How the suit should fit

Firstly, it is important to realise that few suits fit perfectly right out of the box. However, a few simple tailoring alterations will adjust the fit and make the suit fit properly. This cost is hundreds of euros well spent and will make you want to wear your suit more often. Read more about the adjustments you can make at a tailor here.

Below we go through a series of points that are good to keep in mind when buying a suit. Many of them are easy to alter after purchase, while others should be good from the start.

1. Shoulder width

The most important detailing on the blazer is the width between the garment's two shoulder seams. These should approximately be at the point where the roundness of the shoulder transitions into the vertical line of the sleeve. On softer structured blazers, the seam may sit a little further up, while on a stiffer, more built up structure, the seam may sit a little further out on the shoulder. This measurement should be correct at the time of purchase. It can be altered by a good tailor, but is a relatively expensive change. 

2. The “neck shelf”

Not infrequently, small folds form on the back just below the collar of the blazer, when you try on a new jacket. This is due to the individual posture of the wearer, and that the cut of the blazer is adapted to suit as many different wearers' body shapes and degrees of forward leaning as possible. Your tailor can easily and cheaply remove these “folds”.

3. Fit across the chest

The lapels of the blazer should lie flat against the chest when worn. If they "lift" in a small arc, the jacket is too small in the chest region and you should go up a size.

4. The sleeves

The most important visual detailing on a blazer is the correct sleeve length. Sleeves that are too long make the whole garment look too big on the wearer, regardless of how well the blazer fits otherwise. Adjust the sleeve length so that at least one centimetre of the shirt cuffs stick out. If necessary, the sleeve length can be easily altered by a tailor. When trying on your blazer, you should stand relaxed with your arms loose, by the side of your body. Do not stretch your arms out to see if the blazer has a tight-fitting back.

5. The width of the blazer by the buttons

The blazer should be able to be buttoned easily when you stand up, without the fabric tightening. However, it is completely unimportant whether the blazer in the unbuttoned position is wide enough for you to sit down, as you must always, without exception, unbutton your blazer when sitting down.

6. Waist width of the trousers

The suit trousers should have a waist width that allows them to stay without you having to wear a belt to compensate. Otherwise, they are too wide at the waist. Waist width is one of the easiest and cheapest things to alter at a tailor.

7. The length and leg width of the trousers

One of the things that can be adjusted easily by a good tailor is the length and leg width of the trousers. It is worth noting that if you need to shorten the trousers by more than 5cm, the leg width usually needs to be taken into account to maintain the balance of the trouser fit. It is also easy to add extra length to the leg opening if there is enough fabric for this.

"A good starting point is a trouser length where the leg opening rests just above the upper leather of the shoe when you stand up."

The trouser legs should be wide enough so that the press pleats are not removed. The length of the trouser legs is a matter of taste and one of the easiest things to adjust to the right length at a tailor.