How to Buy a Suit

When looking for suits for men, the fit is the main thing that you must get right. There are things like the size of shoulders, chest and waist buttons which give you the perfect look. We know it can be confusing when you don't know about the size, colours, styles etc.

It is really hectic when you are on a mission to buy a new suit but have no clue what to go for! Whether you have prior experience in buying suits or not, remember if you’re buying a fresh suit which isn’t made for you, it may cost you a lot of money!

In this blog, you’ll be getting the exact information from start to end to choose the perfect suit for yourself. Whether it’s ready-to-wear or bespoke, you’ll be saving your time, energy and money. So, make sure to read till the end! 

How To Get The Right Suit Fit?

 

First of all, what does a suit consist of? A jacket and a pair of trousers. Though both are made from the same material they aren’t similar.

Now let’s emphasize how to fit the suit? Fit is our top priority when purchasing a specific suit. The ultimate goal of a suit is to help you get the effect and figure. Basically, the fitting of a suit should neither be tight nor loose. The person in a suit should be able to sit comfortably and doesn’t need the feel to open the jacket buttons, this is what fit means.

But nowadays, people don’t even realize the suits which make them uncomfortable will not give them a natural and stylish look. So to get the best out of your suit, first, you need to understand the few main things. 

1. Shoulders & Chest.
2. Waist Button.
3. Suit Lapels.
4. Jacket Length.
5. Jacket Pockets.
6. Trouser Length.

1. Shoulders & Chest

 

If you are buying a ready-to-wear suit, then make sure the jacket should be wide enough and comfortable to move in. For the sleeves, it should fall without breaking across the upper sleeve. Although it shouldn’t be so wide as to make your head appear too small when wearing a suit.

Also, look after the shoulders if they are too small or thin because they cannot be widened. The same goes for a tight chest. Try a size up to get better results.

2. Waist Button

 

The most serious thing in a suit is a jacket and its trending design is taking all over us like the modern shorter jacket. You have to be aware of the jacket’s waist button, if it sits too high as of today’s modern trends, the tailor can’t do any remedy to it. If your two fists can fit in front of the jacket, it’s way too big.

3. Suit Lapels

 

The options in suit lapels are notch, peak and shawl lapels. The shawl lapels are for formal wear. Whereas peak lapels are far more formal than notch lapels. They are good looking. But best among all is a notch lapel, it’s simple and significant and it will be in style for more decades to come.

4. Jacket Length

Picture by Suits Expert

 

The jacket should mainly reach down to your hands and give or take an inch. Talking about the backside, so it should cover your entire back means it shouldn’t be longer or shorter than that.

5. Jacket Pockets

Picture by Tailormadelondon.com

 

Where do you want your pockets? Inside the jacket or on top of the jacket? The one that is on top of the jacket is known as patch pockets. They are usually casual. If you want a flexible suit, you should probably go for sewn pockets that are inside and have a flap.

6. Trouser Length

Picture by Suits Expert 

 

If your trousers are longer than your legs, a break is created by extra fabric and you can fold that above your shoes. Trousers come in various break varieties like no break, quarter break, half break and full break. To get better results, look for the fit as fitting is the king. If you are picking trousers off the rack, then give them to a tailor that will adjust for you.

Types Of Available Buying Options

Before you proceed ahead to buy the dream fit size for yourself, there are 3 types of suits you need to be aware of, that are: 

1. Ready-To-Wear.
2. Made-To-Measure.
3. Bespoke.

1. Ready-To-Wear

 

Buying a suit in a while or just starting out, I personally advise you to choose the ready-made ones. Because of the situation you are in, the ready-made ones will work fine for now. Moreover, you can find the best deals there. The advantage of getting ready to wear is that the suit is just hanging there waiting for you to buy and they are budget-friendly.

But with the pros come the cons. Yes, they will work just fine, but it can be difficult to find the perfect size. Some will be smaller and some will be larger than your body. Don’t pick a suit that is small for you and the same goes for the bigger one. Because if you ask your tailor to make some reductions in the bigger one, it will look bizarre on you.

2. Made-To-Measure

Picture by Schoffa 

First, you need to understand the difference between made-to-measure and bespoke suits. Made-to-measure is created primarily in a factory by a machine, while the bespoke is created from scratch by your tailor and is handmade.

Custom suits are made to fit your measurements out of different pre-cut pieces. The suit is created by your choice and by taking your measurements. You have limited options in selecting clothes, linings and styles.

The suit gets ready in a factory by machines and a few touches can be given to the final product as per the client's wish if necessary.

3. Bespoke

Picture by Men’s Journal

This is where your imagination comes to reality. Bespoke suits are made from scratch as per your commands. But I would suggest you ignore bespoke for your first suit. They are perfect for you but are higher in price.

A bespoke suit takes time but it’s worth the wait. It can even take your regular visits to be fitted. You can hear people saying bespoke is expensive but they don’t know that bespoke can last for up to 20 years and your off-spring can wear it too.

Should You Buy A Suit Online Or Offline? 

The second step is to decide whether to buy suits online or offline? We’ll give you the pros and cons of buying the suit online or offline. Let’s start with suit buying online.

Buying A Suit Online

Pros:

• More varieties are available online.
• Buy from your comfort zone.
• Ready-Made are available.
• No need to go to the store to buy yourself one.
• No forcing from the salesman.

Cons:

• You’ll have to wait for the delivery.

Buying A Suit Offline

Pros:

• You can get a suit immediately if you need one.
• Customer service available.
• You can even order a bespoke one.
• Can go to different stores as per your taste.

Cons:

• Limited options.
• Salesman forces you to buy one.
• You’ll have to go to a store.

How To Choose Suit Fabric?

Choose Wool As Your Fabric

Picture by Men Style Fashion 

Have enough money to buy a good suit? Then look for a suit that has 100% wool. It’s the best quality you can get. Basically, wool is a very expensive fabric and if you really want a suit with 100% wool then you should have at least £400-£1000. At this price, you’ll definitely be getting 100% wool.

Picture by gq.com 

But, at first sight, you shouldn’t be worried about the materials. Invest your time and energy in getting the right size for yourself. No matter what the fabric is, the fit remains the key. You can be wearing a good fabric but if your suit doesn’t fit you, people and even you can notice that. Once you get a few suits in your closet, then go for different materials like linen, cotton, spandex etc.

What Will Suit To A Shorter Or Taller Guy?

Picture by Men’s Journal

Mainly, the shorter guys must avoid light and dark colours. Medium tones will work the best for the short guys and smaller patterns as well. While for the taller guy muted tones will help, especially for muscular ones.

The Colour

For the colour, you can pick black, navy, charcoal and grey. They all must be dark. 

Black suits were the most popular one back then, you don’t often see them nowadays. But navy and charcoal are still in the game. If you think these are limited colours, so let me introduce you even more. You can buy the mid-grey 2 piece suit which is a must-have and is formal than a single-breasted suit.

Grey flannel single-breasted 3 piece suit can be worn casually. This will give you a smart and gentlemanly look.

A two-piece linen suit is ideal for summer. It’s ideal to wear in a warm climate.

Whereas a blue single-breasted blazer completes your wardrobe and this can be worn with the flannel trousers as linen trousers.

How To Match Shoes With Your Suit?

Picture by Men’s Journal

Now comes the fourth and most crucial part, the shoes. Getting the right shoes for your outfit can be time-consuming but it’s worth the wait. The classic shoes to choose from with your attire is a black Balmoral Oxford. These Oxford shoes are the most common and formal style to wear with your suit.

The shoes with their minimal simplicity are smooth and shiny and have a closed lacing system. In closed lacing shoes, the front part of the shoe (the vamp) covers the back part (the quarter) making a neat and smooth look. You can even pick the dark brown or burgundy Oxford, but it’s a little less formal.

The brown ones are still more formal and casual as it has an open lacing system (quarters on top of the vamp). And if you are thinking about sneakers with your suit, they are best for the guys with a rock star attitude.

Loafers are informal and they go with your casual suits. If you are living in the UK or USA then you can get away with them at a casual event too.

What Colour Shoes To Choose With Your Suit?

People used to wear black formal shoes in the past, but you now have more chances with more options. A wrong pair of shoes with a suit can damage your look. At best, you’ll look careless. At worst, you’ll look clumsy. 

Let’s have a look at what kind of shoes can pair with your suit: 

1. Shoes Colour With A Navy Blue Suit

Picture by Dapper Confidential

Suitable Colours:

• Black
• Brown
• Oxblood / Burgundy 

All of the above-mentioned colours are comfortable and suitable with the navy blue suit. The colour of the suit conveys trust and understanding. The blue colour usually gives a calming effect to people who come across you.

Pairing the suit with black, brown, oxblood/burgundy shoes blends well.

Effects Of Shoes Colour

• Black = Formal
• Brown = Relaxed and Flexible
• Oxblood / Burgundy = Lively and Creative

2. Shoes Colour With A Gray Suit

Picture by blog.louisphilippe.com 

Suitable Colours:

• Black
• Brown
• Oxblood / Burgundy

Gray suits are usually less formal but they are flexible. Pairing them with any of the above shoes will be effective. The shoes with a gray suit are not ideal for business suits. They are fine in offices where suits are worn as a relaxed dress code. Black shoes can be the best choice if you’re wearing a white dress shirt with a tie.

Brown and Oxblood/Burgundy give a casual look.

3. Shoes Colour With A Charcoal Suit

Picture by Los Angeles Times

Suitable Colours:

• Black
• Oxblood / Burgundy

Colours To Avoid

• Brown

If you are thinking of pairing brown shoes with a charcoal gray suit then you must avoid it, the reason behind it isn’t clear. The charcoal gray is a versatile (navy blue) colour and it adds a little bit of oldness. The simple answer is it doesn’t match with brown leather shoes.

While the black shoes go well with a charcoal suit. The oxblood/burgundy also matches well with the suit and gives a more relaxed and classy look.

4. Shoes Colour With A Brown Suit

Picture by Twitter

Suitable Colours:

• Brown
• Oxblood / Burgundy 

Colours To Avoid:

• Black

If you are wondering about a brown combination, the truth is that a brown suit blends well with brown shoes. The shade of the shoes and the suit must be visible to find out the difference. If both the suit and the shoes appear identical, both will look bad on you.

It’s better to have dark brown shoes than a brown suit which helps to look organised.

Brown suits are usually seen as academic or casual. Whereas, the oxblood/burgundy colour shoes provide a clear contrast to the suit. But keep in mind that black shoes don’t go with a brown suit as brown shoes don’t go with a charcoal gray suit. These pairings make you look awkward.

5. Shoes Colour With A Black Suit

Picture by Choosmeinstyle

Suitable Colours:

• Black

Colours To Avoid:

• Brown
• Oxblood / Burgundy

The black shoes were avoided in the above 3 and 4 combinations, and it does make sense why a pure black suit is minimally flexible. The pairing of a black suit with black shoes gives you a classy look. Other shoes will make people look off in this black suit and this outfit is not for your regular use. You’ll be wearing the suit in:

• Strict Business Meetings
• Black Tie Parties
• Funerals
• Weddings

For an average man, the charcoal gray and navy blue suits are the best for any occasion. The next best suits after them are lighter grays and browns depending on the casual functions.

Summary Of Matching Shoe Colours With Suits

The above guidelines are not rules you have to follow, they are preferable. If you want to try something new and cool, you can break the stereotype.

You are making a decision and you are aware of them. You want to try a new look, let’s suppose you are wearing a black suit and white dress shirt inside and you want to do the complete opposite of it. Do it, because if you think you are looking great in front of a mirror, then be confident and wear it.

Add A Little Spice

Two more things we want to add to this blog as a bonus for you so that you will look even more perfect while wearing your favourite outfit.

The two furthermore things are mentioned below:

• Neckwear
• Accessories

1. Neckwear

Picture by ajc.com

The classic style of suits can be worn with ties. It ties the outfit together. If we look at colours then red is the safest colour (as long as it isn’t too bright). The king’s colours are dark blue, dark green and purple. You better stick with plain colours and their small repeating patterns which are pin, dot and regimental stripes.

Originally, these stripes were made by the British which represents the military and different clubs. Despite being a bold pattern, everyone usually wears it formally with a suit. But bold patterns, bright colours and knit fabrics make the tie look often casual in a suit.

If we look at bow ties, they are technically formal and have a long necktie. The solid colours in the bow tie will make you look stand out from the crowd. It will look fine at a wedding but is not recommended to wear at a funeral.

2. Accessories

Picture by F36-Tech 

No matter what you wear with a suit whether it’s watches, rings, necklaces, nose piercings, or earrings, keep them within a limit because you need to look formal not a rockstar. In order to look formal, you should wear a simple dress watch that tells you the time, date and nothing else. Don’t make things complicated.

If you found this blog helpful then don’t forget to share it with others.

Conclusion

We guided you from the beginning to the end from how to choose a suit that fits you to what colours of shoes to choose with your suit. If you follow the steps that we mentioned in this blog, then we are sure you will get the right suit for yourself that fits you naturally.