Many people assume that the fit of a tailor made garment should be tight, but that is just not the case. The reason why so many people prefer tailored clothes is due to choice, they can choose how they want their clothes to fit. So I guess that brings us to the premise of this article, do you prefer style or comfort?

At Tailor On Ten we divide the fit of our suits and shirts into three main categories; Slim, Standard and Loose.

A slim fit is a modern, youthful look that is usually created by having narrower shoulders, higher armholes, waist suppression, tighter sleeves and legs with a shorter hem. These features combine to give a contoured look to your body which will actually make you appear taller and create a very sharp silhouette. So why wouldn’t you get a slim fit suit? The trade-off is that a slim fit can be a bit less comfortable, especially while sitting and moving. It is common for them to pull across the back and chest while moving. It is always a trade off between look and comfort.

On the other side of this stylistic coin is a loose fit. For those of you that put a higher value on comfort a loose fit is cut with a little excess fabric that allows ease of movement. The features used that maximise comfort are wide shoulders, slightly lower armholes, a straight cut waist, wide legs and a longer hem. Fashion wise a loose fit suit will tend to look a bit ‘boxy’ but will most certainly be comfortable. This sort of fit is better associated with older double breasted suits, as working for 8 hours in a suit is bad enough without it being uncomfortable as well.

Sitting firmly on the fence and trying to get the best out of both worlds, and largely succeeding, is a standard fit. This fit attempts to maximise both style and comfort through a combination of fitted shoulders, high armholes, waist suppression and slightly tapered legs. This fit is tapered to your body but not to the extent of being tight, allowing for good movement and a great look.

So which should you choose? You might think that if you are a slim or athletic person that you should choose a slim fit but that is by no means a hard and fast rule. Let’s suppose you were looking for a nice white summery linen shirt, it just wouldn’t look right if it was tight and you might instead be better off going for a standard fit. Alternatively you may assume that a larger figure should opt for a loose fit but a little bit of waist suppression found in a standard fit can actually help you look slimmer. Each fit comes with its own strengths and weaknesses but at the end of the day you should choose a fit that will suit your body type and preference.