7 Ways to Tell if Your Suit Fits

Q. Your list of "Signs Your Suit Don't Fit" said we should go down a jacket size if the sleeves are too long, and two if the jacket is too full. I think those two situations should generally be fixed by tailoring. A more useful accompanying guide might have shown how a correctly fitting suit should look. — Gary Southon, Seattle

A. We've provided many such tips in the past. Just for you, we went back and found the best of them. — Editors

1. Shoulder pads end with your shoulders.

2. Your flat hand should slip easily into your suit under the lapels when the top (or middle) button is fastened. If you put a fist in, the suit should pull at the button.

3. The top button of a two-button suit — or the middle button of a three-button suit — should not fall below your navel.

4. With your arms at your sides, your knuckles should be even with the bottom of your jacket.

5. Jacket sleeves should fall where the base of your thumb meets your wrist.

6. Between a quarter and a half inch of shirt cuff should be visible.

7. One inch of break.

Suit by Ermenegildo Zegna.

Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

More from Esquire.com: 

The Secret History of Your Medicine Cabinet 

The 75 Things Every Man Should Do. How Many Have You Done?

Save Up to 89% on Esquire — Subscribe Now