A suit that fits will compliment your look. But getting the right fit starts with your suit jacket.
Your suit jacket is the linchpin that will carry the look of your suit. It’s the first thing people will notice.
So how do you find the right fit?
That would be it. You wouldn’t need to think any further, but tailors vary in skill. Some might not be able to communicate their work and you may not feel satisfied with the result.
Being able to speak in their terms works to your benefit. You will know what to look for, which will result in better satisfaction with your alterations.
So let’s get into what a “good fit” should look like.
Shoulder
The shoulder seam on your suit jacket should end right where your arm connects. This would be where your shoulder bone ends. Don’t make the mistake of wearing a suit jacket with wide shoulders. The jacket sleeve will crease or wrinkle around your bicep. Shoulders are the hardest to alter. So if you are buying off-the-rack, pick the right shoulder size. It’s impossible to get the ideal shoulder length through alterations.
Collar
A bad collar stands out in an ugly way. If it’s too loose, then your jacket collar will droop off your neck. If it is too tight then it will wrinkle the shirt collar underneath the jacket.
The ideal fit is the one where the jacket collar rests against your shirt collar, which in turn would rest against your neck. There should be no gaps between both these fabrics, they should lightly touch each other.
A bad collar isn’t easy to fix, since it alters the shoulder length. So make sure to get a good fit with the original jacket.
Chest
Your suit jacket should gently hug your chest after the top button is fastened. It shouldn’t feel tight around your torso when you move. Leaving the middle and bottom buttons open is socially acceptable.
Also, you can do a quick “X” check using the mirror to see if your jacket fits your torso. It’s simple, as long as your jacket doesn’t create a tight “X” shape in the front of the jacket it is a good fit.
If the sides of your jacket look large after you fasten the top button. Then a tailor can make alterations to the jacket so it matches your chest circumference.
Sleeve
The general guideline is that half of your shirt cuff should be visible below your jacket cuff. Your jacket sleeve should not cover your shirt sleeve completely. Then it’s too long. Tailors can alter jacket sleeves if they are longer, but it isn’t possible if the sleeves are shorter than an inch.
The sleeve length on off-the-rack suits are made for the average male. But everyone’s arms are different, so expect some alterations from a tailor to have it adjusted to fit.
A tailor-made suit doesn’t require sleeve alterations