You do not have to blow a year’s wage on a suit. So here are some fool proof tips for men so that you can purchase the ‘perfect suit’. First decide on what you are buying a suit for and how much do you want the suit to work for you in the long run.
-A wedding – as a guest you want a simple classic suit. As the groom make sure you have not hired a polyester circus garb.
-Office - Buy 2 suits if you are on a budget – dark colours are best, maybe one with a faint pinstripe and the other a block colour. Look for dark grey, slate, rich brown and strong blue.
What to look for:
Shoulders
The suit’s shoulders must hug you. What does this mean? Simple; the shoulder pads must not protrude over your shoulders. A good test is to stand sideways against a wall and if the shoulder pads touch the wall before your arm, ditch the suit - it is too big!
Chest
You should be able to easily button the jacket without any straining. There shouldn’t be too much space between the button and your chest—no more than the width of a fist.
Length
With your arms hanging straight down, you should be able to cup your fingers under the sides of your suit jacket. Having said that there are fashion suits that are quite short but you’d only have one of these if you are ‘clothes horse’.
-Sleeves should reveal 60 to 100 millimetres of shirt cuff and fall 12.5 centimetres above the tip of your thumb.
Pants
Pants should always fit well, make sure they sit on your waist not your hips. There should be no straining when you sit and side pockets should not pop out when you are standing. The length of pants when wearing shoes is important. It should drape over and slightly break at the tops of your shoes. Your socks should not be visible when you walk.
-Select a pants style. Pleats make pants dressy and provide room for movement, while flat-front pants are slimming. Cuffed legs are formal, add weight to the suit and can make the leg seem shorter; uncuffed pants elongate the leg and are more informal.
Keep in mind - the length of jacket sleeves and pants can be altered but the fit cannot be altered.
You’ve got the basic gist of the fundamentals of a suit now so lets us look at styles:
The first thing you need to consider is how many buttons. This will determine a good deal about the fit and the cut.
-The three-button suit seems to be standard these days. Button the middle button so that you don’t look strapped in.
-I personally like the two-button suit. Every fashion label imaginable is designing two-button suits, except they’re making them more streamlined and modern. This cut is most in style is right now. More for the fashion savvy.
-Men who are well built or heavy set should avoid double breasted suits - they only make them look more portly. They’re more flattering for tall, slender men.
-If you’re looking for something uber chic try a one-button suit. It’s not for everyone, and if you can pull it off, keep it for that dazzling occasion where all eyes will be on you.
Other things to look for when choosing a suit
-Vents are a must for all suits, with centre vents you can’t go wrong, side vents are more European and bit more suave. No vents are a big ‘NO NO’
-A notch lapel is standard (that is the one you see basically on all suits.) A peak lapel is a bit more ‘stiff upper lip’ and traditional, but they’re coming back into fashion.
-Another way to change the look of a suit is by breaking it up into separates. Pair the jacket with a different pair of pants. Use the pants alone or with a sport jacket to make another outfit. This is a particularly good way to make your clothes go further when you travel.
-Check the fabric and consider – Natural fabrics are the way to go -wool or wool blends. Do not; repeat not buy a polyester suit – plastic is not your friend!
How to look after your suit
- If you take good care of your suit, it should last you a long time.
- Don’t overload your pockets, which could strain the seams. (I even leave most of the stitching of pocket intact so that it does alter the fit of the suit.)
· Unbutton your jacket before you sit down. Also pull the pants up at the thigh when you sit so you don’t pull the fabric too much.
-Brush your suit with a clothes brush when you take it off to keep it clean
-Hang your suit on a good wooden hanger and store it in a bag to protect it but do not zip it up so that it breathes
-Avoid cramming your suits into a tiny wardrobe
-To prolong the suit’s life, dry clean your suit only a few times a year or as needed.
- To keep your suit looking crisp, have it pressed in between cleanings.
Some other points to just keep in mind
-Tall men should avoid pinstripes. Double-breasted suits often flatter tall, thin men. Short men should consider single-breasted, shorter jackets in pinstripes or dark solids. Heavier men should also opt for pinstripes and avoid double-breasted suits.
-When you buy a suit off the rack, you may have to take whatever pants come with the jacket. If this is the case, the jacket style, which is more noticeable, should take precedence over the pants style. Keep in mind that cuffs can be added to or removed from most pairs of pants.
-Buying a jacket and pants separately will give you more style choices, and is a good approach if you need a special fit (if you have a large chest and a small waist, for example). It may be difficult to match the garments though.
-Suits look better with thin soled shoes – never team them with chunky or thick rubber soles.
Dhav Naidu
* This information was sourced from '9am with David and Kim'.
