Your clothes are always working. They’re either working for you or against you, but they’re always working.

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The other day, I’m waiting for the train to go to work, and I see these two guys standing next to each other. One is about average height and weight, and the other is maybe 5’4? and pretty thin. They’re basically wearing the same thing: navy suit, solid tie and brown shoes.

The taller guy is wearing a suit that he clearly bought off the rack at some department store. It could use some tailoring, but it looks okay overall. The shorter guy is also wearing an off the rack suit, but guess what?

It looks terrible.

He’s swimming in it. It’s as if he found it in his dad’s closet and decided to play dress up. Compared to the guy with the average build, he looks sloppy and unprofessional.

Importance of Fit

Men who are interested in dressing well understand that fit is the most important aspect of style. But men under 5’8? have a hard time finding suits that fit well off the rack. Most suits aren’t made for shorter body types. This is why I advocate for buying custom clothing.

Buying a custom suit online can be a great way to get a high quality suit that fits very well without paying an arm and a leg for it. The problem is, most online suit makers require you to submit your own measurements. They don’t have brick and mortar stores that you can visit to get measured by an expert tailor.

This is a HUGE disadvantage, especially since every company has their own unique measurement system. Some ask that you (or a friend) measure your own body, which is much harder than it seems.

Others ask you to get your measurements from a suit you already own. But what if you don’t own a suit that fits perfectly? Or what if you mess up the measurements? It’s not an exact science, and only seasoned tailors understand the tiny intricacies that make or break a suit.