Furthermore, make sure that the trousers fit you in the thigh rather than at the waist. A tailor really won’t be able to help you in this department if they are too tight as there is no more extra material available to widen the trouser and stop it looking like they’re about to explode when you sit down. Don’t worry if the waist size is too big, the tailor can take it in easily.

Getting A Suit Tailored

The Suit

To help demonstrate what tailoring can do for a suit, our friends at T.M Lewin on Jermyn Street, London offered for us to come down and try on a few suits, and then get one tailored to our needs.

I obliged (obviously) and decided on a classic navy two button notch lapel suit. I went for a 41? jacket/36? waist and started to get pinned for the alterations.

The original off-the-rack suit, courtesy of T.M Lewin

Trouser Adjustments

The first thing I did was get the trousers hemmed at the bottom as the brand’s trousers come unfinished – i.e. really long with no finish. It is all about personal preference when it comes to what is referred to as the ‘break’ on a trouser.

I tend to have little to no break on mine but as that’s not what most men enjoy I decided to have them hemmed a little longer than usual. As a good general guideline, have your tailor pin the back of your trousers to where the sole of your shoe starts and the front to where the laces of your shoes begin.

Hemming the trousers & the original excess material

From there I just worked up. The material around the seat (read: arse) of the trousers was pulling slightly, so I decided to have them let out by three-quarters of an inch to give myself a bit more room and allow the material to drape naturally. This is another thing guys should remember – there is such a thing as too skinny/slim! If the material starts to pull and crease under the strain of your body, it’s time to size up.