All About Suits Part II

There’s an old adage that states that “knowledge is power”.  In that I’m a firm believer in that, I thought it would be fitting to provide information to be considered when one wants to purchase a suit.  Previously, we looked at buying a suit according to one’s body type and the different types of suits. Let’s take to the next level and consider what goes into a quality suit.   

Suit Construction

The best suits are made by hand in terms of quality of construction and materials.  Therefore, the more a suit is made by hand the higher the quality.  There are a lot more places to have custom made suits made and if one can afford it that would be the best route to take.  Locally here in Cincinnati, Nobby Tailors has been making custom made suits for Men of Color for years.  They’re one of the best places to get custom tailored suits and they also carry a line shoes that can’t be found in other stores in and ‘Nati. 

Materials

All quality suits should be made of natural materials such as wool, linen, cotton, or silk.  Suits made from synthetic materials aren’t breathable and don’t allow for the body’s natural temperature to assist in a comfort level.  In other words, in the winter time they don’t provide warmth of the body and in the summer time there’s no cooling affect as the heat is retained.  Also, synthetic suits are stiff and don’t contour with the body so they don’t fit as well as a suit made from natural materials.  Synthetic suits are also harder to maintain as they don’t allow the body’s perspiration to evaporate, since they’re not breathable, and will result in the suit needing to be dry cleaned more often.   I remember the period of the ‘70s when we wore polyester suits.  Looking back on that it was the worst of times in terms of looking good.  The one thing I vividly recalled about the suits was that they came in any color one could imagine.   I had a pair of burgundy poly slacks and a burgundy and white poly “houndstooth” sport coat and I thought I had it “going on”.  Reflecting back to that period now I think I looked rather clownish! 

Buttonholes

[1]The finest quality suits have handmade buttonholes.  Handmade buttonholes are smooth on the outside and rough on the inside.  Machine made buttonholes will be smoother on both sides.  Most buttons are sewn on with cross-stitching and well finished with no threads hanging.  Also, in custom tailored suits the buttonholes on the sleeves allow one to unbutton them.   There is nothing worse than having a button pop off because it was correctly sewn onto the jacket.  Of course, that never happened to me!

Suit Seams

[2]Hand-sewn seams are composed of a single thread running through the fabric in a wavelike pattern.  When done properly, they are smooth and pucker-free and are more resilient to creasing and stretching than machined seams.  Machine-sewn seams are composed of two threads looped tightly around each other in a chainlike pattern.  They are sturdy, but the loops create puckers in the fabric, which can worsen over time as the fabric stretches. 

Pockets

The flaps on the pocket should be consistent with the size of the lapels- neither too large nor too small.  Like the lapels, they should not draw attention to themselves.  In additions, their actual size should conform to that of the jacket.  Patch pockets are fine on sports jackets or sporty suits, but for a dressy suit, a flap pocket or jetted pocket is more appropriate.  The jetted pocket is the dressiest, which is why it is traditionally found on the tuxedo.  The flap pocket will put a touch more thickness on the hip, while the slit pocket gives a slimmer look.  Personally, I prefer jetted (besom) pockets on my suit coats which allows for a sleeker look.  Besom pockets typically are closed when the suit is purchased and I recommend leaving them sewn close. 

Lining

[3]An unlined suit is more expensive then a lined suit because the visible seams must be perfectly finished as there’s no room for error.  A partially lined suit jacket would be the best option because the pieces of viscose cloth sewn in strategic places would make it easy to slide the jacket on and off without compromising the cool fabric.  Inside every proper suit jacket, between the exterior cloth and the lining lies the secret of its shape; a layer of cloth called the canvas.  A bespoke suit or top-end ready-to-wear design features what’s known as a full-hand canvas, sewn in the jacket by hand, stitch by stitch, so that it echoes the curves of the chest, gives the lapel its roll, and, in a sense, determines the very integrity of the jacket.  Cheaper brands, however, use a process called fusing, in which a synthetic interlining is heated by machine until it adheres to the exterior fabric and provides the jacket with its rudimentary shape.  Until you’re caught in a rainstorm, that is, when the glue dissolves, leaving blisters in the chest and lapels.  Although fusing has long been deemed inferior to hand canvassing, this is no longer universally so.  Improvements in fusing technology have made it possible to create fused suits that fit better than some canvassed ones.  Never, however, offer this opinion to a tailor, unless be of robust constitution. 

Lapels

[4]Lapels have always been a reflection of the fashion of the moment, widening or shrinking in size to suit the taste of stores or individual designers.  This is unfortunate, since their size should never be a matter of whim but always a reflection of the jacket’s proportions.

The lapel of a well-styled suit should extend to just a fraction less than the halfway mark between collar and shoulder line.  In general, this size means a width of approximately 3.5 inches, thus honoring the main principle of classic tailoring, which is that no part, no detail, should violate the integrity of the whole.   I believe that one of the most important principals in regards to the lapels is to make sure that the tie coordinates with the lapels in terms of width.  Never match a wide lapel with a skinny tie and vice versa. 

I hope that you’ve found the information that I shared to be very useful.  I know it was helpful to me in becoming very an expert in men’s clothing and in this case, men’s suits.  I’m of the opinion that one should consider purchasing a suit as making an investment in one’s appearance.  After all it’s the most important clothing purchase that one can make. 

Douglas Prather

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[1] The Handbook of Style, A Man’s Guide to Looking Good, From the Editors of Esquire Magazine, (New York: Hearst Books, 2009) page 42. 

[2]  The Handbook of Style, A Man’s Guide to Looking Good, From the Editors of Esquire Magazine, (New York: Hearst Books, 2009) page 43. 

[3] The Handbook of Style, A Man’s Guide to Looking Good, From the Editors of Esquire Magazine, (New York: Hearst Books, 2009) page 42. 

[4] Clothes and the Man, The Principles of Fine Men’s’ Dress, Alan Flusser, (New York: Villard Books, 1987) pages 32-33.