I reblog this suit from our pal MistahWong not just because it’s lovely (though it is), but because he and his tailor have gotten his fit down wonderfully. There’s a lot to learn here.
This is Hong Kong suit made in a somewhat Neopolitan style. The tailoring here is relatively soft – check out the shoulders, for example. They are consistent (you want your coat to cover up imperfections in the shoulder), but nonetheless very lightly padded. There is slight roping – that’s the ridge along the shoulder to sleeve seam where there’s a bit of extra sleeve fabric. The arm hole in the body is actually slightly smaller than the sleeve that attaches to it, which provides for freedom of movement. The coat is soft through the body, but nonetheless offers some waist suppression – note that it makes his waist look small relative to his shoulders with a little nip there.
Mistahwong has a particularly keen sense of proportion, and prefers his lapel notch and breast pocket relatively high. I’m guessing the coat is relatively short, as well, though we can’t quite see that here. The patch pockets (another Neopolitan signature) are also rounded, which is a nice touch. The end result is a suit that has an elegant shape, but is relatively informal, thanks to the soft construction and patch pockets, despite a relatively formal fabric.
Of course, this is by no means the only way to make and wear a suit, but it’s important to become familiar with the variety of suit shapes and the many choices a suit designer makes if you want to make informed choices about your own clothes.
