A month or so ago I read a fantastic article in the Metro about buying a summer suit and the five important tips to keep in mind when searching for that perfect suit. It's nice to see our generation concerned about making budget friendly purchases and also about being friendlier to our environment by purchasing items that really are versatile. I thought this article carried across well to suit shopping for a wedding (whether for the groom or groomsmen) since it's ideal to purchase a suit that can be used after the wedding as well and much of the info seemed fairly flexible across all seasons. Here's a recap of the article from one of the May 2010 issues:
Summer can be a tricky time for the men’s suit because in addition to fit and cut, you’ve now got to think about fabric and colour, too.
No one wants to be that poor soul who is sweating buckets in a heavy black two-piece. To save you from a summer of uncomfortably dressed days, we looked to London, home of Savile Row and a long tradition of suit-making, to find out the top five things to consider when purchasing a suit. British tailor Oliver Benjamin, fills us in.
Here are five key tips to consider before you hit the dressing room:
FABRIC.
“The most important things are the fit and the fabric,” Benjamin says. Save the heavier material for winter and look for “linen and lightweight wool and cotton,” he adds.
TROUSERS.
Too many men wear their suit trousers like their jeans, casually falling below the waistline. “The suit trouser [preferably flat fronted or single pleated] should sit just above the hips,” says Benjamin. “And the trouser leg must fall half-way down the back of the shoe.”
JACKET.
“The most popular style at the moment is the two buton jacket with slim peaked lapels,” says Benjamin. “It should fit snugly on the shoulders without being too tight. The shirt cuff should fall one centimeter below the suit sleeve,” he adds. But don’t go near a slim cut suit if it doesn’t work with your body type. Bigger men, for example, should consider a single button style to create a leaner silhouette.
COLOUR.
“Try a soft blue, beige, or gray,” says Benjamin. He suggests playing with nuances for summer rather than mixing electric shades. If you’re craving more colour, he recommends “loosely stuffing a bright handkerchief in the top pocket or wearing bold socks instead.”
SHOES.
The wrong shoes can destroy the look you worked so hard to put together. Benjamin suggests sticking with a classic Oxford style (the traditional round toe, lace-up shoe). For a more casual look, try a slip-on loafer.
No one wants to be that poor soul who is sweating buckets in a heavy black two-piece. To save you from a summer of uncomfortably dressed days, we looked to London, home of Savile Row and a long tradition of suit-making, to find out the top five things to consider when purchasing a suit. British tailor Oliver Benjamin, fills us in.
Here are five key tips to consider before you hit the dressing room:
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| *image sourced from jcrew.com |
“The most important things are the fit and the fabric,” Benjamin says. Save the heavier material for winter and look for “linen and lightweight wool and cotton,” he adds.
TROUSERS.
Too many men wear their suit trousers like their jeans, casually falling below the waistline. “The suit trouser [preferably flat fronted or single pleated] should sit just above the hips,” says Benjamin. “And the trouser leg must fall half-way down the back of the shoe.”
JACKET.
“The most popular style at the moment is the two buton jacket with slim peaked lapels,” says Benjamin. “It should fit snugly on the shoulders without being too tight. The shirt cuff should fall one centimeter below the suit sleeve,” he adds. But don’t go near a slim cut suit if it doesn’t work with your body type. Bigger men, for example, should consider a single button style to create a leaner silhouette.
COLOUR.
“Try a soft blue, beige, or gray,” says Benjamin. He suggests playing with nuances for summer rather than mixing electric shades. If you’re craving more colour, he recommends “loosely stuffing a bright handkerchief in the top pocket or wearing bold socks instead.”
SHOES.
The wrong shoes can destroy the look you worked so hard to put together. Benjamin suggests sticking with a classic Oxford style (the traditional round toe, lace-up shoe). For a more casual look, try a slip-on loafer.
