Gentlemen! Here's How To Pick A Suit

Every man should have at least one suit in his wardrobe. And if he is only going to own one, it should be custom made. Be it a corporate meeting or a personal occasion, one always need a suit. And alarmingly enough, most of us shop at a high street fashion store when we decide to pick one up. I shall lay down some basic steps to help you go about owning a suit that really fits you.

Finding yourself a good tailor is perhaps the most critical step in the entire process. Do your research, look and ask around to be pointed in the right direction. After all, what can be worse than walking into a zillion stores and malls looking for that one suit that fits you just right and returning disappointed?

Is it something that you will use regularly or just for special occasions? Do you want it to be formal or a little relaxed? That will help you determine the kind of lapel, if it will be a two or three-button suit, a single or double breast, etc. If this is going to be the only suit you own, or even your first suit, keep it simple and classic. Go with a two-button suit, because that is how it should be.

Where do you live? What is the weather like there? Where are you going to wear the suit most frequently? This could mean the difference between linen and wool. You only need to know that the feel and fall of the fabric is good. Who makes the fabric is secondary, unless you have a lot of cash that you can spend on a Zegna. In which case, by all means.

Measurements are everything. It will determine if you are going to swim in your suit or mean business. If your sleeves extend till your knuckles or just show under an inch of your French cuff shirt, the suit’s on point. And unless you’re Hugh Jackam, off-the-rack is not really an option. Even then, someone who buys suits off stores would look so much better when it is stitched to their exact specification.

The best part of tailoring your suit is that you can let your quirks show through. Be it in the colors, the kind of detailing, the pockets you use, whatever you choose.

The good thing about a tailor-made suit is that you get to try it on once the tailor makes the first cut. This means, any tweaks or tucks can be made before the suit is finalised. I got my suit made by the Bangalore-based lads at Uncuffed Clothing. It was a well rounded experience. They came to my place at a pre-appointed time with their master tailor, took my measurements, showed me swatches of fabric and also discussed the fit and minute details of the suit.

Contact: +91 9886157065

Find them on Facebook here.

Check out their website here to make an appointment.

Now that you have the suit, it is only logical that you team it with a tailor-made shirt. A French cuff, no less. I got my shirt tailor-made from Pristine Cut. They make shirts in customized sizes, it’s called size YOU. All I wanted from them was a basic white shirt and they managed to impress nonetheless with the fit, the concealed button-down collar and perfect length of sleeve on the French cuff.

Contact: +91 98337 87091 or email them at sayhello@pristinecut.com.

Follow Pristine Cut on Facebook here.

Follow them on Instagram here.

This story first appeared on the blog Bowties and Bones. Read the entire post here. Follow Allen on Instagram here.