Purchasing a bespoke suit is the only way to know that what you’re buying is going to fit you exactly the way it should. These custom-made ensembles are designed with your body in mind. When you pick your suit and try it on, check out the following areas to figure out if your suit fits properly.

Shoulders

Learning how a suit jacket should fit the shoulders will help you quickly determine if the suit is right for you. The shoulder pieces on your suit should be snug yet comfortable against your shoulders. There should be very little empty space here—if you have puffy shoulders, the suit is too big; if you can’t move your arms, it’s too small. This is likely the first thing you’ll look at to figure out if your suit fits properly. 

Chest

When your button is secured, your flat hand should easily go inside your suit under the lapels. The suit should strain at the button if you put your fist in it. You can take some liberties with this depending on personal style.

Length

How to tell if a suit fits requires checking the jacket and arm length and stretch. Your knuckles should rest at the bottom of your jacket while your arms are at your sides. Again, there will always be exceptions as fads come and go, but as a starting point, making sure your jacket covers your backside is usually a good idea. 

Sleeves

The sleeves are crucial in figuring out if your suit fits properly without wasting much time. Jacket sleeves should rest where your thumb's base touches your wrist. If you wear a watch, a tailor can take the sleeve of your shirts and coats up a little further to better show off your prized possessions. 

Pants

Pants have a little more room for error without being too noticeable, but the perfect fit will bring the whole outfit together. The most traditional fit is one inch of break. You can always skip the break to display a little ankle or sock for a more current fit—just be sure that you’re wearing the right socks! 

When you buy a bespoke suit, you can be sure that you’re going to look great in an outfit that’s perfect for your body. It is, however, important to keep in mind that our bodies change size all the time, so be sure to check that your shoulders, chest, jacket length, sleeves, and pants all still fit when you decide to throw it on. And if you’re looking for a custom tailor in New Jersey, stop into Hive & Colony, where we have body imaging technology that takes over three hundred different measurements to get your suit perfectly fitted to you.