A suit jacket size is based on a number and a letter. The number represents your chest size
in inches and the letter (S, R, L) your overall height. So, a 40R means a 40 inch chest and regular height.
Short: 5'5" to 5'7"
Regular: 5'8" to 5'10"
Long: 5'11'-6'2"
The suit pants have what is called a "drop", which is the differnce between your jacket size and pant size. American suits on average have a 6-inche drop, so a 40R would have pants of size 34.
The perfect fitting suit should have a jacket shoulder that ends at or near where the top of your arm and shoulder meet. There should be no bunching of fabric at the base of the neck. The jacket back should cover your rear and the jacket arms should come down to the top knuckle of your thumb when your hands are at your side. Most, if not all, off-the-rack suits require some tailoring; and, getting it tailored for you particular body type will make all the difference in the final presentation of the suit.
To Vent Or Not To Vent
A vent refers to a horizontal cut in the bottom back part of the jacket There are two vent styles: center vent and side vents. A center vent is a single vent that appears at the middle bottom back of the jacket
while side vents are two vents that appear on the left and right sides of the back bottom part of the jacket. Also jackets can come with no vents.
Two, Three, Four Buttons
The button styles of your suit jacket can come with two, three or four buttons. Nowadays the style to choose is more a preference than a hard rule of fashion.
Canvassed or Fused
A canvassed suit jacket is constructed of an outer fabric layer, middle canvas shell and inner lining all stitched together.
In a fused suit layers of fabric are glued together. Because of this design differences, a canvassed jacket tends to drape
better over the body and is not susceptible to bubbling from too many visits to the dry cleaner.
Thread Count
Thread count is the number of woven threads per square inch of material. Depending on the quality of the fabric, more often than not, the higher the thread count the higher the quality of the suit.
Choose Your Fabric: Wool, Polyster or Cotton
Choosing what fabric you want your suit to be can be difficult. Many argue
that the best suit is made up of wool. It has the best look and can be worn the
longest. It tends to be a bit warmer in the summer but also keeps you
warmer in the winter months. Polyster and cotton suits tend to be less
expensive than wool.
Dry Cleaning Your Suit
Try to keep your dry cleaning to a minimum to extend the life of the suit. In between the dry cleaning, for wrinkles and odors use a home steamer or get it pressed. Also,use a suit brush after each wear to keep it lint free.
Storing Your Suit
When hanging your suit make sure you use a contoured or curved hanger to maintain the shape of the jacket and keep it unbuttoned. You can even use suit bags to hang them in the closet, but make sure you buy the ones that breathe. Don't overload your pockets with stuff and unbutton your suit when you sit down.
Moth Protection
Protect you suit from moths using cedar blocks or moth balls.