Suit advice

Hello gents, I will soon be heading to India and I will have some custom made suits made. The problem is that although I own a number of suits, I do not really know what makes a good suit. Talk of a rolling lapel and gorge and what not is utterly confusing. I need some advice from you guys on what kind of suits I should get made and pics of good suits would be much appreciated. As some background, I am a law student, I am about 6'2 and weigh just over 200 pounds and am in relatively decent shape. I prefer 3 button suits but was also considering getting some 2 button suits made with a higher stance. Am I too young to wear glen plaid or suits with a windowpane pattern? What about sport coats? I thank all of you in advance for your help.

Gorge = The < cutout in the lapel. Lapel roll = How it "rolls" as opposed to looking like it was folded and ironed. Rolling good, ironed bad. A high two button stance would look excellent. Be sure the upper button is in line with the botton of you ribcage: That's where your body is at its narrowest. A three button would be very nice as well. In the end, it's up to you. Glen plaid and windowpanes are very good choices, although with the current trend in people's tastes they are either relegated to more informal suits or for the suits old men wear. Still, you can decide to break the mold... although you might want to consider any possible ramifications concerning your associates.

Thanks for the tips. Are these considered "good" rolls? http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....2162625 http://cgi.ebay.com/ws....2162659

Without seeing them live, you never know, but I think there is a 99% chance that those lapels roll beautifully.  And to echo what others have said in other threads, that's a great seller.

Many factors make up a good suit. If you want to know how to dress, and dress well, "Gentleman: A Timeless Fashion" is an excellent book to have in your collection. I suggest you read it, because I'm not going to type for a half hour pointing out features of a good custom made suit. I will, however give you some pointers.

The number of buttons is a personal issue, but a good rule of thumb to follow is the taller you are, the more buttons you can get away with. If you are very short, 2 buttons, a basketball player like shaq can get away with wearing 5. Chances are, if most of your suits have 3 buttons, it's because that looks best on you. (being 6'2" and all). buttons should be made of natural materials, usually horn. Button holes should be stitched by hand.

1/2" of shirt cuff should show. Most younger Americans buy thier suits like thier coats, a bit long in the arm. It does not look bad, but it is not proper.

It would be helpful to know what kind of climate you will be in. Someone from California or Florida will wear a much different weight of suit than someone from New York or North Dakota. 12-13 oz. is the typical suit weight. A summer suit will be "Super 100" or lighter. Summer suits are half lined, normal suits should be fully lined. Lining should be made of Bemberg silk (a soft cotton) or genuine silk and sewn in by hand.

If you get a patterned suit, the armholes and lapels should line up with the checks or panes of the rest of the suit as closely as possible. (i.e. a tailor should try to make the front of the jacket at least look all of a piece) There should be no puckering around the armholes where the sleeve meets shoulder.

Pockets should be made of sturdy cloth and sewn with many small stitches.

Trousers:
Ditto for the pockets.
They should be lined down to the knee, edging tape should be used on the hem and should protrude slightly to keep your shoes from wearing them out. The hem should come down to the top edge of the heel of your shoe.
Inner waistband should be lined and should divide at the back for ease of taking in or out. (i.e. in case you get fat). Pleats are a personal choice and I suspect you already know what you like when it comes to them. Ditto for cuffs.

Armed with this knowlege, you have a reasonable chance of getting a well made "bespoke" suit (a fancy word that means "custom made for you" suit). Good Luck!

Advice from the neighborhood butler

Did you just respond to a question posed four years ago? Why?

LOL wtf?!

Originally Posted by PLANofMAN

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a basketball player like shaq can get away with wearing 5.

The only reason he 'gets away with it' is that nobody dares to tell him how ridiculous he looks.

Ah, wasn't paying attention. That sucks. Ah well, the advice is still good.

Shaq can get away with it because he's tall. If you were over 7' you could get away with it too. It has less to do with being trendy, and more to do with "you know how weird a 7' tall man would look in a two button suit?" The extra buttons have a shortning effect, much like trouser hems that are shorter than is generally considered acceptable make a short man look taller.

The neighborhood butler did it

Originally Posted by Corinthian

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The only reason he 'gets away with it' is that nobody dares to tell him how ridiculous he looks.

If you're going to respond to a 4 year old thread, at least give good advice. More than 3 buttons on a SB suit is not appropriate, period. This guy is weird, look at his other posts- something is up.

Originally Posted by polar-lemon

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If you're going to respond to a 4 year old thread, at least give good advice. More than 3 buttons on a SB suit is not appropriate, period. This guy is weird, look at his other posts- something is up.

1. I wasn't responding to the 4 year old post, I was responding to the post made earlier today

2. Did you read what I wrote? Did you think I was endorsing more than 3 buttons?

I think he was calling me weird. I am a butler, many people find that strange in today's modern world. I also double as a valet and bodyguard. It is part of my job to give good advice to my employer and one needs a sense of style and taste to do this profession well. I really strive for accuracy and sometimes humor in all my postings. I wear formal dress on a daily basis, so at least try to consider that I might know what I am talking about.

He seems legit to me; a troll would probably spend less time thinking out his responses and be more obviously provocative. However, planofman, you have to understand that this board is a world wherein you can wear suits every day, give advice to your employer, have a good sense of style, etc, and be absolutely humbled before the wealth of knowledge possessed by some of the more senior members here. I certainly am. Given this, it would behoove you to abandon the doling of wisdom for the time being until you're able to get a finger on the pulse of the membership. Certain comments may actually conflict with more expert perspectives frequently expressed hereabouts.

Originally Posted by Corinthian

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1. I wasn't responding to the 4 year old post, I was responding to the post made earlier today

2. Did you read what I wrote? Did you think I was endorsing more than 3 buttons?

...I was agreeing with you:

Originally Posted by PLANofMAN

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I think he was calling me weird.

And yes, it is weird to revive a 4 year old thread... I don't mean to say you don't know what you're talking about, but (as Corinthian pointed out) Shaq doesn't really get away with it. However, given that even the post in which I originally said this was misunderstood, I now understand that you were joking about Shaq getting away with a 5 button suit, in which case, I agree with you as well.

"bespoke" suit (a fancy word that means "custom made for you" suit).

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Yes, I can see that I put my foot in my mouth with that one.

I'm not sure how I ended up on a four year old thread, but I will try to avoid that error in the future. In addition I will keep my opinions to myself a bit more. I'm afraid I have very traditional views.

When style conflicts with fashion I choose style. I rest secure in the knowledge that anything I buy today should still be entirely appropriate in twenty years. (with some rare exceptions).