Men: How To choose The Right Suit For Your Body Shape

Do you want to look really handsome and confident in a suit, but don’t know what jacket style will suit you best for your body type?

We asked our teacher from the course “Sartorialist: how to open online tailor shop” to tell men more about the proper suit jackets for their body type.

What are the main male body types?

Before we look into specific examples of suit jackets, we should roughly divide male body types into three categories: tall, short, and round.
Thus, we consider these types the most common among men and will show your the best variants which help enhance each body type.

What are men’s suit jacket styles?

The most important thing you should know about the men’s suit jackets  is that they come in several variations based on a single or double breast, number of buttons, and number of vents. Suit jacket pockets are not that different, they can be either with or without flaps.
Classic single-breasted jackets are made with one to three buttons and without vents, with one center vent, or two side vents.
Classic double-breasted jackets are constructed with two to six buttons and with no less than two vents.

Remember that there is a great variety of suit styles. For example, if you find single-breasted suit jackets with more than three buttons or double-breasted suit jackets with more than six buttons, don’t buy them unless you want to make a fashion statement.

The type of lapel, number of buttons, and number of vents should correspond directly to the shape of the man. Choosing the right or wrong mix of these elements will improve the man’s image or make everything much worse.

1. Suit jackets for tall men

The best option is a single-breasted jacket in three button to minimize the abnormal height.
The jacket sleeves can be a bit longer to visually shorten the arm. If a man is tall and slim, he should opt for a side vented jacket as it creates a fuller silhouette.
The hem of the jacket can be a bit longer to minimize the length of legs. If a man wants to emphasize shoulder and chest width, he should find a single or double-breasted jacket with wider lapels.

Tall men should avoid one or two button jackets unless wearing a vest and should choose jackets with one or two vents.
By the way, jacket pockets with flaps will create a horizontal line and will help to minimize height.

2. Suit jackets for short men

Men of more short height will look best in jackets that maximize their height. This is seen best in a one or two button jacket that creates a longer “V” for their torso.

Choose suit jackets with side vents because they will create the illusion of height.
The best option is a single-breasted jacket with slim and high lapels. If you want to have a double-breasted jacket, opt for the ones with two or four buttons and side vents, and keep the lapels thin and high.
Peak lapels are a great option for such body type and a double-breasted jacket with such lapels is a must-have.
Talking about pockets, they should be jetted – without flaps, as they will give a man a clean silhouette and will add to his height.

Remember to avoid three button, “ventless” jackets as they shorten the torso more.

3. Suit jackets for round men

These men have more girth and jackets should visually minimize their weight while enhancing their vertical features.
In this case try to choose a one or two button jacket and keep it buttoned unless sitting.
The lapels should be thin and high in order to elongate the body.

To avoid horizontal lines, find a jacket with flapless pockets.
As we said, one or two button jackets are the best variants as they create a longer torso.
As more round men need more room in the seat of their jacket, there can be a double vent, but the single vent is more proper.

There is another option: it’s a six button double-breasted jacket, which will balance a hefty man’s weight while creating a longer silhouette from shoulder to the waist.