There was a time when buying a suit was relatively straightforward.
You walked into a store, tried on a few options, took the advice of the salesperson, and left with the one you liked best. Whether that advice was good or bad is another conversation, but the process itself was simple.
Today, most clients arrive having already spent hours, if not weeks, researching online. They’ve saved Pinterest boards, watched YouTube videos, scrolled through Instagram, and seen countless TikToks claiming to reveal the “perfect” fit or the “only suit you’ll ever need.”
Some of that information is genuinely helpful.
Some of it has made buying a suit far more confusing than it needs to be.
Inspiration Is One of the Best Things the Internet Has Given Us
One of my favourite parts of a fitting is when someone pulls out their phone and says, “I like the look of this.”
Those photos tell me far more than just whether you like a blue suit or a grey one. They show me whether you’re drawn to softer tailoring, wider lapels, textured fabrics, higher-waisted trousers, or a more relaxed silhouette. Even if you can’t explain what you like, those images usually can.
Inspiration has made it easier than ever for clients to communicate their style, and that’s a huge advantage.
The challenge is remembering that inspiration isn’t a blueprint. Dressed by the Internet: Social Media Influence and Men’s Clothing
The Man in the Photo Isn't You
This is probably the biggest misconception I see today.
Someone falls in love with a photo online and assumes recreating that outfit will recreate the look.
It rarely works that way.
The person in the photo might be six foot four with broad shoulders and long legs. You may be five foot eight with a completely different build. The lighting has been professionally controlled, the garments have often been pinned for the shoot, and every detail, from the shoes to the haircut, has been carefully styled.
You’re not buying the photo.
You’re buying a suit that needs to work for your body, your lifestyle, and your personality.
The goal isn’t to copy someone else’s look. It’s to understand what you like about it and adapt those ideas in a way that feels natural on you. Take Better Pictures Of Your Menswear Outfits!
Social Media Loves Extremes
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram, you’ve probably noticed that the videos getting the most attention are rarely about balance.
Instead, they’re about absolutes.
“Never wear this.” “Every man needs this.” “This trend is dead.” “The only suit colour you should own.”
Tailoring doesn’t work like that.
Almost every recommendation depends on context. A fabric that’s perfect for a destination wedding might be completely wrong for daily business wear. A double-breasted jacket can look incredible on one person and out of place on another. Even something as simple as trouser width should be determined by proportion, not by whatever happens to be trending that month.
The internet rewards certainty because certainty gets clicks.
Good tailoring is much more nuanced. Are You Wearing The Suit Or Is The Suit Wearing You?
Trends Move Faster Than Suits
A custom suit isn’t something most people replace every season.
It’s an investment that’s expected to look good for years.
That’s why I always encourage clients to be careful about chasing trends they discovered online last week. Extremely cropped jackets, ultra-wide trousers, exaggerated shoulders, or very slim silhouettes might dominate social media today, but fashion has a habit of changing its mind.
A well-balanced suit tends to age much more gracefully because it’s built around proportion rather than novelty.
That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have personality or embrace current influences. It simply means it’s worth asking whether you’re choosing something because you genuinely like it or because an algorithm showed it to you fifty times. The Meaning of Suit Colours, Patterns, and How to Choose What Works for Your Body
The Internet Can't Ask You Questions
The biggest difference between researching online and sitting down with a tailor is that the internet gives everyone the same answers.
A tailor shouldn’t.
An article can’t ask where you’re getting married. It can’t ask whether you travel every week, whether this is your first suit, or whether you’re planning to wear it twice a year or twice a week.
Those details change the recommendations completely.
The internet is an incredible place to gather ideas, learn terminology, and discover styles you might never have considered.
But it can’t replace a conversation.
Use the Internet for Inspiration, Not Validation
I still encourage every client to save photos they like.
Bring them to your fitting.
Show me what caught your eye.
Just don’t feel disappointed if we don’t recreate the photo exactly.
More often than not, we end up creating something better. Not because the original idea was wrong, but because it was designed for someone else’s body and someone else’s life.
The best custom suit shouldn’t make you look like the person you followed on Instagram.
It should make you look like the best version of yourself. Understanding Suit Shoulders: Types, Attachments, and Roping Explained
