|
The tailoring is everything. And that usually means having all the key dimensions right: chest, coat waist, and sleeve lengths; pant waist, seat, and leg lengths all need to be right for your body. Tailoring can cost more than $100 to get everything right, but good tailoring can make a less expensive suit look terrific. Bad tailoring will destroy an expensive suit.
As for current fashion, we're currently "in the middle", and probably biased to the slimmer side (but not tight, or skinny). That can feel snug, if you last bought a suit in the 90s. What that means in practical terms is medium shoulders that aren't meaningfully padded, medium lapel (~2.5-3" and probably notch), single breastfed, 2 button, single or sidle vents (but side is usually more elegant), and jacket length that's usually around (or just above) the horizontal crease below your butt cheeks.
For pants, the key is NO PLEATS, and NO CUFFS. Also slimmer through the thigh and calf is more in fashion, but note that this fit will feel snug and you will not be able carry your wallet, keys, snacks, phone, flashlight, and CCW in your pants pockets. Leg length is a mild break in the front, preferably with the cuff cut at a slight angle to hang -~1/2 lower on the back side.
Depending on your body size and shape, stuff off the rack may be close. There are limits to what you can do with tailoring. Most suits on the rack are designed for a 6" drop (chest size - waist size = drop). If your actual drop is less than 5 or more than 8 you're may need to buy separates (jacket and pants separately) or go custom. Try different brands and different stores, the fit will vary. "Athletic" suits have a higher drop. Don't buy a suit where the jacket does not fit right through the chest and shoulders - - it's more work/money to fix if even possible. Sleeves and waist are common tailoring adjustments.
Regarding fabric: Only wool unless you have a big wardrobe. No synthetics, no cotton, no linen. Wool. Pick a medium weight in a medium Grey, or Blue for all year wear. Sorry, no brown unless you have a big wardrobe. A pinstripe or chalkstripe can add style and maybe make you look thinner. Window pane and other non solids are trickier to accessorize and can make a heavier guy look heavier.
[Most] All the suits in the link Hawk sent conform to the fit guidelines above. Those are not expensive but could be fine for infrequent wear if they fit you right. Note that they are relatively snug, especially in the thigh as is currently the fashion. This fit is relatively unforgiving to weight gain. +10 lbs starts to get tight, so consider a looser fit if your weight fluctuates. I repeat. Only buy wool if it's your one suit.
If you get a fitted suit, you need a fitted shirt. Depending on your waist size that probably means you need to have the shirt waist tailored. Sleeves and neck size (and chest) should hopefully fit off the rack. A blousey shirt will look bad under a fitted suit. They both need to fit right.
A few other thoughts:
Nice custom suits start around $1000. They will have nicer fabrics and details like pique stitching and working buttons on the jacket. It's not required, but people that know suits will pick up on the details. The more you spend above $1000 (custom) is usually the quality of the fabric, but it gets harder to tell the difference between a $1000 suit and a $5000 versus a $1000 and a $500 suit. Diminishing returns...
If you would consider 2 suits, it's common to stretch a wardrobe on a budget with a Grey and blue suit that can be mixed/matched for a blazer look, eg blue coat with grey trousers or vice versa. The fabrics typically need to be solids and complementary weave.
Black shoes and belt. Brown can be OK if you have a bigger wardrobe, but it's harder to get right. Shoes can also make or break the look. Typically a black lace up looks best. Some sleek loafers can work, but nothing too boxy or casual like a penny loafer - - that will look out of place with a suit (but fine with jeans or khakis and a blazer).
Tie is a personal preference. But ties are also less of a requirement these days. No tie is cool. And if you go no tie, consider 2 buttons undone, not just the top. No undershirt. You'll look Hollywood. Again, see the photos in the link you shared.
If there's one nearby, try shopping at Charles Thyrwhitt (sp). They have a massive selection of shirt sizes and fits at good prices which will save money on tailoring the shirt. They also have separates for jackets and pants and often include "fancy" details (like working buttons) on reasonably priced off the rack items. And they have a good return policy.
Good luck!
Sent from my CPH2451 using Tapatalk
|