This image has been making the rounds on various menswear blogs as an example of a well-fitting business shirt. Far be it from me to criticize Matteo Marzotto, arguably one of the best-dressed men in the world right now, or the man behind Italian Industrialists and Intellectuals Style (one of my favorite style blogs, and the person who originally posted the picture) – but this is not a well-fitting shirt.
If your shirt fits like this, you probably can’t sit down. Or eat a snack. Or possibly even exhale.
In traditional men’s clothing anyway, clothes need not be skin tight to be well-fitting. In fact, they shouldn’t be. Our friend GW here is wearing something that I think sets a good example. There’s enough room in the waist to allow him to sit down and have a full meal, but not so much that excess fabric is bunching above his waistband. If a shirt is truly well-tailored, you can get the fabric to fall cleanly without vacuum sealing it against your body.
To be sure, it’s hard to get something as nice as GW’s shirt off-the-rack (his was custom made for him), but it’s a good ideal to shoot for. One test you can use when trying on a new shirt is to simply sit down in it and see if the buttons strain at the mid-section. This will tell you if it’s too tight or not.
But hey, what do I know. I’m certainly no Matteo Marzotto.
(Image via Italian Industrialists and Intellectuals Style)