Parts of a Suit

So many different parts of a suit make buying them a daunting task. This page will go over all the different suit parts you will ever need to know about.

The suit collar is the part of the suit around the neck which overlaps the shoulders. They generally lie flat, but can be stiff and upright depending on the suit style you choose.

The lapel is the part of the collar which extends down the chest. Suit lapels are generally three to four inches, but vary between suit designers.

Lapels for tuxedos come in shawl, notched, and peaked models. However, suits are almost always notched or peaked. When a suit does come in a peaked model, it is usually a double breasted model.

The gorge is the part where the collars meet the lapels. Higher gorges make a man look longer, while shorter gorges can make a man look thicker.

Jacket pockets can be flap, slit, and besom. Flap pockets provide additional material to cover the opening of the pocket. Slit pockets do not have anything covering the opening. Besom pockets have welts at both the top and bottom and add extra detail.

Vents are vertical slit opening on the back of the jacket. They can be found in both single vent versions and double vent versions. Also a suit can be made without any vents. The advantage of having vents is to allow for more mobility and flexibility in the suit.

It can also help cut down on heat, hence the term vent.

Pleats are parts of a suit that crease at the front of the suit pants. Suits can be pleated, double pleated, or flat front.

Cuffs are the pieces of suit material sewn to overlap at the bottom of the pants. They are usually about an inch and a half. A good rule to follow is that pleated pants have cuffs and flat front pants do not.