Suiting up- How to determine what suit fabric works best for you

It's so important to have a great suit in your wardrobe.

Every guy needs a minimum of one great suit for all the occasions one wears a suit for.

You need a suit for job interviews, important presentations, weddings, elegant date nights, and even your wedding (although in this case we always recommend upgrading and purchasing a new suit - more to come on that in a future blog post).

So how do you make sure that you are choosing the right suit?

First and foremost- make sure you pick the right fabric for what you are going to wear the suit for. What do we mean?

If you want a suit for more casual events and to dress down more than you dress it up, opt for casual fabrics. Want a suit for all occasions? Pick a fabric that allows for that. 

How do you even know what fabrics are out there?

We are so happy you asked. We'd love to help provide some education on different fabrics you may encounter when you shop for suits.

#1: Wool

Wool - It's the most popular fabric for suits. Why? It’s very versatile. Wool can keep you warm in the winter but can still be breathable to keep you cooler. This is your best bet for an all year suit.

Wool also includes tweed, which is a heavier woven wool. While we don’t recommend a traditional tweed for work it is a great alternative to those fall and winter events.

It’s also very easy to dress a wool suit up or down, and customize it with the addition of a great matching vest to polish off the look.

The wool suit is a must-have suit for any guy to own. A great wool suit will give back year after year and come in handy more times than you can imagine.

#2: Cotton 

Cotton - Cotton is the second most popular fabric for a suit. Cotton is best for the non-winter seasons and for a bit more of a casual look.

If you opt for cotton as your all-year suit try a heavy cotton or a cotton-blend suit. This fabric is extremely durable and low maintenance so it’s an easy win for a lot of guys.

A cotton suit is also great for the traveling guy because it’s more compact due to the fabric. It’s also very breathable and may be the best choice for your more environmentally conscious guy.

This fabric can also be dressed up or down very effortlessly. Wear a shirt and tie to your standard wedding and formal events or throw on a sweater and some leather sneakers for a great look for Sunday brunch.

#3: Linen

Linen -  This fabric keeps cool even in the hottest temps. This is the most casual look and can be great for more muscular men.

We don’t recommend wearing this fabric for a work suit since it is so casual. Linen is also more prone to wrinkles and can be worn down in high traffic areas of your body (knees, elbows, etc) but can look very cool and stylish for those beach and summer weddings.

This is by far the easiest to dress down in a very casual manner. Add in a great white and navy striped shirt with some fashion sneakers and cruise the strip.

There are more fabrics that you may come across on your quest for your perfect suit, but these are the three general fabrics you'll see time and time again. 

One more note- weight matters. You may find yourself discussing suit weight with your custom tailor - never fear, we are here to help. The weights range from about 7oz to 19oz and it’s just as you’d expect. Lighter weight literally means a lightweight suit so things like linen and cotton. Heavier weight means heavier suits- blends and wools. 

Stop in or make an appointment for one of our associates to help you find the best suit, fabric, and fit for you. We'd love to assist you in finding the perfect suit!

Tag us on Instagram by using #ticknorssuitstyle - we can't wait to see how you rock out your favorite suit.