We buy our first classic suit

Not many men wear a classic suit on a regular basis, so obviously there aren't many people who have a suit in principle. Someone is very young, and the last time they had to pick up a suit for September 1, 5-10 years ago. Someone, by the nature of their activity, did not need a classic suit until a certain moment. This article is dedicated to all people who, at a conscious age, decided to buy their first classic suit.

I tried to collect only useful and important information for a person who is going to buy his first classic suit. Of course, if you have substantial capital, it is easier to go to a tailor and he will make a suit according to your measurements. However, all the rest of the 'lucky ones' should familiarize themselves with this guide to the selection of men's classic suit.

Someone chooses a suit for a holiday or celebration, while someone just needs a casual business suit. All rules are universal and suitable for any applicant.

How the suit should fit

Suit jacket

1. The first and one of the main rules for trying on a suit is that the jacket should fit well in the shoulders. One way or another, other parts of the suit can be hemmed / unraveled, but if the jacket is too narrow or wide at the shoulders, look for a different size or model. Pay attention to the shoulder pads. The less foam (or other filler) the better! Huge overlays will make you unnecessarily 'square'. The slope of the shoulders is also important, aim to look for a jacket with a more natural slope from neck to end of the shoulder.
2. Button up your jacket, remove all items from your pockets, put your hand under the jacket in the chest area, between the shirt and the inner wall of the jacket, make a fist. If the fist could not be clenched or it turned out to be done with little effort, the jacket is too small for you. If you could not only clench your fist, but also, if you wanted, someone's head would fit there – the jacket is too big.
3. Jacket sleeves should almost completely cover the arm from shoulder to wrist. The only thing that is important to consider is that the sleeve of the jacket should be shorter than the sleeve of the shirt by 1.5-2 centimeters. In turn, the sleeve of the shirt should reach the phalanx of the thumb.
4. The collar of the jacket should lie just below the collar of the shirt 1 – 1.5 centimeters from the edge. Jacket lapels should be straight and not curved.
5. The length of the jacket is selected individually, in relation to your height. But there is a little clue. Bring your hands down and measure where the base of your thumb ends. Your jacket should be about this length.

Suit Pants

1. The pants should sit at the waist, not on your hips. The belt or suspenders should be an accessory, not a means of keeping the pants from falling; a two-finger distance between the pants and the waist is optimal. Never use a belt and suspenders at the same time! You can read more about men's belts in this article.
2. The pants should end just above the heel of your shoe, with a slight kink at the front of the pants. You can read more about how dress pants should fit in this article.
3. Some trousers have cuffs. If you are not very large or very tall, try to avoid cuffs on your trousers, as they make the bottom of your legs 'heavy'. If you also pick up big boots with a high instep, then the whole combination will look terrible. Try to find harmony.

We have prepared an infographic where you can clearly see how a classic suit should fit.

What should the first suit be made of?

Your first classic suit should be made from 100% wool. Choose fabrics between 90 and 110 units (the higher the number, the thinner the thread of wool).

The lower the number, the thinner the fabric and, accordingly, the suit will be less suitable for everyday wear. It will be subject to increased wear. At the same time, a thicker thread of wool makes the suit coarse and stiff.

For example, Tweed is woven from thick woolen thread. It is very warm, but hardly suitable for everyday wear in the summer. The same can be said for flannel. On the other hand, linen suits are great for summer, but they wrinkle a lot and are not suitable for a business meeting. Actually, it is recommended to buy the first suit made of wool of medium thickness.

I would not recommend buying a suit made from a mixture of synthetics and wool. Still, natural material ventilates the air better, and is better suited for use all year round.

What color is best for the first suit

The best colors for the first suit will be dark gray, dark blue.

Why not black, you rightly ask. The fact is that it is customary to wear a black suit only for special events or important business meetings, emphasizing the importance of the event with a strict dress code. Dark gray or dark blue suits are more versatile and suitable for any event. Alternatively, you can choose shoes other than black shoes. For more information on how to choose the color of shoes for a suit, read this article.

First suit style

When purchasing your first suit, you should pay attention to its style. I would recommend an English fitted, single-breasted, two-button suit. The straight V-neck of the jacket will make you slimmer and taller in the eyes of others. This is especially important if you are not tall.

As for double-breasted jackets, I would not recommend it as the first one. He looks too pompous and stately, and if you are not big barefoot, then a man in a double-breasted suit will look strange in an ordinary office.

Three-button suits are more suitable for tall men. By the way, many people forget that it is not necessary to fasten the very bottom button of a jacket according to the rules of etiquette. The middle button is unbuttoned when you sit down on a chair and your chest clearly tightens. The top button is always kept buttoned.

As for other styles, you can read in more detail about classic men's suits in the article of the same name here.

Pockets

There are several types of pockets: sewn on top, with a top flap, sewn in and sewn in with a small cuff.

The most formal pocket style is the sewn-in pocket, which is usually used on tuxedos. The top flap pocket is the most popular and versatile type of jacket pocket. By the way, the valve itself can be put into a pocket and you get a pocket sewn into the inside.

The sewn-on top pocket is usually used in blazers or casual jackets, emphasizing an informal dress code. A pocket with a cuff is the most informal and is usually found on warm sports jackets.

Remember that the breast pocket is only used for the pocket square. Any other items do not fit into the breast pocket so that it does not puff up. Actually, any other external pockets are also not suitable for carrying keys or anything bulky. If you neglect this rule, then soon the pockets will bulge, and in the worst case, the fabric of the jacket will be damaged. The inner pocket is suitable for a handkerchief or phone; carry the rest in a briefcase or bag.

Other features

Your jacket should be able to attach a boutonniere or other decorative element to the lapel. Notice the cut on the lapel of the jacket, which looks like a button cut. This hole is for decoration.

If there are 3-4 buttons on the sleeves of your jacket, try unbuttoning them. If you succeed, then the costume can be classified as 'expensive'. It is believed that only good and expensive suits allow you to open the sleeve of a jacket. In fact, nowadays it is rare to find jackets on the sleeves of which buttons are simply sewn.

These were the main recommendations for men looking to buy their first suit. Of course, there are many subtleties of choosing a classic suit, but the recommendations listed above are enough not to look stupid in the store and find exactly the suit that is suitable for any event in life. Wish you a happy shopping!