Autumn Issue 2026 Fashion, beauty and style for the US, UK and Germany Subscribe
RED CARPET Wardrobe
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Tailor measuring a client's shoulder for a suit
Tailoring and grooming

The Gentleman's Desk

How clothes should fit, what to own and how to look after it. Written by people who have been measured more times than they can count.

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The fit guide

How a Suit Should Fit

Take this card to your next fitting. If a suit misses more than two of these, keep walking.

Fit card No. 26

The Measurements

Shoulder
Seam at the shoulder bone
Shirt cuff
Show 6 to 13 mm (¼ to ½ in)
Jacket length
Covers the seat
Button stance
Just above the navel
Collar gap
Two fingers, no more
Trouser break
None to a quarter break
Tie length
Tip touches the belt
Rule of thumb: the shoulders cannot be fixed, almost everything else can.
SometimesTop button
AlwaysMiddle button
NeverBottom button

The button rule for a three-button jacket. On a two-button jacket, fasten the top one when standing and undo it when you sit.

The capsule

Ten Pieces, Every Occasion

Tick what you already own. Your progress stays in this browser.

0 / 10Pieces in your wardrobe
Suits on wooden mannequins in a tailoring studio
From the desk

The Desk, monthly

Tailoring notes, grooming basics and one thing worth buying. Nothing else.