Buying Guide For Double Breasted Suits

Double Breasted Suits or DB Suits, as I am going to refer to them from this point on in this article, are in vogue these days. Traditionally reserved for the upper-class, investment bankers, and stockbrokers, these suits are back with a bang and are gaining popularity amongst fashion enthusiast who are not afraid to dress more adventurously.

I am sure there are many out there who have seen this style and aspired to flaunt it too but do not know what to look out for while buying a DB suit. For some this may even be the first suit they buy. I usually would not recommend the DB suit for people buying and trying out suits for the first time. Single breasted suits will be a better option for you. But if you want to still go for it then do so by all means. Let no one besides yourself dictate how you wish to dress.

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When buying a DB for the first time keep in mind that the most important thing to look out for is the fit. Everything else is secondary. You can research all you want about the top trends, the colours, fabrics and cuts but if you get the fit wrong, you are on a sinking ship.

Let’s go step by step.

• We begin with the buttons. For starters they should close and that too just right, comfortably. Not too loose or too tight. The right fit will give you a nice form.
• Next the shoulders should sit properly, even at the seams. I personally do not prefer shoulder pads. They are a bit out dated.

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• You are not a magician performing tricks where you need to hide your tricks up your sleeve. The sleeves should fit comfortably around your arm.
• The chest of the jacket should fit you comfortably. A slim fit is more pleasing to the eye. These Breasted Suits should accentuate your form but not be too tight to cause you to faint like Victorian ladies.

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• Depending upon your preference of casual, fancy or formal, you will have a choice the perfect lapel between notch lapel, peak lapel, and shawl lapel respectively.

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• The hem of your DB should rest at your hip.
• It is always preferred to get trousers to match your suit, so the fabric, colour and pattern will depend on your choice of suit.

• You can pick any colour or pattern you think you can carry off. However in my opinion, black, cream, grey, white, navy, and pinstripe are least likely to go wrong. Plus these look dapper and suave on any skin or body type.

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• The buttons on the cuffs indicate formal or casual. Remember more buttons means more formal. Make sure your choice of lapel does not over-ride your choice of cuffs.
• The pockets can be piped or flapped or patch pockets but they have to be straight.

Keep these on your checklist and you are golden.