28 Feb 4 Tips when getting your suit tailored

Suits are a closet must-have, it is the cherry on top for any wardrobe. It serves many purposes, and isn’t only for attending formal events. You can wear them to work, to a wedding and to a party.

The question, however, is if your suit fits your body correctly.

What the majority of gentleman don’t realise, however, is that no one has a body type for off-the-rack suits, and suits are now manufactured in a variety of sizes and styles. This means that getting your suit tailored is now more important than ever.

Before purchasing your next suit, visit a seamstress or tailor to make sure that your measurements are correct. Even if you have purchased a suit in the past and you think you know your measurements, it’s still a good idea to visit the tailor and get a professional opinion on the cut and style that would fit your body perfectly.

Here are 5 tips to consider when getting your suit tailored.

1) Get the correct shoulder fit

The shoulders of your suit or sport coat are vital when it comes to achieving the perfect fit. If the shoulders are too big, it’s very noticeable. 

If you have to get a sport coat altered, this can be very expensive, as it is a difficult job for any tailor. Instead of spending extra money on this, invest in a higher quality tailored suit from the beginning.

2) Get the right suit jacket length

There are two ways to determine if your suit jacket is the accurate length for your body. From the front, when your arms are at their sides, you should be able to fit the length of your hand into the inside of your suit jacket. If your hand is too big and is exposed when inside of the jacket, you might want to size up or go for a longer fit option. In an ideal situation, the length of your suit jacket should align with where your knuckles, give or take about one inch. 

From the back, the suit jacket should just cover the curvature of your buttock. If your behind is exposed or your suit jacket is going way past it into your upper thigh, it’s probably too long or too short. To fix suit jacket length, we recommend either sizing up or down or fixing the issue with alterations. 

 3) Pant Length

There are four options when discussing suits and pant length: No break, quarter break, half break, or a full break.

Which pants length option you choose should depend on two things: personal preference and height. Additionally, take note of style trends in the fashion world, and consider the type of shoe that you want to wear with your suit. Both will play an important role in deciding proper pant length. 

For shorter men, you’ll want to choose the no-break option. The no-break pant option is shorter, barely touching the top of your shoes. A shorter pant length will create an elongated look that will make you look taller and slimmer. Likewise, taller gentlemen should go for a full break pant option. Don’t forget to think about your personal preference when thinking pant length. This part of tailoring a suit is more flexible and can be calibrated to individual tastes.

Suit pants can also be altered in the hips and the waist and seat. Pants alterations are common and won’t break your wallet. It is also recommended that if you’re between sizes in trousers, size up and then get the suit pants tailored to fit your body.

4) Sleeve Length

The correct sleeve length on a suit is important to getting your suit to fit correctly. This part of a suit is also one of the more affordable areas to get tailored.

How do you know if your sleeves are too long?

Here’s the general rule to stand by: With your hands at your sides, you should be see a quarter to half an inch of your shirt.

Suits are an essential part of any well-rounded wardrobe. On top of that, proper tailoring is important to getting the best fitted suit. Finding a tailor that you can trust to give you both style and advice about suit alterations is very helpful when buying a new suit. Follow the tailoring guidelines we’ve set out here and you will look formidable for every occasion.