Tailoring Rules: Fit Is Everything (Shoulders, Sleeves, Trousers)

Clothes don't make the man. Fit does. Two men can wear the same suit: one looks commanding, the other looks borrowed. The difference is a few centimetres in the right places. Learn them once and you will never buy wrong again. Start where every tailor starts: the shoulders.

The jacket's shoulder seam should end where your shoulder ends. No divots in the sleeve head, no padding hanging past the bone. If the shoulders are wrong, walk away; this is the most difficult and costly area to alter. Everything else can be adjusted. Off-the-rack suits are cut for an average body that nobody actually has. That is why even an expensive suit usually needs a tailor, and why an affordable one can look exceptional after a few smart adjustments.

Jacket body and sleeves

• Buttoned, the jacket should close without an X-shaped pull across the front.
• The collar should rest against your shirt collar, without a gap at the back of the neck.
• Length should cover your seat in a classic cut, a touch shorter for modern styles.
• Sleeves end around the wrist bone, showing roughly a centimetre of shirt cuff.

A great suit doesn't announce itself. It makes the man inside it look inevitable.

Trousers: clean lines

The waist should sit comfortably without a belt doing the work. The seat should be smooth, not tight or baggy. Taper the leg so it falls straight, and decide on the break: no break for a sharp, modern line; a slight break for a classic look. Puddling fabric at the shoe is the most common mistake men make. Pleats or flat front, cuffs or plain hems are matters of taste; clean lines are not. Wear braces or side adjusters if you want the trousers to hang perfectly without a belt. And always check the fit while sitting: a suit has to work when you move, not only in the mirror.

Your tailoring checklist

• Buy for shoulders and chest; tailor the rest.
• Easy alterations: sleeve and trouser length, waist suppression, trouser taper.
• Difficult alterations: shoulders, jacket length, collar.
• Wear the shoes and shirt you will use when you get fitted.
• Find a trusted local tailor and build a relationship; it pays for years.