The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Why does one suit cost 300 PLN, while another costs 30,000 PLN?

The title of this article is a paraphrase of the title that concludes the classic Western trilogy directed by Sergio Leone, with Clint Eastwood in the lead role. If any of you have not yet seen it (which I strongly encourage), I will only mention that each of the terms—the good, the bad, and the ugly—refers to three different men. In this article, however, I will focus on one thing—the suit, which can clearly have far more than just the three titular names.

I would bet dollars to doughnuts that every reader of Gentleman magazine has encountered a suit at least a few times in their life. The first one—usually not entirely serious—we receive in childhood, and the decision as to what it looks like typically lies with our parents. The next, already more conscious choice, is most often connected with a prom and/or final exams. Then come others, such as a first job, a friend’s wedding, or one’s own wedding. The choice of a specific suit is influenced by very different, subjective factors—when it comes to prom, we primarily focus on appearance, because what matters most is looking good at a ball that ushers us into adulthood. Another factor we often consider is versatility, so that beyond evening wear it can also serve us at the aforementioned final exams or a first job interview.

If we are looking for something that is to be our everyday uniform, we begin to place greater emphasis on comfort and durability. In the case of a wedding suit, we usually look at things comprehensively—we care about appearance, comfort, fit to the body, often also alignment with the event’s convention, and, if possible, versatility as well. One element that we do not always put first is the quality of the suit. Perhaps this is because, from the perspective of someone who does not deal with this daily, it is genuinely difficult to “estimate” quality—on the one hand, one can be guided by price, but on the other, we sometimes assume that if there is no obvious difference, why overpay? A suit is a suit—if it can cost 300 PLN, why do some reach prices of 30,000 PLN or more? How can we assess whether an increase in price comes with an increase in quality? One could write a book about all the details; nevertheless, I will try to simplify the subject into a tailoring trilogy—fabric, construction, and quality of workmanship.

Fabric
To start with, a small disappointment—there is no ideal fabric that would be the only correct choice for all suits. There are, however, several parameters that manufacturers can specify and that we can compare. The first is composition—in the vast majority of cases, the best choice will be 100 percent natural fiber, and going further, the safest option is wool. Nearly infinitely versatile, it works both in midday heat and on cool evenings (much depends on weight and type, but that is a story for another time). It is ideal if you are looking for year-round wardrobe pieces. Its natural properties make it look classic while remaining soft and wrinkle-resistant throughout the day; moreover, it breathes very well, which supports thermal comfort. There are countless grades of wool quality, often linked to the fabric’s delicacy—we would propose one option for a suit meant to be a daily work uniform (in this version, with truly intensive use, a blend with synthetic materials is acceptable) and another for a suit meant to shine at evening occasions, often under artificial light. A parameter we can check here is the so-called twist, which, in simple terms, indicates how thin and long the fiber is from which it is made—the higher the twist value (e.g., Super 200’s), the more refined and delicate the fabric, and usually the more expensive. “High-twist” wools are considered those with values from Super 100’s upward. Another parameter we can verify is weight, often defined as the weight of 1 m² of fabric—here we most commonly encounter values of about 200 g to 250 g for typical summer fabrics; between 250 g and 300 g we speak of all-season suits; above 300 g, and sometimes even up to 450 g, we are dealing with winter fabrics. Going further, we can talk about the weave or finish of the fabric; here, however, the only thing we can rely on is sight. It is generally accepted that the smoother the fabric, the more formal it is.

Construction
This is where things become quite complicated, because we are talking about the layer between the fabric and the jacket lining—something that is not only invisible, but often difficult even for a trained person to verify without looking inside. Nevertheless, it is often the construction—the option for finishing the inside of the jacket—that has a significant impact on the price of a suit. This is related to the complexity of the production process and the correlated time required to make a given element. Why is this interlining needed? The fabric is usually very thin, so if we want it to drape properly on the body, it must be shaped and stiffened. The three most popular options are fused, Half Canvas, and Full Canvas.

The fused option is often the most basic and the least expensive. The fabric is stiffened, often only with fusible interlining applied under heat; sometimes there is also a small layer of canvas only in the chest area. This provides the desired stiffness, but it removes many of the natural properties of the fabric. Moreover, it is the least durable, because the adhesive—most often under the influence of cleaning or pressing—can crumble and delaminate, which is then irreparable.

The Half Canvas option is a kind of attempt to find a golden mean. The chest area together with the lapel is stiffened with a layer of canvas, which gives very good fit and a three-dimensional roll of the lapel. Unfortunately, the rest underneath—mainly visible at the bottom—is still fused, so it is not free from the drawbacks of the simplest option.

The most artisanal option is Full Canvas. It is in this technology—now simplified through the use of specialized machines—that the best suits are made. All of the interlining is natural, allowing the suit to be worn like a second skin. Much like leather shoes, it can adapt to the wearer during use and offer the highest possible comfort. Because in this option every element of the interlining is sewn in, it can be repaired at any time. There is therefore no possibility of damage caused by cleaning or pressing. This option, however, requires the most work and time, which is why it is the most expensive to produce.

Quality of workmanship
At first glance, it is worth checking whether all seams are straight; unfortunately, in the cheapest options even such basic things can be problematic. Another element—or rather elements—to pay attention to are finishing details. It is worth checking the cuffs on the sleeves—the way the buttons are sewn on and whether they can be undone. In the cheapest suits, the buttons will simply be sewn onto the sleeve, sometimes even without bound buttonholes. In good suits, the cuff will be cut and elegantly finished with fully functional buttons. A distinguishing element can also be the boutonniere, the buttonhole on the jacket lapel. In inexpensive versions, it may not even be cut through or will be made like all the other buttonholes; in high-quality craftsmanship, it will be done by hand, for example in the Milanese style, using a special fine silk thread.

Good, bad, ugly, fashionable, comfortable, functional—I could go on listing terms that describe suits. There is no perfect choice for everyone and for every occasion, but we are able to state objectively that one can be better than another. To properly summarize the content you have made it to the end of, we can assume that the basic factor influencing the price of a suit (and often the accompanying quality) is the amount of work required to make it. Compared to synthetically produced polyester, it is more difficult to produce high-twist wool, because not all fibers are suitable for it. Similarly, creating a multi-layer canvas construction requires more effort than using adhesive, and paying attention to finishing details that do not change functionality much may seem insignificant; nevertheless, it entails the need to employ far more experienced tailors. The time invested in producing
a suit must cost accordingly, but I guarantee it will repay you many times over in comfort, longevity, and the number of compliments—which, after all, everyone enjoys hearing.