How a suit should fit: shoulders, jacket length, sleeves and trouser break

TUREFF• •0

A modest suit that fits well looks better than an expensive one that does not. Most fit problems come from a handful of places, and knowing which ones a tailor can fix decides what you should buy in the first place.

Shoulders: the one thing to get right

The shoulder seam should end roughly where your own shoulder ends.

Too wide: the sleeve head sags and you see a dent below the shoulder pad.
Too narrow: you see a ripple across the top of the sleeve and the fabric pulls across the upper back.
Stand next to a wall. If the shoulder pad touches the wall before your arm does, the jacket is probably too big.

Shoulders are the hardest and most expensive part to alter, and many tailors will tell you not to try. Buy for the shoulders and adjust the rest.

The chest and buttoning

Button the jacket (on a two-button jacket, the top button only).

It should lie flat across the chest without an X-shaped pull around the button.
You should be able to slide a flat hand between jacket and shirt, but not a fist.
The lapels should lie flat against your chest rather than lifting away.

Jacket length

Traditional advice is that the jacket should cover your seat. Current styles are often a little shorter, which can suit shorter men, but a jacket that stops well above the curve of the seat tends to look like a size too small. A common check: with your arms relaxed, the hem lands around the middle of your hand or the knuckles of a cupped hand. Length is very hard to change, so check it in the shop.

Sleeves

With arms hanging naturally, show about a quarter to half an inch of shirt cuff below the jacket sleeve.
If no cuff shows, the sleeves are too long; if your wrist shows, they are too short or the shirt is.
Shortening sleeves is a routine job. Lengthening them depends on spare fabric, and functional buttonholes at the cuff make both jobs harder because the buttons cannot simply be moved.

Waist and back

A slight shaping at the waist looks better than a straight box. Look in a mirror from the side and back:

Horizontal folds below the collar at the back usually mean it is too tight or the posture does not match the cut.
A gap between collar and shirt collar is a sign the jacket does not suit your shape.
Taking in or letting out the waist is usually straightforward, within the seam allowance.

Trousers and the break

The break is the fold where the trouser hem meets the shoe.

No break: the hem just touches the shoe; slim, modern, needs a narrow leg.
Slight or quarter break: one small dimple; works for most people and most suits.
Medium or full break: more fabric pooling; more traditional and suits wider legs.

The seat should be smooth, without sagging or pulling lines, and the waist should stay up without a belt doing all the work. Hemming is the simplest alteration there is.

Off the rack, made to measure, bespoke

Off the rack: ready made in standard sizes. Cheapest, and fine if your shoulders and length fit; budget for small alterations.
Made to measure: an existing pattern adjusted to your measurements. Good if you sit between sizes.
Bespoke: a pattern cut for you, with fittings. The most work and the most control.

What a tailor can and cannot fix

Usually easy:

Trouser hems, and taking the trouser waist in or out a little
Sleeve length (without working buttonholes)
Taking in the jacket's waist

Harder or not worth it:

Shoulder width and shoulder pitch
Jacket length
Collar gaps, chest that is far too large or small
Letting anything out further than the fabric inside the seam allows

Take the shoes you will wear and a dress shirt to the fitting, and stand naturally while the tailor pins. What fit problem do you always run into? Ask about it or share your tailor stories in the comments.