When assessing the fit of a men’s suit, one should consider the features of each garment.
Pants
The pants should fit comfortably around the waist and hips. Whiskering around the zipper and hip creases indicates the trousers are too tight or that the rise is too low. Bunching fabric is a sign the rise is too large.
The pant legs may be cut to a slim fit or a straight fit, but one should be mindful of their build. Pants that are too wide for the body will look sloppy.
The bottom of the trousers should fall to the top of the shoes’ heel when measured from the back. This length allows a small break across the front of the trousers. If one prefers, pants can have a larger break, to the bottom of the heel, as well, but any longer than that is undesirable.
Pant cuffs and pleats can be worn at one’s discretion. Pleats add visual bulk, so we recommend flat-front trousers.
Jacket
The most important measurement for a jacket is how it fits across the shoulders. This is also the most complex area to alter.
The jacket shoulder seams should not extend past the shoulders. If the garment’s shoulders are too wide, the fabric will dimple between the seam and the wearer’s shoulder.
If a jacket is too tight across the shoulders, the wearer will be unable to comfortably cross his arms at shoulder height.
When looking at the back of the jacket, the collar should fit snugly to the wearer’s shirt collar. When the back length of a jacket is too short for the wearer, the jacket’s collar will gape, showing too much of the shirt. When the back length is too long, the extra fabric will create a roll in the back shoulders, between the shoulders and the neck. This is where a person’s posture matters when creating a custom suit.
A suit jacket should extend from the nape of the neck to the bottom of the crotch when measured from the back. This length maximizes the visual length of the legs and the torso. The tailor will also measure the front length of a jacket to ensure the jacket lays evenly in the front and the back.
A jacket’s sleeves should extend half an inch past the wrist’s pisiform bone (the one that sticks up). The shirt’s cuff should extend a further half inch, peeking out from beneath the sleeve.
Wearing an off-the-rack shirt with a bespoke suit will not give you that magical feeling of perfectly-tailored garments… which is why we offer a custom shirt with all of our custom suits.