Suit

This might surprise people, but a subject I do not really enjoy addressing and honestly prefer not to is what is considered by many to be a fundamental item in any man's wardrobe, the suit. There are numerous reasons why I feel this way, and I won't go into them all here, but I suppose the largest reason however is because there are so many facets and details to a suit that to address each one is itself a chore, let alone finding a perfect one that wouldn't cost you more than your monthly rent or mortgage payment, pre-tailoring.

With that said, I do feel a suit, while perhaps not the fundamental staple to the businessman's wardrobe that it was half a century ago, is still an item that has its place in every man's closet. The reason behind this is because, for vast majority of us, at some point we are going to attend a wedding, a funeral, and/or a job interview. By having the proper type of suit in our closet, we are able to attend all of these events in proper, respectful attire without having to think about it. Because of that, while I do not particular enjoy discussing suits, I will cover what I consider the basics in order of importance. As with everything, this order of important is my personal opinion.

Fit

Quite obviously, the first aspect that needs addressed is how the suit fits. If a suit is made entirely of polyester, has four buttons, sports wide lapels, and is bright purple, but fits well, it will look like a costume, but still better than a suit that gets all the details right, but fits poorly. As such, I'm going to devote the most time to this one.

Now, you can buy made-to-measure suits and, after a few tries, get a perfect fit. This is becoming more popular, by what I see online. However, in this, I'm just going to address an off-the-rack suit, as it's honestly the easiest to deal with, the first time.

When purchasing an off-the-rack suit, do not go into the store thinking that you're going to find a suit that fits you perfectly or 'close enough.' Instead, you're looking for a suit that fits you in a few key areas. In the majority of cases, for the remaining areas, that suit will need brought to a tailor and adjusted to fit you. There are two things to make sure of, when you look at that suit for fit.

First, and believe it or not, this is actually really important, is that the shoulders need to fit. A proper size shoulder will influence the silhouette of that suit upon your figure, and it's one of the areas that tailors can't really alter with any reliability on the outcome. The shoulder should, obviously, end at yours. A simple test for whether it fits is something that I've heard called some variance of the shoulder to wall test (Google). With your arm relaxed at your side, lean into a wall. Both your shoulder and the suit shoulder should touch the wall at the same time.

Second, make sure nothing is too small. Normally, if the shoulders fit right, the body of the suit WILL be a bit baggy on you. This is a good thing, as a tailor can then take in the proportions to fit your figure. However, if it's too small, there's a very limited range in which the tailor can 'let out' the clothing. When you button the suit, it should not stretch at the button, but should comfortably drape. When you hang your arms down at your sides, curl your fingers. If the edge of the suit hangs above the bend in the middle of your fingers, it's too short. Wear a proper-fitting long sleeve shirt into the store or grab a proper-length shirt off the rack and bring it in with you. When wearing it with your arm relaxed at your side, if more than a half inch to three quarters of the cuff of your shirt is showing, the sleeve is too short. The principle goes for the pants, too. If the waist is uncomfortable when buttoned, or the pant leg has absolutely not break to it, odds are it's too small.

If these two measurements work, odds are the remaining features of the suit can be adjusted at the tailor. Personal preference can dictate how some of these work, but this is my opinion on how it should fit, in the end.

• When you stand up straight, with the suit draping properly, there should be no "X" at the button from a stretching of fabric. The suit should be JUST BARELY roomy enough to layer a lightweight sweater on top of a dress shirt without this happening.
• With the above tests mentioned, the bottom of the jacket shoulder fall just into the pits if your fingers, and between one half and three quarters inch of shirt sleeve should be showing (I'll honestly admit, I'm bad at this with sleeves, as while I only have one suit, I have four jackets, which are all a bit overboard in one of either directions, and I can't bring myself to take them to a tailor to fix JUST that).
• The pants should fit comfortably at the waist, and there should be a slight break in the trousers, when you're wearing dress shoes. Also, the legs of the trousers should hang comfortably enough for movement, but be close enough to the leg to show the figure of the person.

Fabric

If you're just getting one suit, the fabric should be 100% wool, preferably with a super of 100 to 120. The higher the super number, the finer and more delicate the fabric, but you want it fine enough to be soft, flexible, and breathable. Honestly, the easiest thing to do is just to check the tag to make sure the shell is 100% wool, then feel the outside to see if it's to your liking.

Also, on the interior, you'll often find a satin fabric. This is its lining. If possible, look for one in which only the front of the jacket and the shoulders are lined, which is typically called half-lined.

Color

When it comes to color, the options usually fall into categories of blue and grey. Honestly, for versatility, a navy blue or charcoal grey are your best bets. If you want to expand beyond that, a navy pinstripe is classic, or a medium to light grey solid also works.

As a side note, while black was once popular and probably will be again, at some point, this follows a pattern of trends. In my opinion, if done right, there's nothing wrong with it. But if you want versatile, it should not be your go-to color.

Details

A lot of these are quick hits, so I felt like I'd address them all at once.

• Try and stick to two-buttons if you can, for a starter suits. Three buttons can go in and out of style, but two buttons is pretty universal.
• Try to keep your lapels at about 2.5 to 3 inches. If you're slender, you might be able to pull of thinner lapel, but for those of us, i.e. most, that carry a bit of both fat and muscle on us, these dimensions are the safest.
• I'd heard that side vents are the best option from a number of sources, and I'm inclined to agree. However, if you like a center vent more, it isn't really a problem.
• Four-button sleeves are often the most common. I don't really know any hard and fast rule about four buttons being mandatory, but in terms of convenience and recognition, it's best just to stick with it.

Finishing Up

I sort of felt I'd need to do a post on suits, at some point. In the modern age, suits are becoming less and less of a mandatory option to wear, in my opinion. However, they will likely always have a place, and it does work to one's favor to go out and purchase one.

Anything you want to add, or anything you disagree with? Anything you think I missed? Comment below!