Has it ever occurred to you that a piece of suit tailored to your specific and unique body would be a great addition to your wardrobe, yet you never realized the idea because the world of suits, especially the jackets, seems to be so vast and intimidating with hundreds and thousands of styles and so many terminologies to be learned?
Let us break down to the very basics of what you will need to grasp so as to confidently choose a jacket that fulfills all your needs, aesthetically and practically.
A Brief History of The Suit Jacket
From the 17th century elaborately embroidered men’s court clothing to the simpler, more conservative 18th century Victorian coats, all the way to the more comfortable with looser silhouette jackets in the “Roaring Twenties”, the suit jacket had gone through many changes as social and political scenes shifted.
The suit as we know today was shaped by the Victorians and Edwardians, making the British isles the birthplace of the modern suits. At that time, heavier fabrics of earthy tones were the most popular options, whereas in the quickly urbanized area, fabrics of darker shades would have been chosen to make up for the poor indoor heating and the heavily polluted environment where soot was practically everywhere.
Main Elements of a Jacket
Just like a suit, a coat is composed of a handful of elements, each with its own variations, creating as many styles, details, and finishing as one may desire. We will break down the components into the very basics to ease the burden of too many things to pick up at once.
Fabric
Choosing the right fabric is the first and of great importance decision so make when you consider getting before having your tailor working on the piece.
Wool is one of the most popular choices, which comes in many varieties such as tweed, flannel, gabardine, etc. Woolen coat is often worn in a more temperate climate due to its excellent insulation; However, a lighter, finer wool known as “tropical wool” is a better option in warmer and arid areas.
Other natural fibers like linen, cotton, and silk generally make better coats than the synthetic ones since they absorb sweat better and are more breathable. Knowing what each type of fabrics has to offer and picking one that is suitable for your needs and the climate will spare your future self a great deal of stress.
Cut
A piece of jacket comes in two main cuts: the single-breasted jacket, in which the sides meet at center and overlap is minimal, often just enough to button, and the double-breasted jacket, which is recognised by the left side overlapping the right side with two columns of button.
If you are looking to pair your jacket with a waistcoat, opt for the single-breasted jackets since the double-breasted ones already come with an extra layer. The lowest button on a single-breasted jacket is often left unclosed and the left columns of double-breasted jackets are purely decorative.
Read more: Double-breasted Suit
Lapel
Once the cut is decided, a lapel is next to be chosen. Different suit cuts go with different lapel styles, which carry different connotations. The most common and versatile is the notch lapel. This is a safe pick for any occasion, from interviews to meetings, from weddings to funerals, the notch lapel truly is a look for anywhere, anytime.
A more formal style is the peak lapel, distinguished by its sharp edges pointing upwards the shoulders. The peak lapel is almost always constructed on double-breasted suits since it is a very tricky task to properly cut peak lapel on a single-breasted suit.
Another style you might consider is the shawl lapel. The shawl lapel descended from Victorian informal evening wear, so it is most often found on dinner suits or tuxedos. Lapels come with buttonholes to hold a decorative flower called boutonnières, with single-breasted suits having one on the left and two on each side for their double-breasted counterparts.
Once you have selected the right style for your jacket, finding the right atelier is also of utmost importance. At Tailor Bros, we value your satisfaction and will strive for delivering the best jacket to you, so rest assured that your expectations will not only be met, but also be exceeded.
