“The suit speaks well before the man opens his mouth.” – Kenn Griffiths.
Fashions come and go but the suit remains a quintessential part of any gentleman’s attire. Wearing a suit properly is not for the slothful. There are those who would advocate that the addition of baseball boots with the suit is ‘classy’ not so! It may be stylish, although I could argue against this, but it is certainly not classy.
When choosing a suit you should take as much care, if not more, as you would when deciding the colour of your Aston Martin.
A single button on a suit coat (not jacket) is there to create a clean stylish line bringing the eye to the wearer’s waist, giving the impression of a narrow tall figure. Ideal for the vertically challenged gentleman. When the button is fastened the coat’s lapels should meet in the centre of the torso between the solar-plexus and the navel in a straight flat line with no bends, bulges or waves, (British suits tend to show less shirt than the rest of the world and as such, sit slightly higher).
Two buttoned coats also draw the eye’s attention to the waist and are the best choice for the medium build gentleman. Two buttons are there for the look of the suit, the bottom button should never be fastened as it will take the fit of the coat out of line making it look off balance.
Three buttons draw the eye to the chest thereby adding width. The middle button is for fastening. It is acceptable to fasten the top as well but never on it’s own unless you are going for the Tonic wearing, skin head look, and if you are, thank you for your time, we’ll part company here.
Double breasted suits are for slim tall men as the style tends to add width, small stocky men should never wear a double breasted suit as they will inevitable look like a box on legs. Think Roger Moore 1962 not Bob Hoskins in Roger Rabbit.
The length of the coat generally speaking, should sit approximately half the distance from the sole of the foot to the top of the spine. Traditional British suits have only one central vent. This is a throw-back to the sword carrying, horse-riding days allowing the rider to sit comfortably in the saddle and to allow his sword not to disturb the suit line when worn at the waist hence the left side of the vent always cut over the right. Nowadays pockets are usually straight whereas traditionally slanted pockets were the norm, again for the convenience of the horse-riding male. One should never use the pockets for anything other than a discrete handkerchief, just in case the lady needs to dry a tear (clean, white, light cotton only please) but never for hands, maybe occasionally one, note His Royal Highness Prince Charles. Sleeve length is set-in-stone. The underlying shirt cuff should fall approximately one inch past the wrist joint and the suit sleeve cut to allow a half to three-quarters of an inch of shirt to be seen.
Trousers must fall in a straight line finishing as they rest on the front of the shoe with a slight crease allowing the rear of the trouser to hang slightly longer covering a third of the heel of the shoe. The rise should be comfortably high, ideally sitting at the top of the pelvis. The bigger the waist the higher the trousers. What you are looking to achieve here is the perception of long-legs, thereby slimming the figure. Pleats are acceptable but they are only there to help the larger waist. The best look is to slim down so that you can wear flat-fronted trousers without discomfort. Do not use the trouser pocket to fill with anything that disturbs the trouser line. It’s far more acceptable to use a gentleman’s handbag if you have anything to carry that would not fit in the pocket without being seen. Turn-ups are for double-breasted suits. They give weight and can make the fall of the trouser very dramatic but only the slimmest, tallest male should go for this. Never have a turn up on a single breasted suit.
Suit cloth comes in many weights and colours. Think in terms of usage. Light weights are fine for summer use and heavier (note I say heavier not heavy) for colder times. Medium weights are ideal for most temperate climates. It is fair to say that most gentlemen would get more wear out of a darker suit than he would a light coloured one. Ideally you should have a wardrobe with a selection. Suit coats should be kept on quality wooden hangers shaped to mimic the broadness of the shoulder where it meets the arm and fit all the way up to the sleeve/shoulder stitching, hanging with a gap all the way around to allow the air to circulate. Trousers should be hung separately, waste down with purpose made trouser press hangers that grip the last inch of the leg cushioned by velvet.
A bespoke suit is an absolute must. Bespoke, of course means made for you specifically and that means that you have to say exactly what you want the tailor to make. If it’s an existing style then it is in fact a custom suit. Bespoke will cost more than ‘off the peg’ but should last and look good for many years. Do not think that any tailor will do. Just because the sign says quality, does not mean it will be, likewise, Savile Row or Jermyn Street is not shorthand for quality. There’s good and bad in every profession. Get to know your tailor before commissioning your suit. Look at what they do and ask them about their work and experience. Do not be shy, remember you are the gentleman buying and, following the transaction, it will be you who will be the tailor’s best advert, experienced tailors know this. If your tailor does nothing more than allow you to choose the material and measure you, you are in the wrong place, so beat a hasty retreat. Any tailor worth his/your salt will want to know about you, where you will be wearing the suit, what you keep in your pockets, and much more.
Never wear a tired suit no matter how comfortable you find it.
The traditional linen suit conjures up images of the Empire’s far flung verandas and that’s probably the best and only way to think about them. I don’t know what it is but, certainly the British gentleman, somehow, doesn’t really carry this suit off at all.
