The Perfect Suit
Buying a suit can be a tricky business. We believe that it is important that you are completely satisfied with your decision as a good suit can last a lifetime. To help you make sure that you buy a suit that you are happy with we have outlined a few common pitfalls that you should avoid to ensure that you get the perfect fit.
Jacket: When it comes to selecting the right jacket there are three simple steps to follow:First and foremost you need to have your correct chest measurement – to do this take a tape measure and place it around the fullest part of the chest under the arms. You should allow half an inch gap at the front of the jacket as that gives you the chance to see the curvature of the jacket and the silhouette. The best way to test if a suit jacket fits you is to do up the middle button if it is a three-button suit or the top button if it is a two-button suit and pull out the front of the jacket with your finger. Ideally, it should pull out to allow a one and a half inch gap between the jacket and your stomach (two inches maximum).
Another key element of selecting the correct jacket is deciding if you need a Short, Regular or Long body fit. To identify this put your hand at a right angle by your side and stand up in your jacket. The base of your hand should touch your leg and this is where the bottom of your jacket should sit – the style that fits you like this will be the correct option for you.
The final thing to take into consideration with your jacket is your sleeve length. Your jacket sleeve should be just a little shorter than your shirt sleeve length to allow a little bit of the shirt cuff to show under the suit jacket.
When buying a jacket from us you will have the option between two or three buttons. Our three-button and two-button suits are cut from the same block so the fit is the same, but our two-button suits will show more of your shirt and tie than a three-button suit does – so it’s really up to your preference.
Trousers: You can typically measure your trouser waist size by subtracting 6” from the size of your chest. Alternatively you can use a tape measure to measure your natural waistline. If you require a belt then we’d suggest that you are not wearing the right waist size. When ordering from us please note that our three-button suits come with pleated trousers which are a more generous fit than flat fronted ones, and our Two-button suit trousers are flat fronted for a slightly more modern look.
To get the correct inside leg length, measure the leg of an existing pair of trousers or measure from the crotch to the point at which your trouser is normally worn at the shoe. You should get a single break in the trouser just where the fabric hits the bridge of the shoe and at the back, the fabric should sit just on the top of the shoe heel – this shows that the leg length is correct. Suit trousers are normally cut at an angle where you put your shoes on to allow the bottom at the back of the trouser leg go to go the floor.