The suit is a set of clothes that consists of pants and a jacket made of the same fabric.
Mostly, it is worn together with a formal shirt with French or regular cuffs, a tie and leather shoes. In the western world it is considered a semi-formal garment. The costume originated in 19th century Britain, until then a gentleman wore a long redigota jacket with a vest of a different fabric and trousers of a different fabric. In the beginning, the combination of a matching jacket, vest and pants - a suit - was worn only in informal and sporty occasions such as horseback riding. It was not until the late 1930s that the suit became an acceptable outfit for all office workers.
Two suits can be radically different depending on their design and shape and a host of other factors. Some of them are: the cut of the fabric, the color, whether it will consist of two or three pieces, whether it will be single-breasted or crossed, etc. A two-piece suit consists of pants and a jacket, while a three-piece suit and a vest are added.
Today's costume was perfected by Saville Row tailors, which explains the deep connection between the quality of this garment and the concept of bespoke (custom tailoring). In addition, the first tuxedo was created on the Saville Row by Henry Poole on behalf of the then Prince of Wales. Which was a more elegant and light suit for formal evening occasions.
Initially, the costumes were made from the fabric of the customer's choice. This is briefly the bespoke method (on request). Each garment in this category is made to suit exclusively a specific customer based on his preferences, taste and measures. For this reason a bespoke garment strongly reflects the personality of the wearer. From the 1960s, when mass production in the field of clothing appeared, new manufacturing methods became known. Currently, a suit can be offered in three ways:
- Upon request, or bespoke in English, the suit adapts to the customer's measures and preferences, down to the last detail. This method, although not necessarily more expensive than the other two, offers the highest possible quality and gives a great sense of luxury.
- Measured, or made-to-measure in English, in this case a prefabricated suit is simply tailored to suit the customer. Details such as cut, design and fabric have been decided in advance by the manufacturer. This preserves the quality and application of the garment but loses its uniqueness and character. It is the second best choice after bespoke and its cost is almost the same as ready-made suits. Several leading custom tailoring companies provide this service, such as Saville Row tailors in the UK and Bespoke Athens in Greece.
- Ready for dress, or off-the-rack in English, in this case the suit is worn as is. Although this method has been identified with low quality, leading companies such as Kiton, Brioni and secondarily Brooks Brothers offer beyond the first two methods and ready-made clothes in quite high quality.