The suit is the basic element of the male wardrobe. The two most common types are the double-breasted and the single-breasted (with two or three buttons depending on tailoring customs). In addition, there is the three-piece suit accompanied by the waistcoat, a garment that was widely used in the past. The suit is the basic element of the male wardrobe. The two most common types are the double-breasted and the single-breasted (with two or three buttons depending on tailoring customs). In addition, there is the three-piece suit accompanied by the waistcoat, a garment that was widely used in the past.
In this article I will focus on the most symbolic part, for obvious reasons, of a tailored suit: the jacket. The aim is to outline its main components and be able to help you, with some advice, in a first approach to tailoring.
First of all, the jacket must please the person who commissions it. It seems obvious, but it is he who will ultimately wear it, beyond all the canons we could talk about. Basically, there are rules, but if the customer feels a jacket that is obviously loose is tight or, vice versa, complains about a tight jacket and asks the tailor to widen it, his requests will have to be satisfied.
If it is true the saying that "It is not beautiful what is beautiful, but it is beautiful what pleases", in my opinion beauty, however, is not only subjective, which is why, despite the diversity of tastes that distinguishes us, there must be some objective rules to follow. The line of a dress has the purpose of enhancing your figure and must "fit like a glove", avoiding any physical imperfections. But what must be taken into account to have a dress of proper fit?
The bust
The jacket must be calibrated so that it can be buttoned even when sitting down. Not only that, but also the neckline – the fit around the neck on the sides and back – is fundamental. A low-cut jacket could create embarrassing gaps, both with the chest and with the collar of the shirt, while a very tight one runs the risk of creating unpleasant folds that form an “X”.
The shoulders
They must be wide enough, and not tight or right as modern fashion dictates, to allow the adjacent sleeve to fall perpendicularly, but not too wide to bulk out the figure.
The sleeves
Considering that the classic canine teeth of the male style require that they be long enough to allow the shirt cuffs to be seen (1.3 cm maximum).
The armhole
To be clear, the part of the jacket that wraps around the armpit and corresponds to the point where the sleeve attaches to the body of the garment. The diameter of the sleeve should be calculated to allow the armpit to rotate inside it without the fabric being pulled. A poorly constructed armhole, once the arms are raised almost like a toy airplane, could hinder the mobility of the subject if too tight, or generate unpleasant visual effects given the excess of fabric in the area under the armpit, if too large.
Furthermore, we must not forget the details that may seem trivial at first glance, but which instead give harmony to the dress.
The lapels, for example, must be cut according to the type of suit (with a double-breasted suit you will choose peak lapels no less than 11.5 cm wide, while with a single-breasted suit, tailoring always requires wide lapels of 9 cm or more, a symbol of pride and confidence for a man) and the physical needs of the client (those who are plump or not too tall need wide and long lapels that make the body look slimmer and harmonise the proportions, making the bust appear taller).
In terms of length, the ideal length is when the jacket covers the crotch of the pants. Still on the subject of proper measurements, the side slits should be cut higher than the pockets to slim the figure, which instead with shallow slits would appear bloated and deformed.
As you can see, all these precautions are not only used to fill any physical gaps of the client, but to slim his figure upwards and to create a visually perfect combination of balance and symmetry, attributes that only a tailored suit can guarantee.
