Features and Parts of a formal Suit Jacket

A well-fitting suit makes you look powerful and attractive. Imagine the custom-made suits of James Bond – is there anything sexier? There are many parts to a suit that combinedly gives it its formidable allure.

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Different styles of suits can have different features. For example, your wedding suit will be different from an office suit.

You can decide on the different styles of suits you want to wear according to the formal dress code you have been asked to follow for events. For more details on this checkout the post on formal dress code

The formal suit can either be single-breasted or double-breasted. The preferred lapel style is shawl lapel, but you can also use a notched lapel.

The pockets can be either flapped or jetted. The jetted pockets will give it a neater slim look. A four-button sleeve is a must in a formal suit.

The trousers worn with the formal suit jackets can be cuffed or uncuffed; dress pants are worn with a sharp crease down the center of the leg.

The preferred pocket style for a tuxedo is jetted.

A more casual suit jacket doesn’t have shoulder pads. They are single-breasted and come with notch lapels and flap or patch pockets.

Cut and length of the suit

The three famous cuts of suit jackets are American cut, British cut and the Italian cut. Most of the features of the suit jacket described below can be categorised in these cuts.

American cut jacket is a 3 button single breasted jacket with a loose fit and a straight silhouette.

A london cut jacket is a 2 button single breasted jacket which is slightly longer, with a slightly shaped waist, side vents and wide padded shoulders. This style is more suitable for a tall man.

The Italian cut is a shorter jacket with a more pronounced shaped waist and slimmer fit.

If you want a slimmer silhouette you can choose the Italian cut – it is a dapper style suitable for young men. For office going comfortable suits, the American cut suit jackets are better.

For a person with a thick waist, straight hanging designs are better that those which accent the waist. Single-breasted jacket style is preferred over double-breasted. A three-piece suit with waistcoat is very nice, but for some it can create an overstuffed look.

Silhouette of the suit

Suit jackets usually have two silhouettes- Natural or soft silhouette & Structured silhouette.

A natural silhouette is known as the American cut where padding is not used or used sparingly.

The structured silhouette, also known as the British or European cut has a padded shoulder and stiffer canvas. It is as the name suggests structured. Other than these silhouettes, you can go for a more shaped waist.

Shoulder of a suit

There are basically three styles to choose from. The soft shoulder, natural shoulder and rope shoulder. A soft shoulder jacket has an unpadded shoulder. The Natural shoulder on the other hand has a very slight ridge at the shoulder seam. What makes a rope shoulder different from the other two is that it has got a prominent ridge at the shoulder seam and the sleeve head stands above the shoulder line.

Choosing the shoulder line usually depends on your body structure. If you have naturally broad shoulders you do not need a broad-shouldered suit.

Usually, it is a choice between the soft shoulder and the natural shoulder styles. The rope shoulder is seen less as it can easily go wrong for many body shapes.

Lapel of a suit

There are three kinds of lapels. Notch lapel, Shawl lapel and Peak lapel. The notch lapel has a small triangular notch cut into it. The shawl lapel has a smooth line with no cut or whatsoever.

If you are looking for a formal suit, then you can choose a suit with a shawl lapel. Tuxedos always have a shawl lapel.

The most formal lapel option for a suit jacket is the peak lapel. In a peak lapel, the lower edge extends over the upper edge.

In a Tuxedo jacket the collar and lapels and the pocket flaps can be in satin. The satin lapels of a tuxedo can be a contrasting color from the rest of the suit jacket.

Button closure of a suit

Now you have to choose between single-breasted and double-breasted. It refers to the buttons on your suit jacket.

A single-breasted jacket has a single row of buttons. You can choose between one, two, 3 or 4 button single-breasted jackets. 2 and 3 button single-breasted style jacket are most suited for formal office suits

In the double-breasted jacket, one side of the jacket overlaps the other and is secured with a double row of buttons.

Vents in a suit

The vent is a slit given on the lower back of a jacket. There are three styles of vents available in a suit jacket. Side vents, center vent and closed vent.

Side vents – there are two vents one on each side of the back of the coat

Center vent – the vent is made in the middle of the back of the jacket.

Closed vent – there are no vents or slits. This is not a very popular style.

Pockets of a suit jacket

There are three main styles of pockets when it comes to a jacket. The patch pocket, the flap pocket and the jetted pocket. The patch pockets are separate pieces of fabric sewn onto the sides of the jacket. The pocket can be straight or slanted.

A jetted pocket is opposite to that of the patch pocket. It is a cut in the jacket’s surface with the pocket bag hanging on the inside.

A jetted pocket gives a sleeker look to the jacket and is most favoured with formal jackets and tuxedos. A jetted breast pocket is popular for suits. Inside ticket pocket can be added for an extra interesting element.

The flap pocket is a highly versatile style where flaps are attached to the pockets on either side of the jacket.

Sleeve length of a suit jacket

The length of a suit jacket preferably should be such that, half an inch of your shirt length should be seen after your jacket sleeve hem.

Sleeve buttons of a suit jacket

A suit jacket always comes with buttons on the sleeve. It can range from one to four. The number of buttons on the sleeve indicate the formality of the suit. Fewer buttons mean a casual suit. More the buttons, more formal the suit.

Interlining used in the suits

You can choose between a full canvas or a half canvas suit. High end tailors will use cotton canvas as interlining. It is sewn in carefully. But if the suit is cheap it will have syntehtic interlining inside which is glued inside. As you know you will be more comfortable in a suit with cotton or other natural fabrics than in a synthetic material.

Fabric/color and patterns

The best and most common fabrics for the suit are wool, cotton, linen, cashmere or silk. Among them, wool is the most durable material. Silk and cashmere are often used for suits worn for formal or glamorous events. Suits are available in synthetic materials but they are not as breathable as natural fabrics.

You can also choose blends that gives the benefit of breathability and anti-crease. Infact many of the wool material that are available are blends.

The cotton and linen materials are best suited for warmer weather. The tropical weight wool is lightweight and is also ideal for warmer weather.

Related posts : Guide on what to look for in fabric;