How A Suit Should Fit

If you are planning on buying a suit for a special occasion or for an important event such as an interview, you need to know how to judge how one should fit.

Even if you think you know what you’re doing, the truth is that most people have several misconceptions about how to find the perfect suit. But fear not, here at Dobell, we know how to make you look more Bruce Wayne than Geography teacher - apologies if you’re a Geography teacher. There are some key measurements and checks which you must carry out while trying on a suit, to ensure it has the desired impact and delivers what every suit should, class. A suit should never be a cheap investment either, otherwise, you’re just asking for trouble, which is why it is important to get it right the first time around as you don’t want to pay a lot of money for something which doesn’t even fit.

Ultimately, a suit should fit and feel as comfortable as a casual jumper and jogging pants, so if there is any stiffness in your suit at all, you’ve got the wrong one on.

It should make you stand out, without people knowing why, while delivering your body with a perfectly symmetrical appearance, highlighting your masculine features and giving your body a natural V shape, which is extremely flattering.

With a well fitted suit, confidence will naturally flow through your body, giving you the comfort to stand with your back straight and your head held high, allowing you to be impossible to ignore at a job interview, walking down the red carpet or the aisle, just be careful not to look better than the bride.

So, to help you become the next James Bond, here are the most important ways to make sure your suit fits perfectly, starting from the top.

The Collar

Once you have found a suit which has all of the correct dimensions and you are wearing it, the first thing you need to asses is the fit of the collar.

From a standing position with your arms by your side, the collar should fit snugly against your neck without it feeling tight at any point.

There should not be any kind of gap between your neck and the collar, even if you lift your arms in the air, so make sure to ask a friend to see if one opens when you do this.

Standing still will make the jacket look good, even if it isn’t fitted perfectly, but it is when you start moving that it becomes obvious that things aren’t right.

Try testing out a few movements, such as drinking from a bottle, clapping your hands and hugging someone (maybe the clerk is feeling friendly?) At no point should the collar bunch up and create a gap, so use this as a way to judge whether the jacket fits.

If you have round shoulders or your back is not naturally straight, the chances of a gap appearing is much higher.

Focus on the shoulder

The next check you need to make is how the jacket sits on your shoulder, one of the most critical aspects of fitting a suit jacket.

Almost everything else can be altered, but it is almost impossible to make a change to a jacket which does not sit on the shoulder properly, so you have to get this right.

Firstly, the material has to sit perfectly straight with no bunching or creases showing.

This can be achieved by picking a jacket where the seam is slightly extended by around half an inch past the end of your shoulder, unlike the dress shirt beneath which needs to end at the exact end.

The slight hangover of the jacket will give you a broader look and enable an array of movement, ensuring the fabrics below don't pull and make you uncomfortable.

A suit which is too big in the shoulder will show puddles of material or dents on the upper part of the sleeve which will look awkward and untidy. Whereas one which is too tight will restrict your arm movement.

Armhole

The armhole is the armpit area of the suit and an area which needs attention.

The amount of material under your arm should not be substantial and hang down, it should be tucked and tidy to the contour of your body.

There is a fine line between an armhole which is too big and one which is too small but ensuring that you don’t see wrinkles on the outer section of the sleeve will help you see if you need slightly more room.

Sleeve length

The sleeve length is important but simple to judge as you simply need to be able to see about a quarter of an inch of the correctly fitted dress shirt at the wrist.

If space is any more than this, the suit will look too small and any longer it will make the entire piece look too big.

There should never be any wrinkles on the sleeve so make sure to try some natural movements to see if they appear to get a better idea of the fit.

Buttons and chest

When your jacket is closed, the buttons should not be clinging on for dear life.

That is why you need to have some room inside the jacket, which means avoiding the trap of getting a suit that is too small and not being able to breath when a jacket is buttoned.

Vents

A vent is the cut at the back and bottom of the jacket which allows for comfortable movement and fitting.

The vents should come up to the top of the jacket pocket and you should always aim to get a suit with two side vents, as a single one at the back centre is traditionally for people riding horses.

Jacket length

Proportion is key with length as a jacket which is too short will make your torso look small and your legs far too long, while a jacket which is too big will give the appearance of you having a huge torso and little legs, neither are ideal looks.

The jacket length can be altered; however, the suit will never look quite right as the pockets will be either too high or low.

The perfect measurement of a jacket is the distance from the top of your jacket to the bottom, should be the same as from the bottom of your jacket to the bottom of your trousers.

Trousers

Your suit trousers should be simple to judge when it comes to picking out the right pair.

They should have enough room for you to move around comfortably in, while following the line of your legs to give a strong shape.

Crouching down in your trousers is a good way to judge whether you have enough room as you should have enough movement to move around, especially if you want to avoid any embarrassing moments on the dancefloor at the wedding or when you are sitting down at an interview.

The full suit

If you are able to find a suit which ticks all of these boxes, you’ll be in serious contention of being the best-looking person in the room. That’s why it is important to get a suit which is made with you in mind, which is exactly what we do at Dobell.