So you have decided to invest in a tailored, bespoke suit made just for you instead of buying a mass-made suit off the rack.
We congratulate you on entrusting yourself to the hands of professional stylists and tailors and will jump straight to providing further insights into the intricacies of choosing and styling a tailored suit.
This in-depth guide is designed to help you become familiar (and comfortable) with the steps of the bespoke process, get to know the variety of customizable options, and give you confidence in your choice.
What is a Tailored Suit?
Tailored suits are a happy middle ground between bespoke suits and off-the-rack suits.
They are off-the-rack suits that have been custom-tailored to fit your body.
Ready-made vs Tailored vs Made-to-Measure vs Bespoke
Off-the-rack clothing is ready-made suits designed to fit a wide range of body types, predetermined by the fashion industry.
The idea is that you buy the garment and wear it “off the rack.”
The problem with this is fit. There is a high chance that off-the-rack suits will not fit you well off the bat, and you’ll require tailoring to perfect it.
A tailored suit is a ready-made suit that a tailor adjusts for you.
This way, you have the chance to have a suit that is made exactly to your specifications.
Similar to tailored Suits, made-to-measure suits are usually cut from existing patterns using machines. The tailor then adjusts it as needed.
Bespoke suits are the highest order – make no mistake, these are works of art.
These suits are built from scratch to your measurements. The process may require multiple fittings to get it just right.
Why Choose a Tailored Suit
The process of tailoring guarantees that you have a great look regardless of the build.
Especially men with a unique body type – if you’re larger, taller, or shorter than the average guy.
How to Choose the Right Tailored Suit
Getting a perfectly tailored bespoke suit starts with some basic questions:
- What occasion do you need the suit for? Work, play, social, or perhaps a wedding? A suit meant for business meetings will need to check different boxes than a suit for a countryside wedding, as far as the style goes.
- What message are you trying to communicate with your outfit? Are you trying to stand out in your workplace or merely look contemporary at a social event?
- Lastly, you will also need to consider your climate conditions – this will largely dictate your choice of fabric down the road.
All of the above are important indicators that will steer the production of your new tailored bespoke suit in a specific direction. You don’t have to be a style expert, however.
Skilled stylists will seamlessly walk you through this decision-making step and help you determine the right style for you.
Tailored Suit Styles
Based on your needs and requirements, you may want to opt for one of the two basic styles for your tailored suit:
Single-breasted suit
A single-breasted suit comes with a single column of buttons and a narrow overlapping of the fabric. It results in a more conservative and versatile look, meaning it can work in business as well as social environments.
Double-breasted suit
In contrast, a double-breasted suit features two columns of buttons, spanned by a large overlap of the left and right sides.
It’s the option you will see most men wear in their suits and it’s great for achieving a formal and business look.
As a result, however, it’s less versatile than its single-breasted counterpart. This cut may sometimes also come with an extra two buttons on the top, one on each side of the lapels.
Tailored Suit Fit
Even though the fit is an extremely rare or nonexistent issue with a tailored bespoke suit, it’s useful to know how the suit should fit and feel, nonetheless.
A well-tailored suit is characterized by strongly tapered sides and minimal shoulders – the exact opposite of the off-the-rack suits that often come with generous shoulder padding as a means of reducing labor.
As a rule of thumb, keep in mind the following during the fitting process:
- Aim for a slim, flattering, fit with clean lines that accentuate your body shape
- You shouldn’t feel any restriction in movement in any way
- If you need to create a powerful image in the business environment, you may want to ask for slight padding on your shoulders. Otherwise, shoulders without extra support offer much more comfort and ease of movement and are perfect for warmer climates.
- Jacket sleeve length – the sleeve should show about 1/2–3/4 of an inch of a shirt sleeve (or 1.2–1.9 cm)
- Jackets should be long enough to cover your bottom but short enough to give as long a leg line as possible.
- A good stylist will confidently take care of the entire fitting both during the initial measurement and at the subsequent fittings, resulting in a perfect fit for your new tailored suit.
Jacket Construction
How your jacket is made plays a huge role in determining the overall quality of men’s suits and how well it drapes around your body.
Not just that, a better construction also directly translates into greater longevity of your suit, albeit at a higher cost and workmanship time.
Let’s take a look at the three basic constructions:
Fused Suit Jacket
A fused, non-canvassed jacket, features fusible interlining that’s glued to the visible outer fabric of the suit, both in the front panels and in the lapels.
While it’s fast and inexpensive to make, a jacket made this way doesn’t conform to men’s bodies as well as the following two constructions and can be rather stiff.
Half-canvassed Suit Jacket
A step above the fused construction is a half-canvassed construction.
A half-canvassed jacket is made up of a thin fused layer covering the entire area of the front panel of the jacket as well as a piece of canvassing material stitched to the upper half of the jacket – from your shoulders down to the chest.
Because it combines the best of both worlds – cost and labor savings from the fused method and a natural drape and shape in the chest and lapel area thanks to half-canvassing – it may be the preferred option for those who want to maximize the quality of their suit while not breaking the bank.
Full-canvassed Suit Jacket
The pinnacle of tailoring is a full-canvassed construction.
In this method, the canvas comprised of wool and horse or camel hair spans across the entire area of the front panel of the suit jacket, including lapels.
It is typically hand-stitched to the outer fabric loosely, allowing you greater mobility and range of movement.
While full-canvassing brings a superior drape and looks, it comes at a significant cost – both in terms of money and construction time.
If money is not an issue, the full-canvassed construction is the way to go, otherwise, half-canvassing will suffice for most men.
Tailored Suit Fabrics
While the suit jacket construction forms the invisible foundations of a great-conforming suit, it’s the outer fabric visible to the world that completes its looks and also determines how it performs in various weather conditions.
Without exaggeration, it can mean the difference between a boiling hot suit and one that’s breathable and comfortable to wear.
Key Materials
As far as suit fabric is concerned, you need to consider two layers – the outer fabric and the one on the inside, the so-called inner lining fabric.
The former is most commonly made up of wool, cotton, linen, or microfibre, or their combination, while the lining is usually composed of either silk or Bemberg.
Each fabric then offers multiple levels of quality and performance, and they all come with different properties, such as breathability, proneness to wrinkling, durability, formality, and price.
We have written a standalone guide on selecting the most suitable fabric for hot climates, but it contains useful information for those who live in the northern hemisphere, too.
Ideal Colors
The colors of your new suit will depend on the occasion as well as how often you wear a suit.
If you own only one suit and wear it occasionally, then black is probably your safest choice.
However, if you wear your suit regularly, such as to work every day, then charcoal grey and navy blue are the superior choices. Why?
They are the most versatile and useful suit colors that provide great value for those who have to wear formal suits regularly and look for a classic and timeless option.
Once you have covered the basic colors, you can then start experimenting with different colors and patterns, such as windowpane, checks, stripes, herringbone, and many others.
Core Patterns
You want no patterns for your first few suits. If you insist on a pattern (I know I do when buying a suit), then opt for something subtle.
Herringbone is a good starting point. It consists of columns sewn short, parallel lines.
They are arranged in such a way that they resemble fish bones. You can start to see them up close, but from afar the suit will look solid.
More aggressive patterns include pinstripes, checks, and windowpane but we don’t recommend them for an old-money, classic look.
The bigger the pattern, the less often you can wear the suit. If you wear them more than once a week, people may assume you cannot afford additional suits.
Subtle patterns are reliable and versatile when buying a suit. Swap out the dress shirt and tie – boom, you’re a new man each day.
Tailored Suit Parts
Now let’s look into the small details that make up a suit
Jacket’s Buttons
You have full control over the quantity and quality of buttons on the front of your jacket as well as its sleeves. On the front, you can choose to have only one or as many as eight buttons, whereas, you can have three to five buttons on your sleeves. Moreover, those can be laid out in a variety of arrangements – spaced, kissing, and stacked.
As for the button quality, you can generally choose from basic synthetic material, corozo, mother of pearl, or horn – all of which besides plastic are natural and durable materials.
Lapels
Lapels – the folded flaps of cloth on the front of a jacket sown to the collar – come in three basic forms: notched, peaked, and shawl.
Notched lapels, the most common type, are usually seen on business suits, and on more casual jackets like blazers and sport coats.
Peaked lapels are more formal, and nearly always used on double-breasted jackets, but also frequently appear on single-breasted ones. Shawl lapels are usually carried by tuxedos.
Vents
When it comes to the vent at the back of your suit jacket, you have three choices – none, one, or two vents.
There are functional features that are there to provide men with more room, and flexibility, to move.
If unsure, opt for a double-vent jacket unless you are buying a tuxedo or a black tie attire – these come with no vents.
Darts
Darts are pleats that are sewn shut, and they are used to give a jacket or pants a three-dimensional structure.
They provide a shape to the suit and are used in classic British or Italian tailoring in the front and back of both separates, depending on the type of shape the tailor is trying to create, that you want.
A boxy suit will have fewer or no darts, compared to a more fitted outfit.
Side and Ticket Pockets
Although they don’t get too much use nowadays, side pockets are an essential feature of a men’s suit. The most common type is a flap or standard pocket.
As the name implies, it’s a pocket with a rectangular flap covering the opening. It’s ubiquitous and will work with any suit.
If you are aiming for an ultra-formal look, however, look no further than piped/jetted pockets.
These pockets are identical to the flap pockets, just without the flap. With ultra-clean lines and minimal visual bulk, this is inherently the most formal of the suit jacket pocket types.
On the contrary, a casual suit look can be achieved by opting for patch pockets.
Patch pockets are made from separate pieces of fabric stitched directly onto the suit jacket. Their casual character comes from their full visibility on the front.
The last type of pocket is a hacking pocket. It’s an otherwise flap pocket that’s slightly slanted. They can be a great option if you want to stand out.
Ticket pocket is a secondary pocket placed right above the main pocket and is optional.
Lining
The inner lining fabric is just as important as the outer one as it comes with contact with your body. Its purpose is to add structure and weight to your suit.
There are three options: unlined, half-lined, and fully-lined.
You may want to make your choice based on the climate of where you live. The main benefits of a full-lined suit jacket are greater insulation and thickness.
That can come useful in colder climates, whereas in warmer countries half-lined or unlined suits may be more breathable and thus cooler.
Even though many people may not see the lining of your suit jacket, having the color or pattern of your choice is a fun and unique way of making the suit stand out.
The most common material for the lining is either silk or Bemberg.
Pant’s Front style
The front style of your trousers will stay largely hidden while wearing a jacket, however, that shouldn’t dissuade you from paying attention to them.
There are generally three font styles to choose from flat, single pleats, and double pleats grounded in functionality more than an aesthetic appeal.
Pleats allow for a greater range of movement in men and accommodate the widening of hips when you sit down.
Men with bigger build may want to opt for a flat front style, whereas the rest of us will be better off with double pleats.
Waistband
Suit trousers most commonly sport a waistband – a thin strip of fabric that wraps around the waist and features some of the securing mechanisms needed to hold them on the body, namely a button or hooks.
When speaking of making your trousers stay put, you may want to opt for belt loops. Once installed, it’s recommended to wear the belt at all times, however, going beltless is becoming a popular look.
Another way to hold your trousers in place is by using side adjusters. These are small buckles, one at each hip, attached to a cloth tab or strap that enable you to tighten the waist an inch or so on each side.
Alternatively, you can also use suspenders (these attach to the buttons on the inside of the waistband).
Hem and Cuffs
Dress pants are finished with a hem or a cuff. A hem means a plain bottom where the fabric is folded up inside the pant leg at the desired length.
A cuff, on the other hand, will have the fabric at the bottom folded up on the outside, and then be pressed or sewn in place to create the cuff.
You will find hemmed bottoms most frequently on flat-front trousers (although there’s nothing wrong with wearing a cuffed flat-front pant).
They are considered a more casual choice. On the other hand, cuffs are widely considered to be the dressier option.
Related to the bottom of the trousers is also the trouser length and trouser break – a point at the bottom of your leg where your trousers meet the shoe. It determines the length of men’s trousers and can greatly affect your overall appearance.
You can choose from five different types of trouser breaks – cropped pants, no break, quarter/slight break, half/medium break, and full break. We go into detail about their practical use in our article on trouser length.
Waistcoats
Waistcoats are largely optional pieces of suits although they still find their use even in modern days, particularly when you want to make an impression.
You may want to wear it at significant events, such as important presentations, job interviews, or formal events.
It looks put-together, elegant, and powerful, and together with a jacket and trousers, it forms a traditional three-piece suit.
Customizing Options
Besides the above options, you can also customize pick stitching – small and unobtrusive stitching that runs along the lapel – button stitching, or even add your monogram. As you can see, the options are almost limitless.
Further customization options include selecting the presence and material of the inner lining, heel guard, and pocket fabric.
Style Like a Pro with The VOU
Knowing what is a tailored suit or its main parts is one thing; on the other hand, knowing how to choose the best suit according to your body shape and skin color is a different thing.
That’s what you get by ordering one of our styling packages for men; our complete Fashion Styling package identifies your ideal colors, the best suits for your body shape, and how to wear it like a pro.
Imagine walking into a room and turning heads for all the right reasons, or picture yourself radiating self-assuredness and sophistication, knowing you’ve got the perfect tailored suit on lock.
We’ve helped countless men like you elevate their style and achieve the much-coveted silent wealth look so don’t hesitate and contact The VOU’s stylists right now for a free introductory class.