Buying a suit is not a typical clothing purchase. Really you should think of it more as an investment. For that reason, it is important to get it right the very first time, to avoid an expensive disappointment. This article will provide you with a brief primer in the absolutely essential knowledge required before investing in a suit purchase.
1. The Fabric Fabric choice is very important. It determines many things about your suit, including how it looks, how it feels, how it "handles", and how easy it is to care for and maintain. The issue of handling is basically how easy it is for you to move comfortably in the suit and do all the things you need to do. The main choices of fabric include:
- Linen. This is a light weight material which is softer than most other choices, so it gives great flexibility. It is ideal for tropical climates such as San Diego, Los Angeles, and Miami. It is also suitable for places where the weather tends to be hot and dry for most of the year, including Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada and Okalahoma.
- Wool. A heavier material providing good thermal insulation and reasonable water resistance. Pure wool suits perform very well, but they are heavy and somewhat expensive compared to linen. A little more costly, a worsted wool suit will give a smoother feel and a more compact look.
- Wool blend. This is a blend of wool and synthetic fibers, which can offset some of the weight and some of the cost, thus making a wool blend suit a sensible choice for areas with colder climates such as San Francisco, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Boston, and New York.
- Microfiber. This is a new material that has a high strength-to-weight ratio. It is also one of the most expensive materials you could choose from. The characteristics are softness, lightness, and excellent water resistance.
- Synthetics. These include artificial materials such as nylon and polyester. Suits made from synthetics are usually very cheap but don't tend to look as good as those made from natural materials or at least blended with natural material.
- Formal single breasted suits are a good choice for everyday business wear and are the best choice for men of shorter stature
- Formal double breasted suits are for those occasions when you really need to make a strong statement and command respect.
- Casual single breasted suits are for more relaxed settings and are usually less restrictive and more comfortable.
- Notch – a lapel where the points are angled laterally.
- Peak – a lapel where the points are angled vertically.
- Shawl – a lapel with no points at all.
It is also possible to get a suit jacket with no lapel, these are known as Nehru and Manadrin style suit jackets.
4. Decorative Items When you are buying a custom tailored suit, you definitely want to request that decorative items such as non-functioning pockets are left off or replaced with actual functioning pockets. If decorative buttons are added to cuffs they should be subdued and not draw too much attention to themselves. It is recommended to consult an expert tailoring company such as Studio Suits for more advice about the kind of options you could be choosing when ordering a suit.
