Fit vs. Mobility

It’s a stereotype that suits must be stiff, awkward or constricting. Most of that myth has to due with suits purchased off the rack, which are not made to fit their wearer’s body in the first place.

Yet it’s true that a suit jacket won’t give you the same range of mobility as just wearing a dress shirt will, and there are good reasons for that. Unlike your shirt, a suit is a three-dimensional object: it has padding at the shoulders and and a piece of interior lining that is the result of half or full canvassing. These features are what give a jacket its shape and structure.

A suit cut for the greatest amount of mobility won’t have a good fit, and a suit cut to have the closest possible fit won’t have good mobility. Part of a custom fit is finding that balance between the two.

How Mobile Should a Suit Be?
In one word: very. It should not feel constricting when carrying out any of these daily motions, such as:

Reaching For Your Coffee

Gripping a Subway Rail

Tying Your Shoes

What Are The Limits to a Suit’s Mobility?
In short, a suit’s range of motion should allow you to comfortably carry out any activity you can imagine yourself doing at work. But if you find that your suit’s shoulders bunch up when trying to catch a 50-yard pass or land a somersault, you’re pushing your own suit out of its intended comfort zone.