"Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction."-- John F. Kennedy
Fit, as they say, is first. An inexpensive but well fitting suit, will look significantly better than an expensive suit that fits poorly. Since the goal here is to find high quality suits at very affordable prices, there is no excuse for skimping on the fit. Here are some basic tips to finding a nice fit. Finding a good tailor is important. Find one that is affordable, but not too cheap. And consider the money well spent.
The suit should fit your form, but not be tight. Today, most men wear suits too large. There are two ways to find out your size. The first is probably best. Go into a nice clothing store and say that you're in the market for a suit, and obtain as much information as possible. Try suits on. Ask about sizes. Try to find a salesman who remembers the old days. Don't just let him eyeball you and guess a size. He should measure you. Men with measuring tapes draped over their necks are your friend. The second way is to buy a sewing tape measure and have a friend measure you. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Chest Size-- The number in a suit size is the chest size. If your chest measures 40 inches around (including the shoulder blades in back), you are a size 40. Done.
Length-- The number is followed by either an S, R or L, indicating short, regular or long. This letter designates how long the jacket is. You want a jacket just covers the curve of your butt. Very long and very shorts suit jackets are fashion fads and should be avoided accordingly.
Sleeves-- Sleeves should reach the point where your arm meets your hand (the narrowest point of the wrist). Choose a jacket based on it's length, not the length of the sleeves. The sleeves can be easily altered.
Silhouette-- This is the cut or shape of the suit. These vary greatly across regions and over decades but in general (although a bit oversimplified) the Italian/British/European style refers to padded shoulders and a very tapered waist creating an hourglass shape. The American style, having gone through many evolutions, typically refers to softer and more natural shoulders, narrow lapels, and no seams or "darts" in the front of the jacket to create additional waist suppression. This type of suit is refered to as a "sack" suit and is perhaps most commonly associated with John F. Kennedy and the ivy leagues. Today, however, these distinctions have very little relevance.
Number of pieces-- The biggest and most important option is the number of pieces. A two piece suit will include a jacket and pants. Three piece suits will include a jacket, pants and vest. Personally, I recommend getting a vest if it's available. You don't have to wear it, but it's nice to have options. In summer, you could remove the jacket and still look sharp with the vest. In winter, it's an extra piece to keep you warm. Sean Connery often wore three piece suit while playing James Bond.
Number of buttons-- The next big choice is number of buttons. Two and three buttons are standard. Three buttons look best with a tie. Fewer than two, or more than three, will leave you at the mercy of fashionistas. Be on the lookout for something referred to as the three button rolled to two (3/2), where the top button is under the lapel and the top buttonhole is on the opposite lapel. On these jackets, which are quite stylish (and usually sack suits), the top button is only decorative, so be sure not to button it. Only button the top button of a two button suit, and only the center button of a three button. The idea is to only fasten the button at waist level. Never button the bottom button on any jacket ever. Did you hear that. Never. This is one rule you don't want to break. It's a long story, but buttoning the bottom button is a rookie mistake and usually makes a strange fashion statement.
Number of vents-- Vents are the slits cut in the back or sides of a jacket. Jackets can come with a single vent, double vents or ventless. All three are classical options but here are some considerations. Vents allow the jacket to split apart while the wearer puts his hands in his pockets or sits down (in the old days it for horse riding). A single center vent is the most common and conservative choice and favored by American suit makers. Double side vents serve the same function. Sean Connery wore double vents in his legendary Goldfinger suit. The drawback to double vents is that on those with large posteriors the flap could form a little shelf. You don't want old ladies standing behind you on the subway arranging their thimble collections on your ass. Ventless suits have a nice streamlined look and have been popular since the 1930s but are prone to wrinkling while one sits and tend to ride up over the waist while one walks around with ones hands thrust into ones pockets.
Single versus double breasted-- This is a matter of personal choice. Double breasted is more formal and quite "retro" and tends to flatter the wide, while the single breasted flatters the slender.
Pocket flaps-- Most suits have pocket flaps. Some do not. The choice is yours. Most suits have "high quality pockets" which means the flaps may be tucked into the pocket to achieve the flapless look if desired.
Lapels-- Notch lapels are the most common, and are normal lapels with a wedge shaped notch removed. A shawl lapel is like the notch lapel but without the notch removed, such a the satin lapels on more formal dinner jackets. Peak lapels jut out to a high and wide peak. In general the width of a lapel should be about half the distance between the collar and shoulder seam. Significantly wider or narrower than this is a dated, rather than classic, look.
Sleeve buttons-- In custom made suits, it is traditional to have functional buttonholes installed and fitted with buttons made of horn. These cuffs are known as surgeon cuffs and are so desirable that those who have them almost always leave one or two of the buttons unbuttoned to demonstrate their superiority. Consequently, today, very low quality suits occasionally come with functional sleeve buttons. Unless you are purchasing a bespoke or MTM suit, you won't need this option. You won't ever need to roll up or unbutton your jacket sleeves. You can push them up and roll up your shirt sleeves over them, if you need to. That is what Houdini did.
Two, three and four are all good numbers of sleeve buttons. More than four is fairly fashion forward. Modern buttons often overlap. This makes no sense. Likewise, many jackets have fake buttonhole stitching next to the buttons. This is okay, but it makes it difficult to alter the length of the sleeve.
Pants-- Wearing pants is a good idea. The pants should fit you comfortably around the waist and the back of the pant legs should nearly reach the point where the shoe is welted to the heel.
Pleats-- Pants traditionally came with one, two or zero pleats (flat fronts) in the front in either the forward or reverse direction. Pleated pants are intended to be worn high at the natural waist, and create a long vertical line from the waist to the shoe. Pleats versus flat fronts (no pleats) is a decision left entirely up to the wearer, but both are timeless. Pleats definitely favor the portly gent, but look very sharp on slim people, too (reference: any old movie). Pay absolutely no attention to the current fashion trend labeling pleats as "out." Fashion trends are the enemy and the goal of this trend is not to make you look better, but to make you spend more. Three piece suits are typically paired with flat front high rise (high waisted) trousers.
Cuffs-- Typically, lighter weight fabrics come with pants cuffed. This helps the pant legs hang and drape better. Again, this is a matter of personal taste. Some feel that cuffs match best with pleats and no cuffs go best with no pleats. However, this is highly debatable. Feel free to mix and match.
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