rules for buying an off-the-rack men’s suit this summer 1

Serving as a pillar for the formal segment building the modern man’s wardrobe, a summer suit is both a necessity and a pretense for men to look their absolute best in spite of the heat. A summer suit is also known to reveal a lot about personal style and self-confidence, that’s why purchasing such an important item off-the-rack is a pretty complicated task, despite its apparent simplicity. Aside from a few essential know-hows, you have to remember that no matter the price, in the end it all comes down to fit.

Fabric.

Seeing how fabric would be the first thing to pick out for a tailor-made suit, it doesn’t seem at all odd to follow the same principle when you’re choosing an off-the-rack suit. For summer, the material should be light enough to feel cool, but not too frail.

The most popular and versatile suit fabric remains wool as it holds the exceptional ability to keep you cool in the summer, while always looking sharp. Wool breathes well, holds its shape and resists wrinkling in daily wear. Other recommended options would include silk, tropical wool, linen, or poplin. In terms of colors do opt for lighter hues such as sand, gray and pale blue, but know that you can’t go wrong with a navy suit, or a printed one either.

Shoulder fit.

Once you decided upon a fabric and managed to actually pick out a suit off the rack, the next thing to check is how the shoulders fit. The jacket’s shoulders should fit your shoulders rather than squeeze too tightly, stick up, or stick out. The shoulder line should be straight (not bumpy), preventing a lousy fit in the chest area and possibly the upper back.

Collar.

Your collar should hug the back of your neck without buckling or pulling on your shirt, which should stick out an inch from the back of your collar. Avoid collar gaps (a gap between your jacket’s lapels and your shirt’s collar) because they tend to look bad. What you want is for the line of your jacket’s neck to follow the line of your shirt collar around your neck.

Sleeves.

For a perfect fit, the jacket’s sleeves should end where your hand meets your wrist, all this while you’re letting your arms hang on your sides. Your shirt sleeves should stick out another half an inch to quarter inch.

Buttons.

Single-breasted suits, as opposed to double-breasted ones represent the more common option in a man’s summer wardrobe. This means the suit features a single row of buttons down the front. Following the same principle, a two-button jacket represents the answer to a classier look. However, the top button of a two-button (or the middle button of a three-button) row should fall at, or above the navel.

With your jacket buttoned up, you should be able to still slip your hand between your chest and your buttons for a fit that is tight, but that offers enough room for you to move.