How a suit should fit
A suit fits when the shoulder seams end right at your shoulder bones, the buttoned jacket lies flat with no X-shaped pull, the jacket covers your seat, and the sleeves show about a quarter to a half inch of shirt cuff. Trousers should sit at your waist and just touch your shoes. Buy for the shoulders, because a tailor can fix almost everything else.
About 15 minutes to learnEveryday skill
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How to do it
- Try the jacket on over the kind of shirt you will wear with it.
- Check the shoulders first: the seam should end at the edge of your shoulder, with no dent or overhang.
- Button the top button and look for X-shaped creases pulling from it; they mean it is too tight.
- Check the length covers your seat, and the collar sits against your shirt collar without a gap.
- Let your arms hang: about a quarter to a half inch of shirt cuff should show below each sleeve.
- Check the trousers sit comfortably at the waist and the hem just meets your shoes with a slight break or none.
- Ask the tailor to adjust the sleeves, trouser length and waist; walk away from a jacket whose shoulders are wrong.
Common mistakes
- Buying a jacket whose shoulders are too wide because the rest fits.
- Sleeves that swallow the shirt cuff completely.
- Trousers pooling in several folds at the shoe.
- Skipping the tailor after buying off the rack.
Quick self-check
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Teach this to someone
A one-page sheet for showing a friend, a roommate or a kid: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How a suit should fit
What to say
A suit fits when the shoulder seams end right at your shoulder bones, the buttoned jacket lies flat with no X-shaped pull, the jacket covers your seat, and the sleeves show about a quarter to a half inch of shirt cuff. Trousers should sit at your waist and just touch your shoes. Buy for the shoulders, because a tailor can fix almost everything else.
What to show, in order
- Try the jacket on over the kind of shirt you will wear with it.
- Check the shoulders first: the seam should end at the edge of your shoulder, with no dent or overhang.
- Button the top button and look for X-shaped creases pulling from it; they mean it is too tight.
- Check the length covers your seat, and the collar sits against your shirt collar without a gap.
- Let your arms hang: about a quarter to a half inch of shirt cuff should show below each sleeve.
- Check the trousers sit comfortably at the waist and the hem just meets your shoes with a slight break or none.
- Ask the tailor to adjust the sleeves, trouser length and waist; walk away from a jacket whose shoulders are wrong.
The check question
Ask: Which part is hardest for a tailor to change?
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- What black tie, cocktail and business casual mean
- How to tie a tie (four-in-hand)
- Every skill in Clothes, Fit and Grooming
Last reviewed . First published .