How a Suit Should Fit: A Dubai Tailor's Checklist

Most men wear the wrong size suit — usually one size too big. After nearly four decades of fitting suits in Dubai, our tailors judge every jacket by the same seven checkpoints. Run through them in the mirror and you'll know in two minutes whether a suit fits, and whether tailoring can close the gap.

The seven checkpoints

1. Shoulders

The shoulder seam should end where your shoulder does — no overhang, no pulling. This is the one thing a tailor can't easily fix, so buy for the shoulders first and let everything else be adjusted.

2. Chest

With the jacket buttoned, you should fit a flat hand between lapel and chest — a fist means it's too big, visible pulling around the button means too small.

3. Waist

The jacket should follow your torso without straining. Taking a waist in (or letting it out slightly) is routine work for our atelier.

4. Jacket length

The hem should sit around the middle of your hand when your arms hang naturally — covering the seat, never approaching the knee.

5. Sleeves

Show a quarter to half an inch of shirt cuff. Sleeve length is one of the quickest alterations there is.

6. Collar

The jacket collar should sit flush against your shirt collar. A gap or a roll usually signals a size or posture mismatch.

7. Trousers

In Dubai's climate we recommend a gentle taper with a slight break — or no break for a sharper, cooler look. Hemming is a while-you-wait job.

What alterations can — and can't — fix

Quick fixes (about 30 minutes at our boutique): trouser hems, sleeve length. A few days: waist adjustments, tapering, minor shoulder work. Not worth fighting: shoulders that are genuinely the wrong size, or a jacket more than two sizes off.

Complimentary alterations on every suit ordered online — in-store purchases quoted in boutique.

Get fitted in Dubai

Start with our Size Guide, browse the suit collection (sizes 42–70, including Big & Tall), or message a stylist on WhatsApp — or walk into either Dubai boutique for a proper fitting.