So you’ve decided that off the rack is in the past and you’ve jumped ship to the bespoke suit market. Congratulations! You’re on your way to a new level of style you never knew existed. A level full of customization’s you’ve never even thought of, so let’s start to teach you what your best options are.
We’ll start with the lapel of the suit, it is the first thing people will see along with the pattern and color of your suit. As seen above the lapel is the collar of the jacket connecting around the neck and tapering to the buttons.
Let’s touch on the two types of styles that are available in your lapel.
Let’s touch on the two types of styles that are available in your lapel.
1.) The Notch – As seen on the left the notch lapel is right beside the flower and it looks like someone took scissors to cut out a sideways ‘v’ shape. The notch is the most popular and standard lapel which can be worn by anyone.
2.) The Peak – As seen on the right the peak is angled upwards towards the shoulder, following along the collar. It is the best option for the double breasted suit, wider lapels and formal looks. If you are looking to stand out or to wear a power suit this is the style for you.
Once we have that chosen we can move forward to the width of the lapel itself. Side note: The golden rule when it comes to lapels is the width of your lapel should match the width of your tie.
2.) The Peak – As seen on the right the peak is angled upwards towards the shoulder, following along the collar. It is the best option for the double breasted suit, wider lapels and formal looks. If you are looking to stand out or to wear a power suit this is the style for you.
Once we have that chosen we can move forward to the width of the lapel itself. Side note: The golden rule when it comes to lapels is the width of your lapel should match the width of your tie.
1.) The Wide – A wide lapel is the least popular of the lapels these days but that’s not a bad thing. If you are a wider gentleman the wide lapel is for you especially since it makes you look smaller just like a pin stripe suit would. The same goes for the shorter gentleman as the wide lapel makes you look taller. It is a great addition especially if you already have a few standard lapels in your wardrobe. If you are looking for a power suit this is also for you.
2.) The Standard – It’s called the standard for a reason because it’s what most off the rack stores offer. It is also timeless and classy, if you don’t want to stand out but just want to look good then look no further. Our standard is usually about 7.5cm or 3 inches which matches our standard size ties.
3.) The Narrow/Slim – Slim fit is in these days and to translate that into a suit fit would mean shortening the width of the lapels and tapering of the suit itself. Usually around 2-3/4″ down to 2″, the slim lapel is in and it looks great! This look works best on slimmer gentleman as the name suggests. These work best with our 5cm (2 inch) wide ties.
There are however two completely different lapels you can choose from, they aren’t for everyone but if you want to have a fun alternative and choose the confidence to pull it off we encourage it.
1.) The Shawl Collar – You most likely recognize a tuxedo jacket by its shawl collar but it can be worn on suits as well. A stylish alternative when you are looking to update your wardrobe and stand out a bit. It is not however recommended for those with a really round face or body shape since it will accentuate those features.
2.) The Mandarin Collar – If you’ve watched Spectre recently you will have seen Blofeld wearing this in his evil lair. It is very popular in Southeast Asia where the whole suit jacket is called a “Nehru jacket” but it’s not so popular in North America or Europe. The collar has no fold in it and stands up without a lapel at all. Don’t be surprised if after reading this you start to notice them more since they are coming back around in style. You can pair it with a solid colored shirt to dress it down or also purchase a mandarin collar dress shirt to go with it.
We hope this helps you as you start to decide what you want your next suit to look like. Comment below with any further advice, questions or tell us what your pick is!
We hope this helps you as you start to decide what you want your next suit to look like. Comment below with any further advice, questions or tell us what your pick is!
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