This past week, the guys were discussing what makes a great suit, so I'm asking you all now, what does make a great suit?
A flawless fit that inspires confidence and turns envious heads is generally driven by 3 elements:
- The quality of the fabric
- The quality of the fit
- The quality of the tailoring
We will use www.7regentlane.com as a way to portray what is meant by the above statement.
The Fabric
Suits are commonly made from polyester, cotton, or wool. Other materials used include linen and microfibers. Irrespective of the fabric used, a good suit should be ‘breathable.’’ It should help keep the body at an even temperature and should not trap heat. This means that during hot or cold weather it will keep you at a constant temperature.
Polyesters, in general, make for low quality fabrics. They are synthetic, and retain heat, making one very uncomfortable on extended wear. They tend to be heavier than naturally occurring material such as wool and get wrinkled easily. Some polyester fabrics also have a glossy shine, making them stand out in an unnatural way.
Cotton is natural fiber and is a better alternative to polyester, and is sometimes preferred over wool in tropical regions. In most situations though, cotton finishes a step behind woolen fabrics when it comes to suits. While cotton is ‘breathable’ and is comfortable to wear, it suffers from its propensity to crease easily. You may have observed this when wearing 100% cotton shirts, even from the best brands. On extended wear, cotton suits often present a rumpled look.
Woolen suits are the top of the class and are the fabric of choice for high end, expensive suits. Wool can be processed either as ‘worsted’ or a ‘woolen’ yarn. The difference between the two is in the degree of ‘tightness’ that the wool is spun into. Generally, worsted implies a tightly spun yarn that is a little heavier, while feeling smooth on wear. Woolen yarns on other hand, are spun loose, and while lighter, feels baggier around your body. Other variations in woolen suits, especially in cold weather regions, include flannel and tweed. Tweed, for example, is to this day used in sports jackets.
Worsted wool is the most popular fabric for fine suits as it is durable and wrinkle resistant over extended wear. The content of worsted suits are often defined by their Super numbers. A super 100 fabric indicates that the yarn has been twisted more than Super 80 fabric. In general, the higher the Super number, the lighter the weight of the suit. Super 100’s and above make for excellent, high quality suits. In general, the higher the Super numbers the higher the price with all else being the same. Nevertheless, there is a trade off: a higher Super number fabric, while wearing lighter and feeling better, tends to wrinkle quicker and less durable. Hence, suits with Super numbers above 140, may not be ideal for extended, every day, wear and should be reserved for special occasions.
Fit
Most of us who have bought off the rack suits can relate to this issue: You buy this beautiful suit, only to notice that there is a lot of ‘air’ between your torso and the suit. This ‘baggy fit’ may be great for pajamas but is an absolute no-no when it comes to a suit. The principal reason for the baggy fit is that off the rack suits, are designed for generic body types. If you are one of the 5% with a generic body type, great! If you are in the other 95%, the suit will just not fit well.
The difference between an ‘off the rack’ suit, and a suit that is custom made for you is significant. Off the rack suits are made using standard measurements that have little in common with your specific body contours. Some off the rack retailers claim that they can provide you with a custom suit after making minor adjustments to the sleeve length and the pant length- this only gets it a little bit closer, but will never fit as well as a suit made specifically for your unique body.
A good custom suit begins with creating a template off your measurements. This template is often retained by your tailor for when you require additional suits in the future. Custom suits are then made off the template, catering to the individuality of the order. Lapel sizes, buttons, vents, pleats, pockets, the jacket length, are all adjusted to how you wear the suit.
Good tailored suits hug your body contours while allowing you to carry your daily activities comfortably. They wear easily over extended periods of time. While the exterior of the suit is visible to the client, what goes on the inside also plays a vital role in how the suit wears. Between the outer fabric and the inner lining, tailors weave in an interface that keeps the jacket from losing its shape. These fabrics known as a ‘canvas’ can be made out of horsehair, hemp, or in some cases, foam. The high-end suits have a floating canvas that is made out of horsehair, while some other suits have a fused canvas. A fused canvas is less soft and, if poorly done, could damage the durability of the jacket, making it lose its shape over extended wear.
Custom fits allow you to personalize the suit to define your taste. The top firms are aware of the latest trends in fashion and provide options that reflect these. Customizable options typically include:
- Slim vs. relaxed fit
- Lapel size
- Peak and Notch lapel options
- Number of buttons
- Number of vents on the jacket
- Pleats
- Pick stitching
- Ticket pockets
- Slanted vs. straight (or hacking) pockets
- Inner lining choices
Tailoring
Good tailoring when combined with the right fabric and fit completes that perfect look. Quality tailors, with their years of experience, are able to take your paper measurements and make the final product come to life. Quality in tailoring is reflected in the comfort of the fit and in the attention to the smallest detail.
For example, well-tailored suits allow for free movement as you go about your daily activities, but at the same time, fit snugly with your body contours, giving the sleek look. The best suits also pay attention to smallest details: when ordering a pin stripe suit, examine how the stripes align, especially as you reach the top pockets. Look at the quality of the pick stitching that line up the front of your suit. With proper care, well-tailored suits will last for a long time. It will truly stand the test of time if one chooses classic options. It will certainly remain as one’s favorite suit even with newer additions to your wardrobe.