Beginner’s Guide to Suits – Insert
January 25, 2010
I forgot something of importance in regards to the beginner’s guide to suits, and now I am adding it as an insert.
Starting with the Basics: Suit Colours
When it comes to suits, you need to start off with the basics – this does not include beige, white or multi-coloured solid pinestripes.
The basics for men are 1. Grey/Charcoal 2. Navy Blue 3. Black with a subtle pinestripe. The basics for women are 1. Black 2. Grey/Charcoal 3. Navy Blue.
You may be asking why a man’s and woman’s first choice of suit colour are different. For a man, a black suit is much too formal and should only be worn at a funeral or extremely formal and rare occasions – it is not a necessity for everyday. For women, a black suit exudes power while remaining feminine a la YSL.
Check out the Savillian Classic Collection for the basics. (Also added as a link on the right toolbar).
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Complete Guide
August 27, 2009
Dear readers – congratulations, it is now time to graduate from the beginner’s guide to suits into intermediate learning. The complete beginners guide is here and also on the right side panel for your review.
Stay tuned for a weekly dose of waistcoats, matching shoes with socks, cufflinks, and a special grooms edition. This post will now be called “Intermediate Guide to Suits.“
If you have any specific questions or things you want covered, let us know!
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part XIII
August 20, 2009
Each week, I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment.
Trouser Pleats
Pleats are very traditional and utterly out of style. They are often seen on senior gentlemen out of habit. Pleats are made for men that are larger than normal around the stomach AND as a result wear their trouser at their natural waist (around the belly button). For a person that is of average build and wears their trousers a little lower (usually around the hip bone), a flat front is generally more attractive and stylish. When pleated trousers are worn at the hip bone it creates the illusion of balloon-sized thighs, and flood-ready cuffs.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part XII
August 13, 2009
Each week, I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment.
Trouser Cuffs
Like many suits details such as surgeon cuffs and the ticket pocket, cuffs were invented out of necessity and now have no purpose other than for style. In the olden days, when gentlemen had to walk through rain and mud, their pants would get all dirty. In an effort to salvage their trousers, they started to roll them up and hence forward it became fashionable to do so.
Cuffs can look good on any pant style and are dependent on personal style and sometimes body type.
(Please also note how well the brown Oxfords go with the grey suit!)
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part XI
August 4, 2009
Each week, I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
Inside Piping & Inside Pick Stitching
Inside piping is located in the inside of the jacket and acts as a decorative barrier between the suit lining and the jacket fabric. Sometimes, there is pick stitching beside the piping which can also be in a different colour thread than the lining and piping. Again, there is no real purpose to these details except that they make the suit look very unique. Since it is more or less hidden from view, these details are more for the enjoyment of the wearer. It is at the wearer’s discretion to figure out tactics and strategies of how to show the details to onlookers.
Occasionally you will see these details in off the rack suits, however keep in mind that the pick stitching is not hand stitched. It is merely done by a sewing machine setting that will allow the stitching to appear to be uneven indicating that it is “done by hand”.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part X
July 23, 2009
Each week I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
Outside Pick-Stitching
Have you ever noticed the edges of a lapel? (Maybe not, but now you may want to!) The detail is created through hand stitching (in a colour of your choice) along the edges. This is an optional detail which has no real purpose other than creating a decorative touch to a otherwise plain lapel.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part IX
July 15, 2009
Each week I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
Trouser Pockets
Other then having no pockets, the above picture shows three general styles of pockets that are suitable for trousers.
For those that have a heavier/wider lower body, a straight pocket may be better suited as a slant pocket may have a tendency to puff out and appear bulky. However, the slant pocket is fairly common and traditional so it depends largely on individual preference. The seam pocket may suit any body type and still allow for a laissez-faire/hands-in-my-pockets pose.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part VIII
July 10, 2009
Each week I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits AND suits in general. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
Trouser Widths
There are three main trouser styles: tapered, straight or wide. Currently, the tapered or “skinny” trouser is in style, however this look does not compliment all body types. The straight leg trouser is standard and looks good on any body type. The wide leg trouser only suits those with a heavier/wider lower body and is of average height.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part VII
July 2, 2009
Each week I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
The Ticket Pocket
The ticket pocket was traditionally used to hold Opera tickets as they are generally long and narrow and don’t fit into normal pockets. As you can imagine, nowadays this pocket is generally useless as it is a rare occasion for one to go to the Opera. Like the surgeon cuff, the ticket pocket is a sign of prestige and tradition. It is also currently in style.
Beginner’s Guide to Suits: Part VI
June 22, 2009
Each week I will present a post on the ins and outs of custom suits. For the complete guide, leave a comment!
Surgeon’s Cuffs
In the past, gentlemen wore suits everyday for all occasions, even when having to deliver babies. This is where the term “surgeon’s cuffs” originated from. The cuffs have buttons that can unbutton allowing one to roll up the jacket sleeves.
In today’s age, this is a bit unnecessary, and so there is no real use to having surgeon’s cuffs, other than the fact that it shows onlookers that the suit is indeed custom made.
It is much easier to machine sew the button holes closed, rather than take the time to hand sew up to 4 button holes on the cuff. Therefore, this luxury may sometimes cost extra as well.
