Perfect Suit Guide
When making a suit, there are literally thousands of fabric styles and cuts to choose from, but if I had to pick one suit to wear for the rest of my life, it would be the one I’m wearing right now. My name is I Myers, owner of the UK’s largest bespoke Taylor, and I’m about to break down why. Let’s start by talking about the materials in this suit. Use the free Dress Shirt Size Calculator
Materials
Cloth Type
Starting with cloth type, the cloth you choose will determine how the suit drapes, how much shape we can build into it, and how well it breathes. This is a linen suit. It comes from the flax plant, and the great thing about it is that it’s super lightweight, super breathable, and perfect. The underlying fiber creases and bends more easily, which is why you see wrinkling in the suit. Luxury cloths like vicuna, mohair, and Cashmere all come from animals. Everything you need to know about How to Buy Suits Online
When we’re looking at super fine hairs, we’re talking about the finest hairs in the world, and with a vicuña, you are literally picking up the finest hair on the planet, which gives a soft, Beautiful Finish to the garment. However, because the fibers are so thin, they don’t have the rigidity and resilience of a thicker fiber, so they’re not going to last as long
For my own suit, I went with Merino wool. It comes from Merino sheep, a breed mostly raised in Australia and well known for its dense, heavy fleece made up of very fine fibers. Fine hairs make for a suit that wears well, lasts well, and is extremely breathable. A complete explanation of Men’s Suit Sizes
It’s good for most climates. It’s going to keep you warmer in the winter and Wick away some of the heat in the summer. It’s also incredibly crease-resistant, so you won’t have to worry as much about wrinkles. All in all, Merino will breathe well, last well, and drape well.
Cloth Origin
The country of origin of the cloth can significantly affect its quality, finish, and style. Although wool cloth can be made in many countries, the three main producers are China, India, and the UK. Although Chinese cloth is exported to many markets around the world, the primary purpose is to supply the factories. Factories there produce millions of garments every year, so Chinese cloth production is driven mainly by volume and low cost rather than top quality.
The jacket on display is cut from Italian cloth, and much like Italy itself, it looks stunning. The fabric has a rich sheen and falls beautifully on the body. It has a beautiful finish, but the downside to Italian cloth is that it tends not to have the same body as other cloths. It looks great, it feels great, but it doesn’t have the longevity and the durability of the cloth that I’m looking for for my suit. Our in-depth guide to Temu Plus Size Fashion Haul
The cloth I ended up using for this suit is British. Most of the cloth in the UK is made in the north of England, in a county called Yorkshire. The cloth tends to have a bit more body, a bit more grit, so typically you’ll find some of the yarns are two-ply. They’ll tend to make it with a little more weight, and they’ll make it with less of a luster, something that’s got more of a matte finish. That’s going to be perfect for something that I want to use for the rest of my life
Super Number
Super number measures the fineness of wool fibers, specifically their diameter in microns, before they are spun into yarn for weaving cloth. and finer hairs make more luxurious cloths so one thing to be mindful of is the misconception that a higher super number means a better suit this cloth is a super 200s which means it’s 15 1 half Micron 15 and a half millionths of a meter it’s super fine it’s super soft it’s super luxury but the problem is it’s not going to last so well that’s why for my suit I’ve chosen a suit for 100s it’s got luxurious feel it’s got a great drape to it but it’s also going to have the durability and stability that I want for a clean looking suit that’s going to last a long time. See our expert guide on Budget Blazers
Lining Material
lining material a suit lining goes inside of the jacket and it gives you greater movability so your shirt doesn’t catch against the cloth the three most popular lining materials are herin kpros and silks an hermine lining is made from fibers that are extracted from wood pulp it makes a very strong very breathable very lightweight lining but it lacks the great finish or luster that some of the other materials offer silk has a great luster to it and a great finish the problem is though it doesn’t breathe very well and it’s not as durable as the other options the lining I went with is a cpro now a cpro is made from a cotton and wood pulp and it produces a very luxurious fine finish to it with a great luster but still with good breathability and although it’s not quite a strong as an hermine. Explore the benefits of the Suit Size Chart by Height and Weight
Cloth Weight
cloth weight cloth could be made light medium or heavyweight lightweight cloth is great because it’s light it’s breathable and it’s comfortable in warm environments the downside to it though is it doesn’t drape as well you don’t get such a clean looking suit and it’s not going to last as long heavyweight cloth is going to be the most durable cloth it’s going to last longer it’s going to hold shape better the downside to it though is in a warm environment it’s not very comfortable to wear if I’m going to have one Soup for the rest of my life a midweight cloth is going to offer me the most versatility throughout the four seasons of the year. Here’s everything about Best Women’s Plus-Size
Button Type
Button type: the buttons are really a key Finishing Touch to the suit. If you get the choice of a button that matches the cloth, the suit’s going to look fantastic. If you don’t, it’s really going to take away from the overall finish of the suit, so this is a button card that I’ll typically show to a client once we pick the cloth and the style options. It shows horn, mother-of-pearl, leather, and metal buttons. A metal button can give you a really distinct look for the material.
that the suit has been made in we use this typically in formal wear where you’re having a lapel to match the buttons but typically you’re going to have a button that contrast to the cloth that you’re using a mother Appel button offers a really stylized look to a jacket it has a lot of luster it has a lot of shine to it and it can offer a high level of contrast to the material that you’re using so if you want to stand out piece sometimes a another repel button can work well another option is to have a button made from coroso which is a type of nut it offers a very matte finish and an alternative distinct from other buttons.
Most people use a buffalo horn; depending on which part of the horn it comes from, the button’s color will vary. Lighter colors, like the ones here, are taken from the tip and the outside of the horn. The darker buttons are taken from the inside. There’s a color gradient that runs through it, which allows us to pick buttons that match the client’s clothes perfectly. My buttons are black buffalo horn with Avery Fine-Line Off-Brown running through them. I like this because it matches the clothes perfectly and allows me to wear both brown and black shoes with the suit
Style
With the materials done, let’s move on to style, starting with color
ColorThe
The color of the suit would determine its personality,y its formality,y and its versatility. To the right,t we have a suit. Now,w a gray suit is the most formal of all business suits. It’s relatively easy to match ties and shirts with, and it’s a staple in many people’s wardrobes, but it can be just a little bit boring. Now, here we have a black dinner suit, or, as it’s called in the US, a tuxedo. You could technically make a business suit out of black fabric, but it comes across as very formal. Formal, so we recommend keeping it for weddings and as a neutral. To my left, we have a brown suit. Now, the oranges of a brown suit. Brown suits have their roots in countrywear, though these days, more and more people are choosing them for business and for everyday city life.
Your snippet ended at “however it”, so my last sentence is left open on purpose. Tends to be a little more casual and might not fit in so well in more formal environments. Over here, we have a green suit that’s super popular at the moment, a really fun alternative to some of the other colors. We see a lot of weddings, and many people are looking for a more stylized option, so they’re going for a green suit. The downside, though, is that, as with the brown, it lacks.
For my suit, I’ve decided to go with navy blue. The beauty of a navy suit is that it is the most versatile of all the colors. You can dress it up. I could wear this as a three-piece blue suit.t I could wear it as a jacket with a pair of jeans, or anywhere in between. It’s easy. Whereas a gray doesn’t, it holds formality, whereas a green and brown don’t, so if one suits me for the rest of my life, it’s always going to be in a navy blue
Lining Style
lining style when picking a lining your first decision is to go with a pattern or do I go with a plane a pattern lining gives you a chance to really personalize your suit you can have some fun inside you can put some character inside the suit rather than the outside you could have a Paisley you could have a polka dot you could have a stripe you could even take a photograph and print it on a lineing and put it inside your jacket but putting a pattern line inside your suit is a very distinct option what I like today I might not like in a few years time so for that reason I suggest sticking with a more simple option
when it comes to plain Linings you have a ton of options you could go with something bright something bold something super interesting or you can go with something more ment as a pattern one and with stand the test of time better for my suit I’ve gone with a plain blue lining that contrast to the cloth so it adds some character to it it’s actually a shop which means it’s made up of two different color Yarns it has a blue and a silver running through it that adds some interestes in characters of the lining without some contrast if I just matched the navy blue of the cloth then it would look a little dull a little boring if I go too bright and too far out it can look a little obnoxious so I like to have something considered that’s different that’s interesting but not over the top
Number of Buttons
Number of buttons: When it comes to buttons, you first need to decide whether you’re going with a single-breasted or double-breasted suit. There are a number of things to think about when considering this. A double-breasted suit can look great; it’s a stylized piece, although very traditional now. When it’s cut well and well-fitted, it can look modern and be a great, stylized piece for a client to wear. Double-breasted means there’s a wrap at the front of the jacket.
Now, what do I mean by wrap on a single-breasted? There’s only a very small wrap, so the front of the left panel overlaps the right panel only slightly. On the double-breasted, we’re cutting much more cloth over the front, so you’ll see the front extend here and on the inside, and that’s done up for it to hang properly, so that limits the versatility of the jacket
Single-breasted will be the go-to style for most clients. It’s easy to wear, looks good, is comfortable, and can be worn both buttoned and unbuttoned. A jacket is really a staple. You’re going to see a lot of people in the street wearing this. It’s easy to wear, it looks good, and one thing to note is that the second button should never be done up. As you can see, with both buttons done up, it creates a straightness and a boxiness to the jacket.
There’s a tailor I don’t want I undo this now you can see the fronts have been naturally cut to taper away a little bit and that creates more shape and a more elegant finish to the jacket so you should never have both buttons done up so a good question is why do we have two buttons If we don’t do the second button up the answer is it’s there for aesthetic and you don’t have to have it there you don’t need it there which is why on my jacket I’ve gone with a one button now the things I like about a one button is it creates a long open run a very clean look to the jacket I also cut this button perhaps a fraction lower than I do with the two button and the top button and it creates a longer V which gives a longer r and again we’re creating shape we’re creating nice runs through a jacket and I think one button if you’re going to have one suit for the rest of your life is the way to go
Lapel Shape
lapel shape on a single breasted jacket one of the biggest style options you’re going to make is whether you have a notch lapel Peak lapel or Shaw lapel here on my right we have a beautiful cashmere blackwat Tartan jacket with a very stylized wide Shaw lapel it adds a lot of interest to the Jack here but it tends to be reserved really for Formal Wear you’re going to see this on tuxedos and smoking jackets you’re not going to see this with someone walking into the office or down the street on a regular workday on my left we have a peak lapel jacket a Pete lapel here refers to the points that are coming up it adds a certain flamboyance to the jacket a little bit of interest to it and it should be one of the jackets.
You have in a rotation but if you’re going to have one suit for the rest of your life Pete lapel stands out a little bit too much and that’s why I’m going to go with a notch lapel on my jacket a notch lapel is really the classic on any single breasted jacket it’s the regular one that see most of the time it’s easy to wear it doesn’t look too flamboyant it doesn’t look too informal either it’s always going to look good it’s always going to fit in and you can’t go wrong with it.
Pocket Style
pocket style when you’re looking at jacket pockets you got three main options to consider the first is a patch pocket now you tend to see this on more casual more stylized pieces so a jacket perhaps with a softer shoulder less structure to it works well with a patch pocket it’s interesting and if you want to pair that with more casual trousers or a pair of jeans then it’s a great option but if we’re going to have one suit for the rest of our life we need to go for something a little more formal the other option is a straight pocket now this is your B standard pocket.
That you’re going to see on most jackets it’s totally fine it’s totally acceptable there’s nothing wrong with it but there’s nothing exciting about it either so for me I recommend a slant pocket and a slanted pocket one is what you see on higher end suits it offers a more stylized interesting piece and the other thing is it accentuates the line so as a tailor we’re creating shape in a jacket we’re creating a a chest and a wasting and then we skirt out towards the seat and those slant Pockets will follow that line and it accentuates the look of the tailored suit on the jacket one button slant pocket creates a very sleek and elegant line to ass Su
there is also something called a ticket pocket in the mid 1800s people started catching the train to work and they needed a place to put their ticket so the ticket pocket was invented it’s an extra third small pocket that sits above the right hand pocket typically on the right hand side and it offers a place to put a ticket or now as no one uses a ticket it’s just a style Iz piece that adds a little extra detail to it it’s fun to have some clients like it on there a little bit of extra interest for me I prefer the cleanliness of not having the extra Pocket There
Flower Button Hole
Flower button hole on the lapel of a jacket you’ll typically see a button hole and this is what we call a flower button hole or a butiner its Origins come from the military where a soldier want to keep himself protective from the elements they literally put the lapels up there will be a button on the underside of this lapel and it would allow them to do it up we aren’t wearing these in the military any more these days so it’s become more of an aesthetic and more of a piece of interest on the suit and it has some practical function if you want to wear a flower then you could put a flower through it so we’d always want a working button all here and underneath the lapel we do a handmade little Loop in our suits which would allow you to rest the stem of the flower through there I nearly always recommend a button hole on there I think it would look a little strange without it.
TrousersWhen
TWhen it comes to trousers, my personal preference is for a clean, simple style. One of the key choices you’ll have to make for a pair of trousers is whether to have pleats or not. Now, pleats are designed to add extra fabric to the front of the trousers. They can look quite traditional; they can look quite fun. Fundamentally, you’re adding more fabric in there, so for most clients, I’m going to recommend having it without pleats for a cleaner, simpler look. Suit For Life
when it comes to a well fitted suit you typically wouldn’t have a belt on it if you’re wearing a belt it shows your tail is no good the trousers should fit you the belt will cut your body in half and break up the line running through the body it also detracts from the attention of the suit and puts it onto the belt so typically suit would have a side adjuster on it and this gives a very clean open run through the front and it gives you the ability to take in a little bit should you lose a little bit of weight or want to pull it up through the day
Turn-ups, or cuffs as they’re called in America, are additional cloth at the bottom of the trousers that are rolled up they’re stylized but a bit more casual so I prefer to go without them and finally you need to think about the back pockets in your trousers you have choices of both back pockets on the left and right side one back pocket on either side or no back pockets if you’re going to use.
Your back pocket is for keeping your wallet or phone, obviously, but for me, you should keep any phones or wallets in the breast pockets of your jacket. The space in here is built in there so you can put it in for me. A clean very well fitted pair of trousers is the best option for that reason I recommend having no back pockets
Fit
That’s it for style; let’s move on to fit. The most important thing about any suit is the fit, beyond the materials, beyond the styling. If you see someone walking down the road who looks super sharp, it’s because their suit is really well fitted
Ready To Wear
The suits you see here are ready-to-wear, Meaning they’re made in set sizes so you can go into a store, pick them off the rack, and walk out with them that day. The two main benefits of a ready-to-wear suit are that it tends to be a little cheaper than a tailored suit and that you can get it quicker. But the fundamental issue is that the suit hasn’t been made to your body shape, so it’s never going to be the perfect fit, and you’re never going to look your best in it. For that, I recommend going bespoke
Bespoke Tailoring
Bespoke tailoring. This is my colleague Michael, who’s wearing a bespoke suit. Bespoke tailoring is a process in which you create a unique suit for a client. We’re looking at shoulder shape, we’re looking at body posture, we’re looking at chest position, we’re looking at the client’s stomach, we’re looking at the client’s seat, we’re looking at things like sleeve pitch, so if a client’s arms are forward or backward
we have to rotate the sleeve to fit that client so there’s a multitude of little things that go into creating a perfect suit the key benefit of a b spoke suit is that you’re going to have a ton of shape you’re going to have a really elegant aesthetic while while still being comfortable another thing to think about with a handmade suit is Longevity if you’re making by hand it’s designed to last for a long time if you’re baking my machine it’s often machined and glued together the glue can come apart and we would never put that inside one of our suits what we have is a full canvas inside so everything.
Floats it moves, it breathes, and it’s sewn in so nothing can come apart. It’s true that bespoke suits cost more than custom-made-to-measure or ready-to-wear, but if you’re going to have one suit for the rest of your life, I really recommend going bespoke. That’s it, every decision I made was to have the one suit that I need for the rest of my life. While a lot of tailoring comes down to Personal Taste, there are definitely choices you can make to ensure you’ll be wearing this suit for many years to come