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Whether you’re stepping into the corporate world for the first time or updating your professional wardrobe, investing in a perfect made to measure work suit or business suit is essential. A well-fitted custom made suit not only enhances your appearance but also boosts your confidence and leaves a lasting impression on clients, colleagues, and superiors. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the key factors to consider when buying the ideal work suit, that is practical, sharp, well fitted and long lasting. 

Before you hit the stores, define the purpose of the suit. Consider the typical dress code of your workplace, the industries you interact with, and the occasions you may need to attend. Typically in the Law/Finance world of London dark navy, gray or charcoal suits are the most appropriate with very little or no visible stripe or check. 

The fit is the most crucial aspect of a perfect work suit. An ill-fitted suit can ruin even the most expensive fabric and design. When getting fitted for a custom made work suit three key elements need to be considered: comfort, appropriateness and personal preference. One of the main points of getting a custom work suit is so that it is perfectly tailored to your body, providing a clean look as well as being very comfortable through long work days. 

Selecting the Right Fabric:

Choosing the right fabric is pivotal for both comfort and style. For most professional settings, wool is an excellent choice as it is breathable, drapes well, and resists wrinkles. Look for Super 100s to 130s as this wool will be fine enough without being too fine, anything over Super 130s typically wears quite quickly and isn’t practical for a day to day work suit. Wool blends are also worth considering, especially for added durability and ease of maintenance, we only recommend natural fibers for suits so the mohair blend is our recommendation for a work suit. Additionally, consider the weight of the fabric, opting for lighter fabrics for warmer climates and heavier ones for cooler weather. A minimum of 250g/sm and a maximum of 400g/sm is recommended.

Picking the Appropriate Style:

The classic single-breasted, two-button tailor made suit is a safe bet for business settings. However, depending on your body type and personal style, you might explore various lapel styles, such as notched or peaked lapels. LMtMSR recommends double vents at the back for the cleanest look. Experiment, but remember to maintain a professional look that aligns with your workplace culture.

Pay Attention to Details:

The devil is in the details, they say, and this holds true for work suits. Look for suits with functional buttons on the sleeves, as this indicates a higher quality suit. Check the stitching for precision and consistency. A well-constructed bespoke suit will have clean, even seams. Assess the lining material, and opt for breathable ones to avoid discomfort during hot days.

Construction:

A “full canvas” construction for a custom work suit is almost a must as it provides durability, flexibility and superior drape compared to “half canvassed” and “fused” constructions. You can read more about suit construction here as well as a helpful guide to london tailors here.

Budget Wisely:

A perfect MTM work suit doesn’t necessarily have to be the most expensive one. It’s about finding the right balance between quality and cost. Set a budget that allows you to purchase a suit made from quality materials and skilled craftsmanship without breaking the bank. LMtMSR recommends spending £800-1000 for a durable, professional looking working suit; it is always better to invest in construction rather than fabric! A guide to London tailor can be found here  Remember that a well-maintained suit will last longer, so it’s an investment in your professional image.

Conclusion:

Choosing the perfect work suit or business suit involves careful consideration of the fit, fabric, style, construction and details. It’s an investment in your professional image and can boost your confidence in any business setting. By following this guide, you’ll be well on your way to owning a work suit that not only fits you like a glove but also makes a lasting impression on your colleagues and clients, ultimately enhancing your career prospects.

There are a variety of Made to Measure / Bespoke suit operators that sell suits online. The attempt at innovating by bringing Made to Measure / Bespoke suits online is admirable, but unfortunately at this stage the product, process and offering isn’t there, below we will explain why. 

There are various operators out there from Hockerty.uk to the more premium Lanieri, these services have varying levels of fit, product and customer service available. Our main disagreements with online Made to Measure suiting are threefold; large margins, poor fit and the lack of advice that a usual made to measure fitter / tailor would provide.

The dirty secret of mass online shopping is that no one knows or talks about the large return rates that exist with online e-commerce, especially in apparel. E-commerce apparel return rates sit at 30-40% in western markets, fuelled by “free & easy” returns policies. The effect of this varies from segment to segment, with large swaths of bought and returned apparel having to be disposed of. This return rate from industry reporting holds up with the online Made to Measure / Bespoke suiting segment. With such large return rates these suiting companies have to have much larger margins than exist in traditional retail based Bespoke / Made to Measure suiting companies. Online based Made to Made suiting companies are estimated to have to charge 7-8x the cost of making the product to get their model to work, while traditional retail based made to measure bespoke suit companies charge 2-4 times the cost of making the product. So what does this mean for you as the consumer? It means you get a lot less value for your £££ with an inferior price/quality ratio.

One of the other main reasons consumers buy Made to Measure / Bespoke suiting is because they are looking for a superior fit to what they can find off the rack. Although online made to measure / bespoke suit companies allow you to enter your measurements and some figuration observations (posture) online these rarely properly capture your shape and posture correctly. The result is a high return rate of orders (wasted product that often ends up in landfills) and poor customer satisfaction. 

So the long and short of it: buy off the rack if you have to buy online and get it altered by an alterations tailor, if you can get into a made to measure or bespoke suiting house, use our easy made to measure guide to help find a local tailor

When it comes to choosing a wedding suit, there are a few things to consider:

Formality: The formality of the wedding will dictate the style of suit you should wear. There are roughly three main types of formality levels when it comes to wedding suits; Tails, Black Tie, Lounge suits

• Tails: tails are a traditional form of wedding attire and involves wearing a top hat, longer jacket, waistcoat and trousers.
• Black Tie: Are a more modern but still quite formal form 
• Lounge Suits: Lounge suits usually consist of matching Jacket & Trousers with a shirt. This can be dressed up or down depending on the formality of the wedding, it can be worn with a traditional navy merino suiting cloth or a more casual and textured linen or linen bled. 

Fit: A well-fitting suit is essential. It should be tailored to your body, with a snug but not tight fit that allows free movement while also creating shape that accentuates the best parts of your body. 

Colour: Traditional wedding suit colours include navy, charcoal, and black. However, lighter colours such as light grey and beige can also work, especially for a summer wedding. Colour choice is very dependent on wedding colour themes, formality as well as personal preference, a good tailor should be able to help you navigate these decisions. 

Fabric: Wool and wool-blend suits are the most common choice for weddings, but you can also consider linen, cotton or a mix of fabric for summer weddings. Again formality comes into play a lot here as different suit material fibres create different effects, please read more about this in our – introduction to custom made suiting

Accessories: A tie, pocket square, and dress shoes will complete your look . 

In terms of styles, here are a few options to consider:

Single-breasted suit: This classic style has a single row of buttons and a notch lapel.

Double-breasted suit: A more formal option with two rows of buttons and peaked lapels.

Three-piece suit: A suit with a vest adds an extra element of sophistication and can be especially appropriate for a more formal event.

Remember that your wedding suit should reflect your personal style and make you feel confident on your big day, so remember to work closely with your tailor to help you imprint your style on your made to measure or bespoke commission.