Stòffa Double Breasted Suit: A great casual suit for guys who actually want to wear one

At its core, a suit is really just a jacket and pants cut from the same fabric. The sartorial genii at Stòffa understand this and have established themselves as experts in pushing the notion to its chillest, softest limits. Hence, the brand’s flagship silhouette, which calls itself a “Double-Breasted Shirt Jacket” but reads like a deconstructed DB suit when paired with the matching double-pleat trousers (and a nice pair of black loafers). Cut like a shirt, with an unlined, two-panel construction, it’s consistently available in a changing selection of seasonal fabrics, including a particularly choice wool and cashmere flannel.

“The piece’s design acknowledges a variety of garment-making traditions—from tailoring to shirt-making, functional workwear and uniforms—but aims to present an option free from their inherent associations and limitations,” says a Stòffa spokesperson.

Thom Browne Classic Fit Wool Suit: A great designer suit that changed the industry forever

Thom Browne is notorious for enforcing a litany of dress code-related regulations in his offices, but—unless you’re lucky enough to work for the menswear god—you don’t have to follow a single one of ‘em. And that’s not the only good reason to add one of his famed gray flannel suits to your rotation. For one, historical significance—few designers have had the same impact on 21st-century tailoring as Browne. For another, his suits aren’t just about short hems. Instead, Browne’s tailoring was a sexy and subversive thesis on the creation of masculinity through its most iconic outfit, the gray flannel suit.

This updated (but nonetheless unmistakable) version is still cropped, with the same narrow lapels and prep-inspired details as ever, but thanks to unfinished hems and cuffs, you can dial the shrunkenness factor to your desired setting. All of which makes it a solid choice for fashion-loving guys who don’t want to rock bare ankles at the office.

Tom Ford Dyllan Suit: A great red carpet suit from the first name in A-list swagger

Tom Ford redefined suiting for the new millennium with his powerful, strong-shouldered, narrow-waisted, wide-lapelled silhouettes. Like the great names in suiting before him, Ford’s look personified a generation of A-list dudes from Jay Z and Tom Brady to Daniel Craig during his tenure as James Bond. Mostly, though, he’s known for making suiting sexy.

While following Ford’s 2023 exit, the brand has expanded its sartorial POV under the studious eye of creative director Haider Ackerman; the Tom Ford Dyllan is for the ages. As one would expect, everything here is top-shelf, from the navy and grey wool-twill cloth to the buffalo horn buttons to the silk lining. The fit isn’t ideal for everyone, but if it works for you, you won’t want to wear anything else.

More Suits We Love

This navy blue 3-roll-2 (that’s two buttons with a third hidden under the lapel) punches above its price point thanks to Vitale Barberis Canonico wool cloth and full canvas construction. For a solid everyday suit, it’d be hard to go wrong with this one.

Classic American tailoring is personified by the clean, straight lines and soft shoulders of the “sack suit,” which became a centerpiece of Ivy League style in the mid-20th century, and that’s precisely what’s on offer here from a pioneer of the genre. Oxford-cloth button-down shirt, repp tie, and Bass Weejuns sold separately (but recommended).

This double-breasted suit is designed to be worn open and tie-less, which tells you something about its vibe (if the XXL lapels didn’t clue you in). Despite this panache, the understated wool-mohair fabric makes it surprisingly versatile, and a solid choice for anyone looking for something with a little more swagger than your standard navy-blue DB.

A navy blue suit is the best place from which to build your tailoring repertoire, but this speckled grey option ain’t bad either. It has all the hallmarks of quality (Italian wool twill, half-cavassed jacket), a hard-to-beat price, and—if grey isn’t your vibe—it’s available in navy, charcoal, and black, too.

The exuberant tailoring of the 1970s underpins everything this Parisian brand does, including this sombre midnight blue suit. Unsurprisingly, its wide lapels look best with with a ’70s-style wide point collar shirt, and fortunately, Husbands sells those, too.

Based on his output of thoughtfully considered, painstakingly built tailoring, Saman Amel is a name you’ll be hearing a lot more of in the future. If this Scandi-Italian combination of a wide-lapelled jacket and gently flared trousers speaks to you, you’ll be in very good company.

Tailoring 101: Your FAQ, Answered

As with most things, you get what you pay for, and given that a suit is something you might wear for the next decade, it’s worth spending a bit more on quality. “At $500, you’re usually looking at a more entry-level fabric and construction,” says Marc Harmeling, global style director at Suitsupply. “At $3,500, you’re investing in premium fabrics, more handwork, full-canvas construction, and a refined fit.” Because the most expensive parts of a suit are the fabric and the labor that went into it, those will be the weakest points of a cheap suit. Conversely, a more expensive suit should be of better quality in every aspect. That said, fit is everything, so a cheaper suit that fits you perfectly will always look better than a more expensive one that doesn’t.

Do some research and ask lots of questions, starting with the provenance of the fabric. “If the suit says ‘Super 110 Italian wool,’ that’s a good sign,” says Harmeling. “If it says ‘polyester blend,’ you might want to leave it behind.” Other important factors are whether it’s canvased (a good thing) or fused (a bad thing). And don’t be too swayed by luxury brand names. A brand that spends everything on quality materials and craftsmanship will likely make a better suit than one with an eight-figure marketing budget.

Subtle differences are everything when it comes to traditional tailoring, and each brand approaches suits with its own unique point of view. That means one of them is surely going to look great on you; you just have to find it. “We’re in a wonderful moment for classic menswear,” adds Jake Grantham, founder of UK-based suitmaker Anglo-Italian. “A swell of storied houses and independent upstarts are embracing craft-heavy tailoring from a variety of traditions, while the internet has given a platform for independents to showcase their viewpoints.” In other words, you’ll probably need to try on a bunch of suits before you find one you love.

There are many subtle differences between the three main camps of suiting, and an equal amount of esoteric jargon used to describe them. For most of us, however, the choice comes down to occasion, vibes, and fit. “British suits are the most structured and most formal,” says Jack Carlson, Creative Director at legendary Ivy Style destination J.Press. “Italian suits have a slimmer fit, are generally much more casual, and can be quite flamboyant, while American suits are the least structured and sit between the other two in terms of formality.”

As mentioned above, fit is everything when it comes to suits, so if you don’t happen to be sample size, you might find a better fit with made-to-measure (a pre-existing design cut to your measurements) or bespoke (made for you from the ground up). “If you wear suits often, like to experiment, or want something that fits your proportions and preferences exactly, go custom-made,” says Harmeling. “When you create a piece and it’s a perfect fit, it’s not just something you wear for a season, it becomes something you can truly connect to.”

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