IF FITSPIRATION MEANS ‘a person or thing that motivates someone to sustain or improve health and fitness’, then I believe a tailored suit is my ‘SUITSPIRATION’. For generations of men, the tailored suit is a man’s armour – when you put it on, you want to look and feel like a million dollars.
But for the men exploring the world of suits for the first time, where should they invest their hard-earned cash? What style should they be looking to buy? A good suit is one of the most expensive clothing purchases they will make, so they want to get their money’s worth.
I invested in a bespoke suit made by Charlie Allen over twenty years ago. Classic bespoke transcends style – it is a timeless, refined, and sophisticated, modern-day essentials that will never go out of fashion.
When I wear a suit, it feels like a powerful visual canvas and statement of my expression.
For as long as I can remember, I have loved tailored clothes that complement the male or female body. I think I got it from my mother, who always made sure I looked smart and had a clean white shirt to wear to school every day, even though it meant her having to hand-wash it at night and dry it in front of the paraffin heater.
I like to think that I have a style that looks put together, but it’s in the detail that sets what I wear apart from the norm and gives me that edge or sense of individuality. So, back to Charlie, I decided to take the opportunity to ask him: what distinguishes a well-tailored suit?
Time Commitment
It’s all the handwork that goes into making a bespoke suit; old-school handwork, stitching by hand, the quality of buttons, the cloth, the linings, threads, etc.
My bespoke suits take 8 – 12 weeks from start to finish, including one or two fittings. Breaking it down further, once the pattern has been made to the customer’s requirements, the finished suit will take a minimum of 60 hours of handwork and require a series of fittings.
Handmade Button-Holes
It takes roughly 45 minutes to finish a handmade buttonhole; they look cleaner than rough-edged, machine-sewn counterparts.
Smooth Label Roll
Having a hand-set chest canvas in a jacket is the smooth roll of the lapel. And not a cheap hard-pressed crease.
Lining
Lining your suit jacket adds weight and structure to the garment. A well-lined jacket will sit smoother upon the body, reducing any crinkles. Additionally, it is much easier to put on than an un-lined jacket that can pull at your shirt.
Hand-Set-Collar
A good jacket has a collar that has been eased and set by hand for balance and fit. On a high-quality jacket, you can see hand stitches at the base.
Genuine Horn buttons
A good suit has genuine horn buttons; otherwise, the suit-maker uses cheap plastic buttons to finish their garment – then you can assume they are doing everything cheaply.
The Tailor must sew the front buttons using a thread shank– a stem of twisted thread. That provides space for the fabric to drape in between the button and the garment when fastened.
Surgeon’s Cuffs
A sign that a jacket was tailor-made shows an attention to detail in terms of construction and style.
Seam Allowance
The cost of a suit can come down to the amount of fabric used. A well-made jacket has ample seam allowance to accommodate alterations. Cheap suits contain very little additional material under the seams.
Pic Stitching
Pic stitching is purely aesthetic; it’s those little “puckers” around the edge of the lapels, all done by hand.
Canvas Dimpling
A quality jacket has a hand-sewn chest canvas between the front panel and the lapel facing (as opposed to a layer of iron-on glue in cheaper “fused” jackets). You can usually feel this layer of rough canvas between the two smooth layers of fabric.
These days all you need is to take a look around and there is evidence in the decline of men wearing suits. Yet people are quick to judge you before you’ve even said a word. Being stylish is about what looks good in the long run, no matter what is trending right now. Individual style is timeless; fashions comes and goes – a tailored suit is future-proof and stands the test of time.
