The style that suits

Style is a big factor in picking a suit. There are too many factors that go into style but let’s go through the basics.

There are three major cuts of suit; The Italian cut, The English cut, and the American cut.

The Italian:

This is the strongest of the cuts. Well padded shoulders, a defined tapering to the waist by the use of darts back and front, well-constructed chest pieces and narrow fit of pants. All these create a somewhat dramatic and characteristic inverted triangle shape, even if your build is not vaguely similar to this. The jackets originally had no vents but in recent times double vents have been added.

The drawback is that one tends to look top-heavy and the effect can be overdone. This said it is the trendiest of the three.

The English:

This is a medium cut. There is structure provided by some padding in the shoulders, a minor taper to the waist and strong chest pieces to hold the structure in front of the shoulder. This provides for a fitted look that is not overwhelming. The lapels tend to be narrower than those on the Italian cut, which lends to a slimming look. The jacket is double-vented to compensate for the closer fit. This is my favoured suit.

The drawback is that if it is not fitted properly it will have creases and pulls which make the wearer appear to be slovenly dressed.

The American:

The cut with the least definition, thus nicknamed the sack suit. They rose in popularity in the 1920’s with Ivy League graduates and therefore found their way into the rest of America.

Now, I do not wish to deride the Americans but this is very simple suit. The lines are straight up and down, there is little padding in the shoulders. The lapels are wider than the English but narrower than the Italian and often no taper in the fit. The jackets are also single-vented. All this results in a boxy silhouette. 

The drawback is that one cannot look as clean-cut in this cut as the other two options. Over the years these suits have become more tailored, making them more stylish, but they remain built for comfort.     

There is always a style to suit, depending on one’s build and how on wishes to present oneself.