When it comes to suits - Fitting. Is. Everything.
Details that affect both aesthetic and fit will either make or break your look which is why it is important that every suit wearer pays attention to every element they’re wearing.
There are plenty of reasons why anybody should wear only well-fitted suits, but the most important reason, apart from having a great silhouette, is comfort. A well-fitted suit is comfortable to wear and should be comparable to wearing any other regular clothing.
In this article we will discuss all the important elements that define a well-fitted suit so you can be comfortable and stylish in any event.
But before going through all the details, it’s important to understand that suits generally look better when standing. The issues become more noticeable when you begin moving where you’d find some places too tight or too baggy and anything else short of being comfortable.
Collar Gap
Collars are one of the easiest to spot when getting a suit.
A properly fitted collar should just sit around your neck comfortably without being overly tight or loose and it should not make a gap in any situation.
Unfortunately this is not always an easy feat to achieve particularly for those who have an arching back or round shoulders, but worry not, since any skilled tailor can make appropriate alterations or better yet, you can talk to bespoke suit tailoring services to ensure you get proper fitting.
Shoulder Heights and Divoting Shoulders
Another thing that needs to be looked at would be the shoulders.
From a quick look, the shoulders would often look symmetrical. However, upon paying closer attention, a lot of men would find that their shoulders aren’t equally sloped or that one is slightly bigger than the other.
Although this is completely normal, a well-fitted suit should always be able to hide such inconsistencies by taking into account accurate shoulder height measurements.
When it comes to shoulders, there’s also the issue of divoting.
There’s a common misinterpretation that divoting shoulders is a result of the wearer's wide shoulders which results in a divot when you move. But the issue here is occurring because of your armhole. What you want is an armhole that is bigger, rounder, and more proportioned to your body, but not too big that it restricts you from moving comfortably.
If you’re considering a jacket that is not capable of taking your shoulder size and height into consideration, you may find yourself looking better with a different suit or getting a full bespoke one instead.
Proportion
When it comes to the overall look of the suit, what you’re really looking for would be the proportions, or how the suit fits in relation to your body structure.
A while back, you may have noticed our statement that one of the key features of a well-fitted suit is its ability to hide the asymmetries or flaws of a man’s body and while having a well-proportioned suit doesn’t necessarily do this, it does highlight your key features enough to divert anybody else’s focus from them.
One good example would be the divoting shoulders discussed prior which happens when your suit’s arm hole is smaller than it what it’s supposed to be.
Another would be your chest size, depending on one’s body structure, a man may either have a wide or broad chest or a narrow chest. On either case, a suit’s lapel size should always be proportion to a man’s chest - generally speaking, a wider chest gives way for wider lapel, hence, if you have a somewhat narrow chest, you may want to opt for a narrower lapel to give yourself a nicer looking silhouette.
And then, there comes the length of the suit which indicates how your upper body length relates to that of your lower body. Ideally, you want to be seen with an equally proportioned upper and lower body lengths so you can have that sharp and elegant look and a good way to achieve this is by playing with the suit lengths.
For example, if you have a longer upper body, you might want to have a high-waisted trouser along with a shorter-cut suit jacket and vice versa if you have a shorter upper body.
Full Canvas Construction
Now that we’ve discussed what indicates a well-fitted suit, we can discuss the construction that goes best with it.
With suits, there are 3 types of construction, namely, the fused or glued suit, the half canvas, and the full canvas, each with its distinct level of comfort and quality, but in this article, we will mainly be focusing on the full canvas suit, which is the best choice for a perfectly-fitted suit.
Full canvas suits have a fully sewn interlining which keeps you comfortable while moving since the suit moves along with you. It’s made to last longer unlike other suit constructions which develop blisters and needs to be replaced after a few years.
But the key feature of a full-canvas suit its ability to take the form of the wearer’s body. Since the interlining is sewn and measured accurately, the full-canvas suit wraps most perfectly around its wearer compared to other suit construction and helps you exude a smart, dignified look instantly.
When it comes to insulating, it’s less insulated since it doesn’t use fusing to keep any of the parts together, at the same time, it’s also great in keeping its form together since tailors use special techniques to keep the lapel roll, the shoulders, and all the other parts consistent while keeping your desired form into consideration.
Overall, suits are designed to make you look and feel good but what’s really important is that you stand tall and confident knowing your suit fits perfectly and will remain comfortable on any occasion.
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