Reader Question: Examining the Fit

Pete, Hong Kong: When I’m standing in front of the mirror for my first fitting, how do I tell whether the suit fits or not? How do I know if the tailor has done a good job, and tell him to change something if he hasn’t?

As with the last post, here is a list of areas to examine. Check these things at the first fitting and the second. In fact, check them every time you put the suit on, as the tailor will probably be willing to change one or two things shortly after the suit is done. And it probably won’t cost much to change them long after the fact.

These tips equally apply to a ready-to-wear suit, and can help you decide which aspects of the suit to have altered.

All of these points are subject to personal taste and fashion. This is a description of the fit of a classic suit worn to today’s tastes. Its closest historical archetype is probably the Drape.

Shoulders: If the shoulders are too narrow for you, you will see the swell of your actual shoulder pushing against the material at the top of the sleeve. There may also be stretch lines running across the material and an indentation at the top of the sleeve. These lines can also be a sign that the sleeve is too narrow for you.

If the suit is too big, its shoulders will extend in a ledge beyond your own. To fit properly, there should be a clean, direct line from the edge of the suit’s shoulder to the edge of yours, just skirting the skin.

Collar: The collar of the suit, at the back of your neck, should sit flush with the collar of your shirt, leaving between one and two inches of shirt above the suit (depending on the height of your collar). If there is too much material across the back, the collar will stand away from your neck. If there is too little, the collar will be flush with your shirt and there will be folds running horizontally below the collar where the cloth is stretched.

(Tip: When being measured, don’t stand up artificially straight and tall. It may impress the tailor, but all your suit collars will stand away from your neck when you stand naturally.)

If you can, get two or three mirrors to look at yourself in. It is particularly useful if you can see your back – it is a roadmap of fit. The folds under the collar are mentioned here, but you will also be able to see unsightly stretch marks across your tummy if it is too tight there; if there are wrinkles underneath your arms this probably means the shoulders are sagging; and one long fold down the middle of your back demonstrates an excess of material there. It’s all pretty intuitive – just look for those wrinkles and wonder what they might mean.

Waist: The fit of the waist is very much a matter of personal taste, but there should definitely be an obvious suppression in the line of suit at your side, going in where your waist button fastens (middle button on a three-button suit, top one on a two-button). There should be no folds radiating from the waist button, which again show the cloth being stretched. And when you pull the waist button away from you, it should pull out easily an inch or two, but no more.

Beyond that, try walking around the fitting room and moving your arms. The jacket should feel comfortable (this will be helped by higher armholes). It should of course be unbuttoned when you sit down – but try doing this and make sure you would be comfortable typing at a desk when seated.

Most other aspects of fit were mentioned in my previous posting – sleeve length, trouser length etc. Add these to the checklist above.

Hopefully, you should be a relatively good judge of whether your trousers fit you around the waist.

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Reader Question: Going to the Tailor

Pete, Hong Kong: I’m going to a tailor here to have two suits made. They will effectively be my first suits as my existing one is so old, and they will primarily be for business. What should I consider before I go, so that I can answer all the tailor’s questions?

Below is a list of areas you should consider, and my recommendations on each:

Colour: The two most useful and fundamental suit colours are navy blue and mid-grey. They go with the greatest number of shirts and ties, can be anything from casual to wedding attire, and suit most colourings. If you want variation, one of these could be in a pinstripe. Make sure the stripe is not too bold or too close together. Avoid checks, at least to start with.

Cloth: Both should be wool. Cotton and linen are summer extras, and there is no need for cashmere or silk blends. The average weight of wool used in suits is nine to eleven ounces. For you (Pete clarified that he would like one suit that would be comfortable even in a Hong Kong summer, and another that would survive an English winter) I would recommend one lighter weight – perhaps seven or eight ounces if you can find it – and one heavier – more like twelve to fifteen. Flannel is a nice alternative, but would be too heavy for most of the year in Hong Kong. (The vast majority of wool suitings are worsted, which is wool that has been combed and flattened to appear thinner and crisper. Flannel or woollen suitings are not combed and are thus rougher.)

Ignore the “super” wool numbers. This refers to the width of the wool’s individual strands – the higher the number, the thinner the strand. Thinner wool is more delicate and more expensive, but also less long lasting. Anything around super 100s or super 120s will be fine for you.

Buttoning: Two or three-buttoned jackets are most usual. Two is a little more fashionable and also suits more men, as it has a deeper neck line. Three, particularly with little ‘roll’ (how much the jacket opens when only the waist-button is fastened) can look boxy. If in doubt, try on both in a shop and see which you prefer.

Lapels: Go for notched lapels, which looks like a triangle has been cut out of each. Peaked lapels can look rakish, but are more an option for later on. Use your own eye on the width of the lapels. If they look too wide, ask for narrower ones (the tendency is towards wider lapels in Asia).

Trousers: Let them sit on your hips wherever they feel most comfortable to you. This will probably be a little higher than where you where jeans, but not as high as they were traditionally worn – on the natural waist, nearer your belly button.

Trousers tend to be wider in Asia than the west, so watch our for that and ask for them to be narrower. If you want a precise instruction on how wide they should be, measure your existing suit trousers (the width at the bottom, doubled for the circumference). The length is traditionally such that there is one break in the front of the trouser when wearing shoes, but none in the back. Or, when you stand in them without shoes, the back just touches the floor. I like mine a little shorter than this, but it only works with narrower trousers (which I also generally prefer).

It’s worth avoiding belt loops if you can, as this looks far smarter. If you lose or gain weight the trousers can always be taken in or out. If you want a compromise, ask for side tabs – small, adjustable straps on either side of the trousers that can cinch them in a little. The trousers should fasten on at least two points, whether buttons or hooks, preferably three. One should be at the end of a length of overlapping material.

The trousers should be plain fronted. Pleats only suit two types of people: those with expanded girths, and those who wear their trousers on their waist. Oh, and get two pairs of trousers to each suit. They will last twice as long.

Pockets: There should be three outer pockets on the jacket, two on the hips and one on the breast. The first two should have flaps, the third should not. Unless you want to be flashy, don’t go for a ticket pocket (small extra pocket above the right-hand waist pocket) or for sloping, ‘hacking’ pockets.

Trouser pockets should be cut as overlapping material rather than slits in the trousers, though they can be cut at an angle to avoid them gaping.

Sleeves: The sleeves should have four buttons each, that just touch each other and all undo – though only the show-off actually leaves them undone. When your hands are at your side, the sleeve should reach your wrist bone, where the hand joins the arm, and it should leave exposed a small sliver of shirt (under half an inch). Again, sleeves tend to be longer in Asia so you may have to insist on this.

Jacket others: Go for two vents at the back: this allows you to put your hands in your pockets without buckling the shape (no vents) or unveiling your arse (one vent).

The jacket’s length should be such that it covers your arse well, and your fingers extend a little beyond it when they are at your side.

The strength or padding of the shoulder depends on how broad and square you think your shoulders are – only ask for less padding or a natural shoulder if you think they need no help at all.

- Pete, if you have any other questions please ask them in the comments below and I will attempt to answer them. I will also do a separate blog in the near future that will give advice on what to look for when your suit is on, to tell if it fits.

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A Little Accessories Quiz

Let’s try a little test. Which of the following accessories would you prefer if you had to pick one of each?

Watch:

a) Rose-gold Cartier with roman numerals, round face, metal strap
b) Steel Audemars Piguet with no numbers, octagonal face, metal strap
c) Black Bell & Ross with four numbers, square face, plastic strap
d) Silver Patek Philippe with roman numerals, round face, brown leather strap

Scarf:
a) Dark brown, silk graphic on one side, wool on the other
b) Grey cashmere with white pinstripe
c) Black lambswool with white dot
d) Pale grey cashmere with brown reverse

Gloves:
a) Dark brown leather with black crocodile detail
b) Black leather driving gloves
c) Yellow leather with cashmere lining
d) Brown suede with leather edging

Random other:
a) Aviator sunglasses with brown leather bridge
b) Silver and black jade signet ring
c) Gold cigarette lighter
d) Red calf-leather passport holder

Now think carefully. Pick one from each category. I find the choices are rather revealing of the person you want to be as you get dressed.

According to one magazine (with a few added touches from me) all the a) should go together, all the b) together and so on. Which is pretty much spot on for my aspirations – I pick d) every time, except for the random others, where I hesitate between a) and d). I’ve always preferred brown leather to black, silver to gold and liked pale grey wool.

The fact that the magazine got it right demonstrates the art of combining these aspirational shots and combinations. It’s the same with window dressing – Church’s shoes recently began a new campaign in its windows where it combines a pair of shoes with its new lines in socks, ties and scarves.

I was taken by the tan brogues, dark brown scarf and wool tie in a mid-blue with club stripe. But you may be more of a black derby/grey scarf/black knitted silk kind-of-guy. Have a look next time you walk past the store – there’s one in New York and if the branding manager is worth his salt it will have the same window dressing as London (and Hong Kong, Tokyo etc.).

Another way to pick out the accessories that define you is to consider it next time you pack for a trip. Glance at the watch, scarf, gloves, shoes and ties lying on your bed, waiting to be packed. See what message they send out.

As a final word on the subject, I need to mention Bergdorf Goodman window dressing, which never fails to capture my attention every time I walk past. Again, the combinations of the particular window that stops you in your tracks will probably be quite revealing. My favourite is shown opposite. I’ll leave you to decide what it says about me.

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Enjoy Your Fashion Cycle

Everyone knows fashion is cyclical. But the key to understanding its enduring appeal is that people don’t live through that many cycles.

Slim trousers have been in the ascendancy in men’s fashion for almost a decade now. From their first daring suggestion on the catwalk, through gradual acceptance as the norm in high-end tailoring, to the point now where it is hard to find anything other than straight or skinny jeans in high-street stores.

This is the end point: as soon as your mate Dave (who knows as much about fashion as he does about French literature – Beckham and the three musketeers is about it) is wearing narrow jeans, the trend is finished. The high street is saturated and the designers are searching for something new.

That was the cycle. The next cycle will see a different shape dominate – bootcut is the current favourite. But because the cycle is so long, it could last the whole of your twenties. You will identify slim trousers with your youth, and bootcut will seem like a breath of fresh air – a more mature, flattering shape. It will seem like an original trend since, even though it was popular in the past, you weren’t around to wear it.

The same would be true of baggy jeans or flairs. They may not be original, but that hardly matters. You didn’t get to wear them before.

You really only get two of these cycles, possibly three. By the time you are into your thirties, you may stop noticing anything about trends or fashion. And even if you end up wearing the dominant shape of the times (by default, like Dave), you will hardly notice. You may even keep the same pair of jeans for decades – many men do.

In my teenage years, bootcut jeans were probably the most fashionable. Hip-hop baggy jeans also had a slightly embarrassing following among white, middle-class kids. For me, therefore, the past decade and its narrow trouser aesthetic has seemed like a maturing time – one where straight, slim trousers with suits seemed like the obvious choice. The seemed timeless. Surely they are simply a realisation every man comes to after the follies of youth?

In another five years I will probably be proved wrong. But by then I won’t care. Because baby carriers and combination boilers will be taking up much of my retail time; but also because I will have formed this attachment to slim, straight trousers at a formative age – one where I had a certain amount of time and disposal income to spend on clothes. It will probably be ingrained in me forever by then.

So don’t criticise fashion cycles for being unoriginal. You only get two or three – enjoy them while they last.

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The Italian Background

The generalisation that the English experiment with their shirts and the Italians with their jackets broadly holds, particularly in business wear. While the English tradition of checked and plaid wools is a fine one, it was always largely restricted to the country (or at least the weekend) and has died out slowly as fewer English men wore suits casually.

The Italians are more willing to experiment with suit cloth at every occasion. This necessitates a shirt and tie combination that makes no attempt to compete with that cloth – the Italian Background.

The Italian Background is simple: a plain blue or black tie on a plain blue shirt. (Occasionally the shirt will be white, but this can look a little funereal.)

The combination works well because a blue shirt suits most people more than white, and it fades more into the background; because a dark tie fades more into the background than a pale tie; and because the dark blue tie is the most similar in tone and harmonious combination with a blue shirt – without being too similar and evoking tone on tone.

But this is analysing the obvious. It works as the plainest and yet most sophisticated of supports to an otherwise daring suit pattern – or indeed odd jacket. It equally supports an adventurous pocket-handkerchief, gloves, hat or jacket. When trying to balance an outfit, the Italian would much rather tone down a tie than go without one.

Four examples are displayed here, all courtesy of The Sartorialist. The first is possibly the most extreme. The high contrast, double-breasted jacket stands out, but is supported effectively by an Italian Background and dark trousers. It even makes it possible to add a pointed handkerchief without appearing over the top.

The second example marries an Italian Background with a hat and bright coat, while number three includes a faintly ridiculous coat that needs all the help it can get. Notice the uniformity of dress in this second combination as well – with odd double-breasted jacket and spread collar. While this may be because they are both associated with the same clothing outlet, it shows the versatility of the Background.

Example number four brings out a particular aspect of the Background – its fruitful combination with beige or tan (yellow, essentially). It is no coincidence that every one of these pictures involves a jacket in some shade of tan. And the gentleman on the left in this example shows that the Background is the best choice for what could otherwise be a very hard suit to find combinations for.

If in doubt, go for the Italian Background. (Oh, and buy yourself a nice, plain blue tie.)

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