Well suited

Men sometimes find it hard to get proper-fitting suits that subtly mold around the body. Do you want to look flawless in your suits in no time?

Indonesian menswear designer Luwi Saluadji, owner of Postour & Co., gives advice on how to choose the right suit.

• Have your suit designed

To craft a perfect suit, ideally you should go to a competent yet trustworthy tailor and designer, Luwi says. There are times when many tailors do not consider the imperfections of people’s bodies.

A skilled tailor would know exactly how to take accurate measurements to find the strengths and weaknesses of a customer’s body and create a suit to cover those flaws, while following the body’s natural contours.

Some customers, for instance, might have an asymmetric back or shoulders.

“In my boutique, we sometimes ask our customers to take their top off to get the right measurements,” Luwi explains, adding that if the human body were a house, the shoulders would be the foundations.

Of course, getting a suit made by a tailor-cum-designer will cost you more than if you used a regular tailor.

“But it would be better, if you prefer having eight well-made suits rather than owning 20 low-quality suits,” Luwi adds.

• Match your skin tone

Suits can be worn for casual and formal occasions, depending on the wearer’s needs. When selecting a suit, it is important to match the color with your skin tone.

For casual events during the morning, those with dark skin can opt for pastel tones such as light green, green-gray, light blue or light gray.

For formal events at night, silver and charcoal gray are good selections.

Men with a light skin tone tend to have more freedom in choosing colors. For a casual look, you can opt for gray, light brown, golden brown and navy blue.

Meanwhile, suits of black, brown, dark brown and silver can be worn for attending formal evening events.

• Count the buttons

It might be a small thing, but the number of buttons on a suit can enhance your looks.

Short men, who are less than 170 centimeters tall, tend to look better in a single-button suit as the lapels look longer and give an appearance of an elongated body, making them appear taller.

Men taller than 180 centimeters should choose three or four-button suits. Those of average height should go for two-button suits.

• Feel the fabric

Picking a suitable fabric is also important when it comes to the season and type of event. For morning occasions, a lightweight wool suit would be the perfect choice to minimize sweating.

Customers should note that suit fabrics are also measured on thread count or yarn density, referred to as the “S” number. The higher the number, the finer and softer the yarn — but the suit will be hotter than one with a low yarn density.

Choose cotton suits with a thread count between 100 and 150 for morning events. In the evening, suits with thread counts of 200 or more and those with more wool can be appropriate.

• Suit your style

An executive or a man who has high-ranking position should wear single-toned suits as they give a more formal feel. Such a suit will distinguish you from employees in lower levels, defining your strong position at the company. If you are in a mid-level position, you can opt for a two-toned suit.

• Comfort care

Never try to wash and clean suits yourself. The best thing is to bring worn suits to a laundry or dry cleaner.

Some blazers and suits, for instance, have fabric around the chest area that can be easily ripped when wet, so they need extra care.

— Triwik Kurniasari