Off the Rack Style: Suit Cuts

A suit is one of the most highly regarded – and highly priced – items in the whole men’s fashion industry. That’s a testament to the amount of fabric, work and heritage that goes into the construction of a beautiful, high-quality two-piece set. Beauty and craftsmanship, however, typically have to be bought – something that not everyone can do.

With the increasingly intimidating price tag on tailored suits, more and more men forgo bespoke in favor of cheaper suits from the store. It’s not exactly the ideal situation, but it’s a practical compromise that can be made stylish with a couple of extra steps. It’s very likely that you’ll have to spend a little more than the tag price, but it’s typically still reasonably less than paying for a full-blown tailor.

Start at the Store
Good store-bought suits start at the store rack, where you choose one that will hopefully make you look every bit as respectable and gentlemanly as a suit should. Even though you’ll be fixing a thing or two about the suit in the long run, you’ll only be making life difficult if you choose a suit with too many things to fix.

Unlike neckties where one size can fit a wide variety of people, suits are all about fit. No matter what color you get, it’s going to look great on you if the fit is right. Conversely, even the classic colors and prints seem contrived when they’re all on an ill-fitting suit.

The fundamental style features of the suit ought to be fixed from the get-go. That means the lapel, the vents and the button style – that is, single or double breasted – you choose at the store should be the ones you really want. They might sound largely cosmetic, but they’re also next to impossible to change. Should you approach a tailor to have those elements fixed, he might just advise you to get a whole new suit.

Fixing Style
What can be fixed on a suit are the various fit elements. These are usually very subtle changes, but the overall effect they have on the suit as a whole is undeniable.

The length and width of the trunk of the suit – the one that wraps around your torso – can be changed somewhat to make them closer to your measurements. The sides can be taken in slightly for a more body-conscious and fitted look, while the hem can be taken up for a more modern, abbreviated English aesthetic.

Sleeves are another very problematic area, as the length of the arms can vary widely from guy to guy. These can usually be shortened by up to a couple of inches to get that ideal fashion prescription of having just enough suit sleeve to show some shirt cuff.

Limits of Style
Tailors, as skilled as they are, aren’t magicians. There are limitations to what they can do with an off-the-rack suit that you’d like to get fixed.

If the suit doesn’t fit at the shoulders, don’t bother with it; no tailor will be able to fix it. At best, they’ll be able to add or reduce the amount of padding, but the shoulder seams of a suit jacket should never be fiddled around with. The trunk, hem and sleeves also can’t be adjusted by more than a couple of inches, or else the whole style of the jacket will end up being compromised.

Other Suggested Articles by The-Tie-King:
Mens Winter 2011 Fashion
Mens Suit Shopping Guide

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