A first suit is rarely bought by one person. It’s bought by a teenager who doesn’t much want to be there, a parent who is paying and would like it to last, and quite often a grandparent with firm views formed decades ago. All three want something different, and the fitting goes badly when nobody says so out loud.
What each one wants
The boy wants not to look like a child in his father’s clothes. The parent wants value and longevity. The grandparent wants it to look like a proper suit, by a standard set in another era. These are not actually in conflict.
The single decision that satisfies all three
Fit it to him now. It stops him looking swamped, it makes the photographs worth keeping, and it is what the grandparent means by a proper suit even if the word used is “smart”.
Longevity is handled separately
Not by buying big. By buying the shoulder that fits and letting Roman, master tailor at Lincoln Tailor, on site in our store, move the sleeves, waist and hem as the boy changes. That is how a suit follows a teenager, and small jobs he can often do while you wait.
Also for Warren: The Body That Doesn’t Match the Size Chart. More on style consulting, or plan your visit to our Oak Park showroom.
