Things to know about your body before visiting a tailor

Tailoring is not all about just taking measurements to transform fabrics into your shirts or suits. It also involves getting to know your body’s needs for maximum comfort while looking sharp. Now you must be wondering, “Why is it important when the tailor is able to find out while taking my measurements?”

1. Visiting a tailor is not a “one shot one kill” journey. It will take more than one visit for a tailor to understand your preferences. (Read more on “Tips when visiting your tailor”)
2. When trying out during fittings, you need to know how the clothes fit yourself.
3. You will be able to better communicate with tailor.
4. You will know what to look for, and get what you are looking for.

Here are some common body features to take note about before visiting the tailor.

Body Types

Different people have different body types. There are some who are plumper on the upper body, some who just can’t grow bigger despite how much they eat, or some who love to hit the gym.

"Hopsack" - A slightly stretchy material
(Refer to "What Is Hopsack and Why It Is A Favorite for Gents")

People who work out have larger muscles than normal people do. When in motion, those muscles will contract. Suits will have to have an allowance to contain the muscle contraction. Even if your suit fits you nicely, you will be very restricted in movements. Looser suits will not look as flattering either. Hence it is suggested to choose a more stretchy fabric material, such as Hopsack.

For the "Lido Fido" - A heavyweight fabric at >300 GM from Huddersfield FRESCO series for a more structured look
(Read more about the fabric here)

Contrarily, if you are considerably skinny, loose suits will make you look like you are wearing something from 2 generations ago. Suits too fitting will also further enhance your already slender physique. You are not going to get any girls to walk beside you, because they hate that you are looking slimmer than they are! We would recommend to add a little bit of allowance on the waist to avoid suppression when wearing the jacket. A stronger shoulder could also give more volume to your upper torso area.

For the "Gru" - A less tapered fit 

Beer belly can also be a headache, isn’t it? Be careful that your pants are not overly tapered during tailoring. With a heavier upper body, your lower body will look much smaller with a slim-fitting tapered pants. Wait, is that a description of Gru, the master of the Minions?

Body Proportions 

In this case, body proportions refer to the ratio of length of torso to that of legs. Whether you are a 3:7, 4:6 or 5:5, the ratio can always be balanced out by adjusting the rise and break of your pants.

Rise is the length between the waistband and the center of crotch seam. There are usually two kinds of rise, i.e. low and high rise. If you have a long torso, you might want to consider high rise pants to make your legs look longer. On the other hand, if your torso is relatively shorter as compared to your legs in proportion, low to mid rise would be a better choice.

Deciding the break of the pants also will have an impact on your look. What is a break? It is the folds at the lowest ends of your pants which reach your shoes. You can have no breaks, quarter breaks, half breaks or full breaks. The shorter men are usually recommended to have shorter breaks that will result in an elongating effect. The length of the pants should also not be too short to expose the ankles, or too long to create a bunching of fabric at the tongue of your shoes.

Position of button will affect the length of jacket

Your jacket makes a difference in proportion as well. When the position of the button is lower, it will create a deeper “V”, creating a visual effect of a longer upper torso. That is why it is very rare to not find tuxedos attractive. To add on, jacket length that is too short will reveal too much of your rear, and jackets that are too long will make your legs look shorter.

Other than measurements, color combinations of your jacket and pants make a difference too. Wearing contrasting colors on your jacket and pants will reveal where your waistline is at. If you are shorter, avoid contrasting colors and wear a unified color scheme from head to toe.

It is important that you know what you want as you will be the one wearing the clothing, hence you will have to convey your opinions to the tailor. To get the perfect fit, your part is equally important to find out what your body needs. Feel free to approach us if you need any advice! Our tailors will be more than willing to guide you, as tailors and clients work hand in hand to create their ideal suits.

Of course, there is much more to whatever that is mentioned above (we will continue to talk about body postures in the next article). Tailoring is about a process of self-discovery, and slowly but surely, you will find the measurements to your second skin!

Do drop us an email at hello@assemblesg.com to book an appointment or if you have any enquiries!