SKINNY SUITS
Topman
Legend has it that when Hedi Slimane debuted his groundbreaking skinny tailoring in the early ’00s, the late Karl Lagerfeld dropped six-and-a-half stone so that he could fit into it. The fit favoured by every rock band since has hung around, especially on the high street, where summer suits fly out in time for proms and weddings. It’s a fit with a youthful feel, largely because it’s most flattering on bodies that time hasn’t yet softened.
HOW SKINNY SUITS SHOULD FIT
A skinny suit should fit like a second skin, but that doesn’t mean sizing down. The shoulders should sit flush with your own, and you should still be able to button the jacket without the fabric pulling. The waist will nip in very aggressively and the trousers, especially, will taper from the waistband and end bang on the ankle – if they hit your shoes, get them shortened.
SLIM SUITS
Slim-fit suits are arguably the least on-trend, but perhaps still the most physically flattering. They elongate your body shape, they offer enough room to move, and they have a classic air that makes them relatively timeless. They’ve also been the default for the last decade, which means that, fashion being the fickle beast it is, they’re now old hat.
HOW SLIM SUITS SHOULD FIT
Everything starts from the shoulders. They should lie flat against your own, as should the chest fabric. “No pulls across the back or puckering at the front, or the lapels lifting away from the body,” says Loe. On a two-button jacket, the top one should sit just above your navel – shorter guys can go a bit higher, taller guys a bit lower, to balance your proportions.
REGULAR SUITS
The most classic cut, stolid and unyielding to fashion trends. As designers oscillate between skinny and baggy, regular fit always looks a little fusty – it’s never directional, which means it’s never fashionable. But it is always safe. A regular-fit suit today will still look good in 20 years, which is perhaps why it’s the default on Begozzi, where they make suits you could hand down to your children.
That’s not to say that they don’t look good. In fact, because you can be confident they’ll never date, they make great investment pieces, and by picking premium fabrics or going a brand or two more luxury than usual, you get all the benefits of improved materials and better cutting technique, with the same cost-per-wear you would from something cheaper but more fashion-forward.
HOW A REGULAR SUIT SHOULD FIT
RELAXED SUITS
HOW A RELAXED SUIT SHOULD FIT
It’s a look that lives on a knife-edge – go too oversized and it just looks like you’re dressed up in dad’s work clothes. The body can be loose, but you need to nail the trousers and sleeves – the former at your wrist, the latter with a small break on your shoe. “If they’re too long, it gives the impression of the whole suit being too big and shapeless,” says Loe.
Beyond that, you can go as loose as feels comfortable (the bigger the suit, the more on-trend). Double-breasted jackets are particular of the moment, especially worn open and mixed with other, unexpected elements, like hoodies and joggers.
Dress it up: Lean into the old-school-meets-new-school vibes with a ’70s roll neck.
Dress it down: Take a note from fashion week cool kids and make an oversized suit jacket your new outerwear, over anything from a T-shirt to a hoodie.
