Written by Menswear Style in Tips & Advice on the 4th July 2014

Being a gentleman means looking stylish, in control, and well put-together 24/7. After a certain age there are no excuses for a sloppy wardrobe and ill-fitting clothing – especially when you’re a man about town. 

Purchasing a suit should be one of the first big wardrobe buys you make, and as it will be a pillar in your wardrobe of greatness, it better damn well fit you perfectly. 

The following article offers a step-by-step checklist to ensure you look as dapper as you can.

The Size 

First things first, the trying on of the suit. Here is where common sense comes into play – you try a suit that is the correct [or in the very near vicinity] size for your body type. 

Gentlemen, if you’re short don’t pick a suit with an excessively long jacket, and vice versa – you know better than that. Besides, why make things harder than they have to be? 

Once you have the suit on, it’s time to complete the following checklist of Suit Must Haves. 

Sleeve Length 

Item one on this list is to gauge how appropriate the length of the sleeve jacket is on you – luckily, this is easy to distinguish. 

With the jacket on 1) the end of the sleeve should lay in the area where the bottom of your thumb meets your wrist and 2) when you hang your arms by your side, your knuckles should be in line with the bottom of the jacket.

Shoulders 

Next up is an imperative part of the checklist. In order to make sure you don’t look dowdy and as wide as Big Ben – the shoulders of your jacket must be analysed. 

To ensure the jacket fits you and only you comfortably, the shoulder pads in your jacket must end with your shoulders – nothings more, nothing less. 

The Front 

As you will be spending a good amount of time wearing your jacket with the buttons done up, it’s necessary to check whether the fit will constrict you, overwhelm you, or be perfect. 

The easiest way to check whether the jacket is a correct size in this regard is to slide your hand in under the lapels – it should do so easily. Then, make a fist – the jacket should pull but still allow it.

Button Placement 

In the war of buttons versus your naval [belly button], there is a very easy way to check whether you’ve got the correct look and the suit is draping well. 

If your jacket has three buttons, the middle button should be located on top of your naval, and if it has two buttons, the top button should be. 

Any other way and the jacket will either be too short or too long on you. 

Trouser length 

Finally, the trousers are also an integral part of the suit so it’s necessary to check on their fit too.  Although current trends are seeing slightly higher length variations, the most accurate way to ensure their fit is to keep one inch of the trousers on the shoes – no ifs or buts.

Gentlemen, I hope the above checklist has given you fool proof evidence of how to fit a suit to your exact size. You could buy the most expensive suit in the world but if it doesn’t fit you correctly, you’ll still look cheap. 

To take a gander at what suits are in fashion right now, it might be worth your while to check out retailers like Politix. Now, go forth and be dapper.

Our easy to use guide to getting your suit fit right. In this fool proof checklist we explain attributes such as trouser length, sleeve length and sizing.