How to Distinguish a Well-Made Suit From a Bad One

Two individuals walk into a room filled with strangers. One is wearing a fused suit and one is wearing a canvas interlined suit. So, who is taken more seriously? The person wearing a canvas interlined suit, of course. Fused suits not only fail to mold to your body but also wear down quickly. High-end retailers often sell poor quality garments but with luxury price tags. We’ll help you distinguish a well-made garment from a poorly made garment so that you can invest and more importantly save when purchasing a suit.

When it comes to fused suits and canvas interlined suits, think Penguin versus Batman. A fused suit will cause you to move around uncomfortably (like Penguin), while a canvas interlined suit will allow you to fight crime, sit comfortably in your Batmobile, and kick-back in your bat cave after a long day of work.

The interlining on a fused suit is attached by glue rather than stitching and the fit looks stiff and uncomfortable on the wearer. The fit of a canvas interlined suit will appear as an extension of the body and allow for comfort, durability and the abilityfor one to… breathe.

Over time, a poorly made suit will bubble up at the seams where the glue has been clasping the fabric. For this reason among others, you’ll be forced to purchase a new one.

A well-made suit is an investment. Not only will it last for years, but its fine craftsmanship will allow a tailor to let out or take in the suit with ease so you don’t have to rethink dessert or even put off buying a suit until you reach your goal weight at the gym. New Year’s resolution, right?

If you want a garment that you can really trust it’s best to have a tailor or clothier whom you can trust as opposed to clothing distributed off-the-rack. Here’s a simple 2-step test you can perform to ensure the quality of a suit on your own:

1. Between your fingers, grasp the edge of the coat front.

2. Move your fingers back and forth. If you can feel three separate pieces – the exterior fabric, the interior fabric and the canvas floating freely in-between – you have a canvas interlined suit. If you only feel two pieces, you have a fused suit.

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