Navy, single-breasted, mid-weight worsted, from someone who measured you. Everything else about buying a suit is detail. Here is the detail.
Ask a good tailor what a man should buy first and the answer is always the same: a navy suit, single-breasted, two buttons, notch lapel, in a worsted wool between 280 and 320 grams. It is the suit that goes to weddings and funerals, interviews and dinners, the suit that works in June and in November with a change of shirt. If you only ever own one, this is the one.
Why navy, and which navy
Navy flatters every complexion, takes every shirt and tie and reads as serious without the severity of charcoal. The mistake is to go too dark; a suit that looks black under indoor light is a lost opportunity. Ask for a mid navy with a hint of blue in daylight. Avoid sheen. A slight matt finish, what the mills call a dry hand, looks more expensive than any lustre and hides creases on a long day.
Cloth weight matters more than cloth brand. A 280 to 320 gram worsted drapes properly, resists wrinkles and can be worn ten months of the year in northern Europe. Super numbers above 130 sound impressive and wear out fast; a Super 110 or 120 from a known mill is the sweet spot for a suit that has to last.
A suit is a set of proportions before it is a garment. Get the shoulders and the length right and a modest cloth looks expensive. Get them wrong and no cloth can save it.
The five fit points
- Shoulder. The seam sits where your shoulder ends, not beyond it and not inside it. This cannot be altered. If the shoulder is wrong, walk away.
- Collar. The jacket collar hugs the shirt collar with no gap at the back of the neck. A gap means the jacket is too big in the chest or the balance is off.
- Length. The hem covers the seat. Shorter reads as a fashion suit and dates within two years.
- Sleeve. Half a centimetre of shirt cuff showing with the arm at rest. Easy to alter, never skip it.
- Trouser. A slight break at the shoe or none at all, sitting on the waist rather than the hips. Pleats are optional; a clean front works for most bodies.
What to pay
Off the peg from a good maker, altered by a proper tailor: €700 to €1,400. Made to measure from a competent fitter, which is where most men should be: €1,200 to €2,500. Bespoke, with a paper pattern cut for you and two fittings: from €3,500 and rising steeply. The step from off the peg to made to measure is the one that changes how you look. The step to bespoke changes how you feel.
How to keep it for fifteen years
Never wear it two days running; the wool needs a day on a wide hanger to recover. Brush it after wearing, steam it rather than press it, dry clean it once a year at most. Buy two pairs of trousers if the maker offers them; trousers wear out three times faster than jackets. Keep the spare buttons and the name of the tailor who altered it. In fifteen years you will need both.
Questions we get asked
Two buttons or three?
Two. It suits more bodies, has not gone out of style since the 1930s and will not for the foreseeable future. Fasten only the top one.
Should I buy the trousers slim?
Buy them to fit the thigh comfortably with a gentle taper to the ankle. Trousers that pull across the thigh when you sit look cheap however much they cost.
What about a second suit?
Mid grey, same cut, same maker. The two together cover every occasion short of black tie.
