buy versions with pleats at the front which add some fullness at the top of the trousers. This may be beneficial if you are on the larger side.
Skinny fit, regular fit, and pleated front trousers by Burton Menswear
(Find similar skinny fit here, regular fit here, and pleated front trouser here)
Do the trousers up at the waist. Do they feel comfortable? If they are giving you a muffin top, they are too small. If they are sliding down, or you feel the need to hitch them up when walking they are too big. If, when they are done up, you can slide your fingers of a flat hand comfortably just under the waistband without having to breathe in they should be good for you.
The trousers should fall neatly and not be so large that they flap around your legs while walking and not too tight that they get stuck on your calves when you stand up after sitting. Make sure you can sit comfortably in them without feeling like you need to adjust ‘yourself’ if they are too tight at the crotch they quickly become uncomfortable when sitting for that wedding ceremony. Not only that they will be unsightly and may offend the other guess!
The hem of the legs should just sit on the top of your shoes. If the trousers bunch up at your ankles they are too long. If you see more than half an inch of sock, they are too short, although there is a current trend for shorter or cropped trousers. With funky socks or no socks at all being very cool right now trousers seem to have become deliberately shorter to ensure they are shown off.
IN CONCLUSION – MY FIVE SUIT WEARING RULES:
- On a single breasted jacket with two buttons only ever button the top one
- On a single breasted jacket with three buttons only ever button the middle one
- On a double breasted jacket all buttons should be done up
- When sitting undo all jacket buttons
- When wearing a waistcoat always leave the bottom button undone
HAPPY SHOPPING!
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