How to look for the perfect suit

This post is for the guys like you and I who don’t have a lot of knowledge when it comes to suit shopping, or for those who never bought a suit, nevertheless; you are going to want to look damn good in a suit. I’ve been to a few weddings and last summer, it’s no different I’m going to one of my long-time friend’s wedding in Toronto and I remember that I wanted to look good and that the suit fit right, so here are some tips on the dos and don’ts....

Here I will show the dos and don’ts on picking the right suit and before you know it, you’ll stand out among the rest of the typical sea of black suits.

Start at a department store – There are lots of selections of suits if you go to stores that specifically cater for suits, however; if you are on a budget there are still many options, like H&M, Zara, or even Sears, and with a little alteration, you’ll look like a million bucks. Beware of the sales guy, he will tell you anything you want to hear. His sense of style might also be different than yours.

Bring a friend – Avoid the sales person and bring someone with an honest opinion. With a second honest opinion, you’ll feel great with your investment.

Know your size – Going to the department store, have an idea of what size you are. Shoulders should fit at your shoulders; you don’t want it to fit too big or too small.

The jacket – Should not be long, not passed halfway of your thighs, with the arms to the side, you should be able to cup the hands underneath the jacket.

The cuffs – It should not pass your wrists when you have your arms down, you should be able to see a little bit of your shirt, leaving a very stylist touch.

The suit’s shoulders – Theyshould not hug yours; the padding should not pass and hang your shoulders.

The chest area – You should be able to button the jacket without it straining, not too loose and not too tight, you should have just enough room to fit your fist between the button and chest area.

The pants – Should be slim, not baggy. They got to sit naturally on your hips without a belt. It should fit enough that you shouldn’t need a belt to support it.

Number of buttons – I prefer the two button suit, is the most common style of suit. The 3 button suit is out of style, and you don’t want to look like your grandfather. The 2 button suit looks conservative and cool. It goes with jeans, and khakis, stylish running shoes or any type of dress loafers. You must pick a suit jacket with vents;they are located either on the center or the side of the suit jacket.

The lapel – Is the triangle shape cut seen on most suits. There’s different type of lapel style you can choose from, the classic notch lapel, the high notch, which has a little bit of an American feel. The peak lapel, it has a more elegant look to it.

Not all suits are going to fit perfectly on you; everyone has a different body type. For that reason, you should bring your suit to the tailor for minor adjustments. If the jacket needs to be a little fitted, or the sleeves need to be altered in length so that a quarter inch of the shirt cuff shows. A good way to tell if your jacket fits well is that you can raise your arm with the jacket on. Make sure after you pick your suit from the tailors is to try it on again, to make sure it fits comfortable and it feels good on you.

At the end of the day, buying a suit is not buying a piece of clothing, it’s a big purchase. Having a suit on isan empowering feeling, it gives you swagger and with the right suit you are guaranteed to make heads turn.