THE IDEAL SUIT FIT

How should a suit fit? Even if you are already quite stylish, you might struggle to answer this question. When people talk about fashion, they often mention how important the correct color, fabric, and details are when selecting a suit. Yet you should never neglect the most crucial aspect – the fit. A good fit is the difference between looking good and looking fabulous. On the flip side, you don’t want to look like you have borrowed your dad’s suit - or like your jacket will explode if you happen to sneeze! So, how do we answer this all-important question?

How should a suit fit?

We asked our expert team at Oliver Wicks to give us some pointers on how to get it right. Don’t be intimidated if it seems a little technical! Over decades, they have learned these critical points of creating custom suits for special clients of all body types and lifestyles. Even if you aren’t that familiar with the world of men’s suits, implementing even just a few of these tips can rocket your style know-how into the stratosphere and make you look like a style expert yourself. And psst….no one needs to know you found the info in this guide!

Only interested in a particular aspect of your suit’s fit?

Here’s our table of contents, so you can easily find what you need:

THE JACKET LENGTH

Before we dive in and talk about the suit jacket’s length, it’s essential to realize that this aspect of your suit jacket cannot be altered with after-the-fact tailoring. While tailors can do wonders to make an off-the-rack suit fit well, certain things are intrinsic to the build of the suit itself, and this is one of them. Therefore, it’s vital that you give some thought to your suit jacket’s length in advance. 

Some will tell you it is possible to shorten a suit, but our experts disagree. It impacts the proportions of the suit and can start a cascade where it doesn’t look quite right, but you aren’t sure why. And, of course, no jacket or blazer can ever be convincingly lengthened!

With that out of the way, let’s talk about how to gauge the proper suit jacket length, and how your style can play a role as well.

Note: Jacket length should be calculated when the jacket is buttoned up. An unbuttoned jacket will naturally droop lower and would give you a false idea of the actual fit. 

The Professional Standard - Middle Length

The professional standard (middle-length) is the suit jacket length for which most readers should aim. If you’re not even sure what you need, this is the choice for you!

When you stand up straight with your arms relaxed at your sides, the bottom of the suit jacket should drape down to your middle thumb knuckle at the front. The rear of the suit jacket should cover your buttocks entirely but should not extend any lower, or it will look childish.

Often, a suit jacket, blazer, or sports coat will have a sloping bottom, meaning that the front length is slightly different than the back. Most commonly, the front will be the longer of the two. 

We recommend this mid-length option for many people who are unsure about the pros and cons of a short vs. regular suit jacket length. It is by far the most versatile choice, covering everything from casual wear to the most formal events, and of course, makes you look good in business.

The Trendy ‘Shorty’ - Short Jacket Length

Do you consider yourself ‘the cool guy’ - the center of attention who will wear a swanky suit to a party with white trainers? Are you confident in a suit and dare to be different? While you may be the King of the Beer Pong table, the cool guy is still suave enough to know that the short jacket is a strictly casual look and has no place at his office. But when he rolls through the club, he’s rocking this style choice.

When we’re talking short jacket length, the bottom of the jacket does not reach the wearer’s thumb at all. In some cases, it may not even fully cover his beltline. 

It’s excellent for youngsters and trendsetters to have fun, but in any other context, a jacket that falls short of your thumb is considered a bad fit. 

The Classic Gentleman - Long Length

A classic fit is for a gentleman who owns more silk ties than most of us have had cooked dinners. He’s been around the block a few times and appreciates a slightly more generous cut both for comfort and for his appreciation of old-school tailoring. 

A longer-length suit jacket will typically finish around the end of the wearer’s thumb.

While some people will go even further, like in the image above, we would warn you that the further the jacket goes beyond your thumb, the more at risk you are of again falling into the bad fit category. You want a subtle length, not to look like a kid playing dress-up.

Don’t panic! - These measurements for suit jacket length are a helpful guide as ball-park figures but don’t be alarmed if your jacket is a little off from what we’ve mentioned. We all have different arm lengths, hand sizes, and body shapes, which is not an exact science. 

As long as you’re within three-quarters of an inch or so, then you’re doing all right. 

THE SLEEVE LENGTH

Achieving the perfect suit sleeve length is a delicate art, but it needn’t be a difficult task when you know how to measure jacket sleeves correctly and spot a proper suit sleeve length. And with this handy guide, you’ll soon be an expert.

Ideal Sleeve Length

When your arms are relaxed by your sides, about ¼” to ¾” of your shirt cuff should be visible. That means the jacket sleeve should end just before your wrist bone, or where your wrist becomes your hand.

Of course, for this to be accurate, we’re assuming that your shirt also has the correct sleeve length (which should be at your wrist bone).

Note: When wearing a suit, it’s important to realize that this sleeve test is only applicable when you’re standing relaxed, with your arms held naturally at your sides, as described above. When you move your arms around or sit at a desk, it is normal for the sleeves to ride up slightly. Because everyone is built a little differently, variable arm length and shirt sleeve length will mean that selecting the correct sleeve length for your suit jacket or blazer will require a bit of thought and measurement, as well as your personal taste.

Too Short

If your suit sleeves are too short, it can leave you looking goofy. And that’s the last way you want to feel in a suit.

Some people prefer to show off slightly more shirt cuff than we mentioned above, and it’s a matter of personal style in the end. But if your shirt is protruding substantially (more than 1”) and looks like the picture below, then there is a bad fit somewhere. You’ll need to determine: is it the fit of your shirt or your jacket?

To us, it’s vital that you’re able to get your Oliver Wicks suit precisely as you’d like it. Life’s too short for a poorly fitting suit! Our suits have some flexibility to further dial in the sleeve length after delivery if you’re not satisfied with the initial measurements you submitted.

Too Long

Just as some people prefer the classic look of a longer suit jacket length, some also like a slightly longer fit in the sleeves.

If you want such a fit, the amount of visible shirt cuff becomes less important, but there is still one crucial tenet to keep in mind: your suit jacket sleeves should never start to creep over your hands. It makes you look like a nervous child. In the image below, we demonstrate the absolute longest a sleeve should ever be.

A Few Words On Jacket Sleeve Length

Even though your preferences certainly play a part, it is essential to remember that both the jacket length and the sleeve length should follow the same fit style. For instance, if you choose a mid-length jacket, you should also aim for mid-length sleeves. A classic-length jacket with short sleeves, or some other mismatched combination, will disrupt the proportions of your suit and leave you with a look that people can tell is wrong, even if they can’t put their finger on why.

Low-quality suits often use false sleeve buttons, which are stitched onto the jacket sleeve solely for fashion. With fake buttons, it is relatively easy for a local tailor to chop long sleeves down to size.

While this may sound advantageous, we don’t believe that severe hacking with tailoring shears should be part of your suit journey, no matter your budget! Instead, we use real, functional sleeve buttons and deliver the correct sleeve length from the word go. Our suit sleeves can still be altered by up to around ¾” in either direction, should you wish to fine-tune your fit preferences after delivery, so you’ll always be happy with your suit and its fit.

THE COLLAR

Getting the best suit collar fit combines two key elements:

Neck-Width

If you put on a well-fitting shirt, with all the buttons done up, then the collar of your suit should align with the edge of the shirt collar.

If the suit jacket is squishing your shirt collar, then the jacket collar is too narrow for you. 

On the contrary, if you can see some of the shirt’s shoulders, the jacket collar is too wide.

In the image below, I’ve beheaded one of our poor models to demonstrate how well-fitting suits and shirt collars align perfectly with one another:

Collar Gap & Collar Roll

These are two opposite problems that result in a poor collar fit.

A collar gap happens when there isn’t enough fabric in the upper back/lower neck area. What does that look like to the eye? You’ll see your collar gap aways from your neck, and the suit and shirt don’t sit snugly together.

See how the suit collar in the image below is pulled away from the neck? It looks nervous and shifty- the last impression you want to leave anyone!

A collar roll is the reverse of a collar gap. While the suit collar will be resting on your neck nicely, too much fabric at the back of your suit will cause visual ‘rolls’ to form beneath your collar, which looks ugly and feels awkward. 

See below how the collar is flush with the shirt, but the excess fabric has nowhere to go, resulting in bunching?

These two issues are most visible from the back and the side. Since that’s not something you can easily judge yourself for, asking an honest friend or spouse is a good idea.

This is why we make photo requests for our made-to-measure suits. It gives us a far better idea of how your upper back, neck, and shoulders work together to create your unique shape- and helps us make your suit fit perfectly.

Sounds great, but what exactly is a perfect collar fit?

A fantastic suit collar will gently hug your shirt collar all the way around. There should be no gaps in the front or back, and you should see nice even lines - no bulging, folds, or rolls. The shirt collar should be unaffected by the suit, instead coexisting in perfectly aligned harmony. And, of course, it should feel comfortable! If you’re often fiddling with your suit collar, then either your suit or your shirt does not fit you well.

THE SHOULDER

Let’s be honest. The shoulder fit is the nemesis of both suit wearers and amateur suit tailors alike. When we glance at a man in a suit, the shoulders often strike us first, and so this is arguably the most crucial element of the fit to get right. A perfectly fitted suit will enhance the line of your shoulders and make you feel like a million bucks. For many men, it’s a striking part of their physique. Yet it’s an area where men vary a lot, both from natural posture and skeletal variations and aspects like sports, gym habits, and even’ tech neck’ and desk jobs. 

Many men simply cannot purchase off-the-rack suits because they can never achieve an appropriate look on the shoulders. Yet it’s something you want to get right to look your best

A Good Shoulder Fit for your Suit 

• The jacket shoulder should lie flat against your shoulder, following the contours of your body and your shoulder line.
• The sleeve seam should start where your shoulder bone ends.
• You should see straight lines - no creasing or divots. These would usually indicate that the half-shoulder size is off (more on this in a minute) or that the cut for the slope of the jacket’s shoulder is a poor match with your build. These issues are tough to repair, so it’s better to get a good fit to start with.
• When worn, your jacket should feel slightly snug, but it shouldn’t restrict your movement. If you’re muscular at your shoulders, this will be particularly important.

The ‘half-shoulder’ here refers to the shape and length of the suit from the spine, through the fit around the collar, to the point of the shoulder. If you consider your shoulder area a right-angle triangle, you can get a better idea of this measurement.

Why is it so complicated?

There is far more to get right than simply measuring a suitable distance between your two shoulder blades when considering shoulder fit. When ordering a made-to-measure suit at Oliver Wicks, we ask for photos of you wearing casual clothing so that we can design the shape of your suit shoulders around your frame. This is the only way to ensure this highly personal area of the body is well catered for.

Here are a few things that we consider to get your shoulder fit correct, but relax - you simply provide the photos, and our experience will take care of the rest!

• Upper Back - Do you have a concave shape, or is your back relatively flat? 
• Shoulder Pitch - Do your shoulders roll forwards, backward, or somewhere in-between?
• Shoulder Slope - Do you have flat shoulders, or do they taper off steeply?
• Neck proportions - If we break down your overall shoulder to shoulder measurement into two single shoulders and one neck - what percentage of the overall width is taken up by your neck? 
• Shoulder / Chest Ratio - Do you have broad shoulders and a slim chest? Narrow shoulders and a prominent chest? Or another combination of proportions?
• Evenness - This is a great one! Many men do not have completely symmetrical shoulders. Store-bought jackets disguise this by using heavy shoulder padding, but covering up a bad fit isn’t the way to achieve a good fit. A bespoke suit will fit the unique contours of your body as they are, instead.

When you analyze what goes into the design of a great shoulder fit, it’s obvious why so many people simply can’t find well-fitting suits from a department store. It’s an area where every man is unique, and he needs a suit to match. If you’ve struggled with your suit’s shoulder fit before, don’t worry. We’ll craft the perfect fitting shoulders according to your unique body.

THE JACKET WAIST

The cut of your jacket waist plays a crucial role in the styling of your suit and its appearance. But as with many parts of getting a suit correct, your jacket waist can be a fine tipping point between awesome and awful. 

How aggressively the jacket hugs your torso is what we call the level of ‘tapering’. There are three standard fits here, from tightest to loosest: Slim, Tailored, and Classic jacket waist fits.

Tailored Waist

The tailored waist is the mid-range fit, but it’s also the most preferred for the majority of clients. It is the recognized standard of a great fit in both professional and casual settings. It is also a neutral, timeless appearance that flatters the wearer’s silhouette, keeping up with modern times while respecting traditional values. So if you’re not sure what you want, try this one first.

All models on our website display a jacket waist with a tailored fit. As you can see below, the waist is brought in slightly to produce a pleasing appearance in the mid-section that complements the wearer’s frame and enhances his shoulders.

Starting at the shoulder, notice how the cut moves inwards on the way down to the waist and then outwards as it continues to the hips? It’s not severely tailored, but it gives a fine line that draws the eye.

Slim Waist

The slim waist has a similar jacket waist as described above, but with a higher amount of tapering, meaning that the cut comes in further at the midsection.

Slim-cut waists are often paired with slightly shorter sleeves, shorter overall jacket length, and narrow sleeves. These slim-cut suits (sometimes called “skinny suits”) are more suitable for trendy casual wear than formal or professional attire. 

Note: One critical fact to understand here is that a slim waist is not just a tight waist. Many people searching for a slim-fit simply own suits that are just too tight. A classic sign of an overly tight waist is an ‘X’ shaped distortion of the fabric in the front of the jacket when buttoned (shown in the image below). A slim jacket should feel snug, not tight.

Even in a slim cut, you should be able to button the jacket without any effort. If fabric wrinkles are ruining the sleek look of your suit, then it could be time to visit a local tailor for some alterations!

Classic Waist

As you may have guessed, classic cut suits offer minimal tapering in the waist. People sometimes refer to this as an “American Cut.”

The classic cut suit offers the greatest level of movement and comfort when it comes to jacket fit, but the downside is that many people describe this cut as ‘boxy’ - meaning that the jacket offers little to flaunt your body shape. 

So, who would benefit from this? Gentlemen who enjoy a more old-fashioned look, or men who don’t want to highlight their body shape for whatever reason.

Note: A classic fit does not mean you should be drowning in fabric. The suit jacket should still be relatively close to your body; otherwise, it’s just a suit that’s too large for you.

The suit above displays an excellent ‘Classic’ fit. Notice how the cut of the waist is relaxed but still correctly sized to the wearer? That’s the difference between a stylish boxy suit and one that looks like it belongs to your big brother.

What In The World Is The ‘X’ Styled Suit?

If you dive deeper into the world of men’s suit fashion, you’ll find many different cuts and shoulder styles mentioned, far beyond these basics. In particular, you’ll find ‘European’ and ‘British’ suits tossed around, as well as things like ‘Italian’ shoulders. Suit ‘types’ typically refer to specific combinations of the waist, shoulder, and collar fit, paired with notable aesthetic details that became very typical of that continental area. In particular, ‘Italian’ and ‘European’ styles tend to be fashion-forward and very trendy. 

Shoulder types refer to specific ways the suit is cut and styled over the area and can be combined into any suit look. You’ll soon feel confident trying them out for yourself. Of course, each and every cut should fit well. Being X or Y style doesn’t mean it should fit poorly! We don’t want to overwhelm you in a basic guide, but it’s good to know they’re out there as you find your footing in men’s fashion.

THE SLEEVE ANGLE (PITCH)

The sleeve angle, or the sleeve pitch, is one of the fit characteristics on this list where personal preference does not play a role - a sleeve pitch is either perfect, or wrong.

Sleeve pitch is not the easiest to describe via text, but we’ll try our best anyway. Sleeve pitch is essentially the angle at which the sleeves are stitched at the armhole/shoulder.

Going back to our trusty natural stance, which is how you should gauge all fit aspects, the sleeves should fall smoothly, following the arm’s natural angle.

If things weren’t already bad enough for our model, I’ve now cut off his arms also. Take a look at how the fabric in the sleeve appears very neat and tidy:

If, when standing up straight, there are twisted wrinkles on your sleeves, their construction does not follow your natural arm position. 

An experienced tailor may detach the sleeves from the jacket and reattach them at the correct angle. However, this is a tricky - not to mention expensive - alteration, so take extra care to get the sleeve pitch right the first time. 

Check out the image below for how poor sleeve angles can look.

THE PANTS BREAK

Put your pants back on; a trouser break doesn’t mean skipping pants for the day!

This is the section to be in if you’ve ever asked yourself how long should dress pants be.

A trouser (or pants) break refers to your pants’ outseam length and what happens to the hem (bottom of the pants) when you’re standing up straight. 

Not sure what an outseam is? It’s the opposite of your inseam. It runs from your waist/belt to the edge of the bottom hem, while your inseam runs from your crotch and inner thigh to the hem.

The Best Fit - Slight Break

The most commonly accepted ‘good fit’ on a pair of pants is a slight break. This means that the hem of the pants touches the top of your shoes slightly, which creates a minimal fold in the shin/calf area.

With no arms to defend himself, I was able to go back to our friend and take his legs away to show you what a slight break looks like. See how the fabric is just glancing across the top of his shoes and how this creates a minor disturbance in the lower leg - this slight break is what many suit wearers aim for.

No Break

If you have a “dude” that’s always wearing flashy sunglasses in your office, take a look at his feet (but don’t get caught!). You may see that the hem of his pants is a little higher and that you can see a glimpse of his ankles.

When the bottom of your pants doesn’t touch your shoes, this style is called no-break.

This style is increasing in popularity, though we believe that it’s more of a trendy statement; it’s questionable whether or not it’s suitable for the workplace.

Note: If going for no-break, your pants should still finish within ¼” from the top of your shoe. Any more, and the pants are simply too short - a bad fit. 

Full Break

Our last hem finish is the full break.

This is similar to the slight break, but the pants are slightly longer still, creating a more severe crease in the bottom of the pants. 

Generally speaking, this type of trouser break is preferred by the gentleman who has tailored the rest of his suit with a relaxed, classic fit. 

Note: Even with a full break, the back of the pants should never fully cover the main body of the shoe on the heel. If it does? You guessed correctly - a bad fit. One very common in wedding suits, so watch out if you’re planning for a special day!

How Should Dress Pants Fit? 

Unlike the suit jacket, suit pants have a much wider tolerance for what type of fit is acceptable. This means that as long as the pants are comfortable, there are only a few ‘rules’ to follow.

There’s no fundamental right or wrong answer to questions like how tight pants should be, as long as you avoid extreme tightness or bagginess. 

Here’s a quick checklist of things to consider:

• Pockets creasing or puffing outwards? - A classic sign that your pants’ hips are too tight.
• Constant wedgie? If you’re suffering from ‘hungry butt’, the seat of your pants is likely too small.
• No leg definition? If your pants are too baggy, and you look like a 1980’s rapper, you should consider having them taken in. 
• Can’t get your feet through? If you struggle to take your pants on and off, your leg opening is likely too small. It’s important to note that wool dress pants usually require a wider leg opening than casual pants because wool is a less stretchy fabric. ‘Skinny’ cut legs can be a problem for men who run or work out regularly, as they hug the calf muscles tightly.
• Restricted movement? If you have trouble moving, especially into a seated position, then your pants are too tight.
• The pinch test! An old-school rule of thumb is that you should be able to pinch at least 1” of excess fabric at your thigh. Don’t overdo it, though!

Aside from these factors, your personal preferences make up most of the verdict on what pants are best for you.

CONCLUSION

Phew! You made it!

Don’t worry if there’s a lot more to a great fitting suit than you anticipated. That’s part of the art of a great suit- and why it looks so amazing when one fits perfectly.

We didn’t want to overwhelm you with facts, but rather give you a few pointers on what to look for in a great-fitting suit. So don’t worry. We don’t expect you to provide us with all of these tiny details - their mention is more to demonstrate the many factors we consider in creating your perfect suit.

When you decide to buy a custom Oliver Wicks suit, all you will need are a few quick and straightforward measurement details, along with some photos of yourself in casual clothing.

The intricate detailing to ensure a superb fit is then taken care of by our experienced tailoring design staff. Every man deserves to own a suit that fits like he was born to wear it.

Keen to find your perfect match? The Oliver Wicks team is always on hand to help you with your suit-related questions or to help you get your measurements just right. In the meantime, why not check out our sizing guide on our standard fits or browse our collection to help you get started?