Making Sure Your New Suit Is Good Quality
Wearing your new suit should make you feel like a million dollars. But, if the quality’s not up to scratch, you won’t be feeling wonderful for long – especially when you think about how much money you spent. Here’s how to make sure you get your money’s worth.
Fabrics
Fabric is the most important element of a quality suit. It should be soft, strong and breathable. Avoid man-made fibers–especially polyester. They may look passable as a good fabric at first, but when retaining heart, the suit will wrinkle easily throughout the day. You can’t go wrong with Super 100s to Super 130s Pure Wool for the workplace. The Super count refers to the thickness of the wool thread and the higher the count, the finer, lighter (and more expensive) the fabric is. Australian and New Zealand wool are very popular for their consistent quality. Using Pure Wool is important because it is a natural, durable fabric, which is also breathable during the hotter spring and summer months. Pure Wool has heat resistant properties and so won’t come back with press marks or a “shiny” look after being dry cleaned.
Stitches
High-quality stitching is easy to spot since it will be clean and strong. This will be something that adds shelf life to a suit. Look for consistency within the stitching, as lower quality suits usually boast irregular patterns or a lack of pick stitching. The stitching of tailor made suits should be “Fully Hand Stitched” as opposed to “Half Hand Stitched” or “Machine Stitched.” This confirms that your suit is constructed with a web of stitches that build a curvature into the chest whereas a Machine Stitched suit would hang flat. This greatly improves the shape, fit and silhouette of your suit.
Buttons
Always opt for buttons that are made from a quality material, like corozo buttons. Plastic will always look cheaper, and thus makes a suit look the same – premium suits rarely boast shiny buttons.
Construction
The construction of your suit should be “Half Canvassed” or “Fully Canvassed” and not “Fused.” One of the key differences between premium and low quality suit jackets is their construction. The chest of any jacket should be constructed of three layers of material:
- The fabric on the outside of the coat
- The lining that makes up its inside
- A layer of canvassing in between that gives the coat its shape
We recommend opting for the first two as they are the traditional choice for such a process.
Cuffs
Suits have buttons on the cuffs, but fully-functional buttons are a real sign of quality. Working buttons mean extra effort has been taken at the construction stage of your suit.