There is a lot that goes into buying a new suit. First, you must decide if you buy one for everyday wear or a specific event. Then you have to decide on a budget. Then there is the prospect of color, type, fabric, and finally, the tailoring. Every suit needs a tailor, and it can be a lot to take on. When trying to learn how to tailor a suit, it’s best to go with a professional.
Anthony Fazio has seen it all from his vaunted position as the head of Paul Stuart’s customLAB made-to-measure department (essentially handcrafting suits for men who appreciate the finer things in life). Every day, the lifelong New Yorker works with men across generations, from those who have trusted the fashion house for 40 years for the perfect seasonal suit to those darkening its doors for the first time and hoping for something in navy blue.
Regardless of these men’s histories, each is different, and each resulting suit, blazer, pair of slacks, or pair of trousers must be adapted to the wearer. Granted, it’s easier with high-quality construction to meet a man’s unique fit requirements. But even if you’re buying off the rack, a trip to the tailor can make most pieces fit better and feel more comfortable. So, how do you tailor a suit? And when should you spike the ball and look for another option?
Between a busy Saturday morning of fittings, Fazio sat down with The Manual to discuss what men and women like himself can and can’t do and what you should watch for when purchasing anything, whether on consignment, from a boutique or commissioned to your unique measurements. Some rules are complex and fast; others are more akin to guidelines. If the man makes the suit, his advice is aimed at helping you make it better.
Finding a reputable tailor
Just like finding a good mechanic, finding a good tailor that you can trust is vital. And just like a lousy mechanic, a bad tailor will always find something that needs to be done to make money. If you shop for and buy a made-to-measure suit, the problem is less of a problem because the tailoring is built into the process. However, if you buy off the rack, then finding a good tailor is vital to ensuring you always look great.
When you look for a tailor, research more than just a tailor (read reviews, ask questions, etc). You should also do your research on what you need to be done on the suit itself. Pay attention to what you are looking for, and when you speak to a tailor, compare your notes. It may sound like you are testing them, and you may be doing just that.
City of big shoulders
There is no way around it: If the shoulders of your jacket are either too small or too big, there’s little that even the best tailors are willing to do, and if you were to find one who would take on the job, he or she is going to charge you accordingly.
“The shoulders have to fit first,” Fazio said. So, what makes a correctly fitting shoulder? Well, watch for the slump of the seam over the arm. It can also manifest itself with weird folds around the shoulder blades. Some guys may balk, saying that the correct fitting, where the shoulder seam projects over to the vertical part of the deltoid, is too constricting. “Comfort!” they yell, claiming that they’re too constricted when they put their arms straight out or crossed.
“Well, how often are you standing like that?” Fazio countered. Paradoxically, “The larger the jacket becomes, the more it can hinder your movements,” he said. If you want more mobility, check with your tailor about easing the armhole — a relatively simple adjustment. But if the shoulders are too long or too short, there’s little even the most skilled seamstress can accomplish.
The collar
Seeing that telltale gap between your jacket and your shirt collar? You’re not alone. “The collar is the most common alteration we do outside of sleeves,” Fazio explained. “It’s strictly determined by posture, and everyone’s posture is different.”
In fact, rarely, a jacket doesn’t need some adjusting up top, but he said it’s a relatively straightforward (and cheap) order. So, mind the gap. Another area to watch for is a roll in the collar across the shoulder blades. It should lie flat; if not, promptly drop in with your tailor.
Peaked lapels
Want to know the area that keeps a professional tailor up at night? It’s the chest. “That’s the bane of my existence as a made-to-measure specialist,” Fazio laughed. The telltale sign of a too-tight chest is a break — essentially a crease — in the lapels of your jacket. And he’s equally pessimistic about what even the most skilled fingers can accomplish: “I don’t like to overpromise what I can do with that alteration. I can help ease this, but I’m not going to make it go away even with made-to-measure.”
It’s a good-news, bad-news scenario: If you’ve invested money in a made-to-wear suit, which is crafted from canvas, it may break into your body the more you wear it, and some literal massaging of the lapels can accelerate the process. Even better is a fully bespoke suit, which, rather than being adapted as made-to-measure, is custom-designed to your preferences and shape and can handle your idiosyncrasies much better. (The process may take several months, Fazio said, “but once it’s done, it’s done.”)
But if you’re buying cheap and off the rack? Forget it. These garments are generally assembled with glue and fused, and how they fit now is how they’ll fit in a year. In a perfect world, your lapels should hang flat like an airport flag on a calm day, but minor bowing is acceptable.
Chesty puller
The modern fit between your body and your jacket’s buttons is two or three fingers, but there is some variance with which to play depending on your intended use. Come summer, Fazio tailors his blazers slimmer, as he often wears them unbuttoned and with short-sleeve collared shirts or T-shirts.
In the winter, he’ll give himself extra room to layer them over a vest. Regardless, make sure they’re not billowing like a sail, or otherwise have them taken in in the back or along the sides. As to the “correct” answer, he’s reluctant to offer hard-and-fast rules. “That’s more of my taste,” he said. “[As a tailor,] I’m here to guide.”
Jacket length
How far should your jacket extend? “To cover your seat,” Fazio said. In layman’s terms, it’s around mid-pocket in the back, though you can alter it shorter if you prefer. He cautions to avoid extremes (this is not a dinner jacket, and you are not a waiter, or if you are a waiter, you don’t want to look like it in your after-hours).
The most significant consideration should be how low you comfortably wear your trousers — if they’re lower, avoid hitting that arbitrary mark, or you’ll end up with swimmer-like torso proportions.
Jacket sleeves
“I always believe you should show a little bit of cuff,” Fazio said. For most men, that means your suit should stop approximately 4.75 inches from the tip of your thumb, which, with a properly fitting shirt, will show a quarter- to a half-inch of shirt cuff. But, as with any rule, there are real-world exceptions.
The tailor admitted to struggling to find shirts that match his slim build and long arms. If, like him, your proportions make the practical wearing of your shirts different, defer to the cuffs themselves rather than arbitrary measurements. “I always go a little shorter in my jacket [sleeve lengths],” he explained.
Watch your seat
Contrary to what most people think, the waistline of pants is one of the easiest alterations you can make, and the average pair has about two inches of material that can be let out quickly and at little expense. “Your waist should fit as if you’re already wearing a belt,” Fazio said. “Your belt should not be the thing that keeps your pants up.” However, the fit in the seat is more critical, which isn’t as easy to adjust.
While some bowing out of the pockets, within reason, is common with flat-front trousers, watch for pulling at the seam down your butt and that there is no tension (i.e., that telltale ripple) on the sides between the back and front pockets. “If you start seeing tension lines in that area, even if the back looks good, the seat’s a little tight,” he said.
Pants parties
The modern trouser fit is slim through the leg without being tight. While preference should be taken into account, usage is also vital. “How are you wearing this?” Fazio asked. If, like most men, you’re up and down from a seat or flying cross-country, the slimmest fits are all but impractical.
“We can get you a very trim silhouette, but maybe we don’t go to the extreme because you have to live in it,” he said. The recent “Bistro Vibes” trend of double-pleated pants and billowy materials also represents the opposite end of the spectrum. Fazio acknowledged it, even as he advised caution: “I’m trying to find that middle ground. This is contemporary but will not be dated in two to three years.”
Hemming
While Fazio himself prefers a shorter hem, with the length, at most, just touching the shoe, many will choose a single break in the front, with the back extending to the welt of your heel. However, the pant cut may restrict longer lengths.
If you’ve got an exceptionally slim taper, extending the hem will only cause “puddling” (Think: Your pants bunched around your ankles). Aggressive tapers require a higher hem to compensate. Our advice (and Fazio’s preference): Taper high, just above the shoe, and buy some nice socks since you’ll show them off with every stride.
Last words
“Beyond anything, it’s important to be comfortable in your own skin,” Fazio said. Don’t chase trends, copy glossy magazines, or be steamrolled by a significant other. After the above guidelines, adjust your fit to your preference and ensure you’re satisfied with the result. “Dress the way that makes you feel good and comfortable,” he added, “because that will show in the garment you’re wearing.”
