Getting a lot of pushback on the idea that you need more than two weeks to shop for a suit. I think this is bc most people don't know how a suit should fit. So here are five things people often overlook
I've already talked about collar gaps. This can be caused by various things: a tight chest, shoulder slope doesn't match your own, or jacket doesn't fit ur posture. From this, you can see how fit is a 3D concept, not as simple as chest size
Another common issue is shoulder divots, which is when you see an indentation on the sleevehead. This can be caused by poor make. Or an overly narrow shoulder, esp across back. Sometimes can be fix by alteration; sometimes not.
3. Jacket is Too Tight
If the chest is too tight, the lapels may also buckle away from the body. If the waist is too tight, you will see pulling at the waist button when it's fastened.
4. Jacket is Too Short
A good rule of thumb is that the jacket should always cover your bum. A better rule of thumb is that the jacket should bisect you halfway between your collar and the floor when you're wearing heeled shoes.
5. Sleeve Pitch
Sometimes the jacket's sleeves don't match the natural way your arms hang. This will cause drag lines when you are standing naturally. This can be a very difficult and expensive alteration, which is why you should take time to shop around
6. Balance
A coat's hem should hang evenly when viewed from the side, or the front can be slightly lower than the back. However, the front should never be higher than the back. This will make the coat look like it's riding up on you.
7. Overly Long Back Rise
RTW manufacturers often build pants with an overly long back rise to sell suits to a broader range of ppl. But as a result, the trousers end up collapsing under the seat. Look at yourself in a three-way mirror and aim for a clean fit
These are just some basic fit issues. Then there's the issue of how you want the silhouete to look—clean, drapey, elongating, rounded, etc. See this post on how to understand silhouettes in tailoring
Ultimately, any garment, whether a suit or casualwaer, is about making you look and feel good. But it takes a while to train your eye. This requires sampling things and mulling for a while. I wouldn't want you to plunk $1k on something and regret it later.
If you want to learn more about how tailored clothing should fit, you can read these posts:
It's interesting to see how gender in aesthetics is constantly a moving target. Will explain how four outfits from today's Todd Snyder FW25 show were once considered very masculine, but now may not because men perform disinterest in clothes. 🧵
The first is straightforward: single-breasted, notch lapel suit made from grey herringbone tweed. My guess is that this model is wearing a size up for styling purposes (gives him some swagger). The cut you'll try in-store will probably be a little slimmer.
Of course, tweed is that prickly woolen that British men once wore while playing sport in the countryside. It used to be that men's wardrobes were strictly divided between town (London) and country, but such rules broke down over time. Hence the phrase "tweed in the city."
Before Europeans landed in North America, the Pacific Northwest was populated by the Coast Salish people, who had been here for thousands of years. During the 19th century, many made a living by selling woven blankets to traders. The blankets typically featured geometric designs.
Business dried up in the late 19th century as the market was flooded with Hudson Bay Point blankets, so Coast Salish people picked up knitting needles. This was the birth of the Cowichan sweater, which combined old Coast Salish weaving practices with European knitting techniques.
If you're based in the US and shop a lot online, you may know that packages declared under $800 usually arrive without taxes. According to Reuters, in addition to the 25% Canada tariff, Trump is also canceling this de minimis tax exemption for Canadian imports. 🧵
This will be quite expensive for guys who are into menswear. For instance, Spier & Mackay is popular among guys who are budget-conscious but want quality tailoring. Their $400 suits will now arrive with $100 tax bill.
Naked and Famous is also super popular because they're an easy, relatively accessible entry point into the world of raw denim. Most of their jeans are around $250, so those will arrive with a $63 tax bill.
I'm writing this thread partly bc ideas about respectability run rampant on this platform. Often see people saying things like, "Men shouldn't wear backpacks or hoodies; they're for children." When quarter zips came up, lots of people said, "Well, at least they're not hoodies."
I dislike respectability in dress bc I don't think you should judge a person's deeper, more important qualities based on their clothes. Also dislike when people base their aesthetics on aping whatever the middle class does. I think you can appreciate "high" and "low" aesthetics.
First, I never comment on how regular people dress, so don't expect some scathing breakdown. This thread is not meant to critique or embarrass any of the people in these photos. I am only commenting on Max's argument.
Max argues that these two images are comparable.
IMO, those images aren't comparable because dress is important to culture. The photos would read very differently if the people were dressed in basketball shorts or drag attire. Similarly, it's not the similarity in composition here I see but a difference in clothes:
What's the difference between a $250 and $2,500 suit jacket?
Let me show you. 🧵
First, I should note there's nothing wrong with buying a ~$250 suit (unless it was made in a sweatshop). In fact, you can look great in cheaper suits. Here's @andrewdefrank in a $200 suit vs. Tristan in a $10,000 suit (so he claims). I think Andrew's tailoring looks better.
The point of this thread is to show you what can go into a higher-end garment. Hopefully, this helps you develop an eye for when you shop for tailored clothing. Some of the points in this thread can also be applied to casualwear.