Things You'll Need:
- Dress shirt
- Jacket
- Pants
- Necktie
- Dress shoes
- Belt
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Step 1
Get the suit custom fitted upon purchase. In very few cases will you be able to buy a well-fitting suit off the rack with no adjustments. When the jacket is buttoned and with your upper arms at your side, you should be able to slip three fingers in between your breastbone and the jacket.
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Step 2
The sleeve length for the jacket should be just right--too long and you look like a bum, too short and you look like you are going through a growth spurt. Extend your arms outward at ninety-degree angles to your torso. The sleeves should just touch the middle of your wrist bone. The shoulders should not exaggerate your real shoulders too much, but they should extend out enough to mostly square off the shoulder-to-wrist line.
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Step 3
The back of the jacket should extend down to a little below the top of your buttocks.
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Step 4
When getting fitted for the pants, take your shoes off. The pant cuffs should extent down to about an inch-and-a-half off the floor at the back of your foot. The waist should extend to the top of your hip bones but no higher. You should not have to cinch the waist in with a belt at all.
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Step 5
Belts and shoes should match the color of the suit.
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Step 6
The shirt should be sized correctly too. When the top button is closed, you should be able to breathe freely with little to no pressure on your Adam's apple. When the jacket is put on over the shirt, the shirt cuff should be just visible under the jacket cuff. Tuck that shirt in.
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Step 7
The finishing touch is the tie. Use a standard or Windsor knot to secure the tie. The bottom of the tie should partially cover your belt buckle. Add cuff links for extra credit.
