TINKER TAILOR

The winning combination of a dress shirt, a pair of dress pants and a blazer must already be a familiar one-two-three routine for many, executed with the practiced precision of riding a bike. To push through from good to great, then, takes a subtle bit of manoeuvring. An inch here; a tuck there.

Your favourite made-to-measure pieces have all been created with the following rules in mind. Of course, if you live for cropped cuffs and oversized fits, don’t let this guide sway you — it’s just a matter of preference.

RULE 1: The hem of a blazer should end approximately between the mid and lower crotch areas. The former if your stature is shorter; the latter if you’re taller.

RULE 2: Blazer sleeves should sit at half an inch to an inch above the wrist, which then allows for a sliver of the dress shirt’s cuff to peek through.

RULE 3: The top button on a two-button blazer and the middle button on a three-button blazer should align at your slimmest point. It should never lie below the belly button.

RULE 1: There should be a comfortable one-finger allowance at a buttoned-up collar.

RULE 2: For a perfect not-too-big, not-too-small fit, there should not be more than two to three inches of fabric when the shirt is pinched at the waist.

RULE 3: The sleeve cuff should end one inch past your wrist.

RULE 1: Your dress pants should fit snug without the need for a belt, and should sit higher than your jeans normally do. Don’t use the same waist size as denim!

RULE 2: Try a pinch test at either side of the thighs; there should be approximately half an inch to one inch of fabric for a fit that’s not too loose or too tight.

RULE 3: Opt for a quarter-break cuff.