For a movie star on the red carpet, it's hard to go wrong with a classic Gucci suit. Well, almost. Though luxury Italian craftsmanship is about as close to suit nirvana as you can get, it's still important to pay attention to the details. Miss any one of several key tailoring points, and it won't make a difference whether your suit is from Gucci or Rocco's Discount Clothing Shed.
This past week, both Jake Gyllenhaal and Ben Affleck attended events wearing a navy Marseille suit from Gucci. And while one of them looked about as crisp and polished as you can get, the other looked more like he was attending his first job interview.
Let's break it down.
Issue 1: The Cuffs
With the perfect tailoring on his Gucci Made to Order version of the suit, Jake Gyllenhaal could give '60s Frank Sinatra a run for his money. Nothing is off or out of place. For starters, the sleeves are a perfect length, revealing, with almost mathematical precision, about a quarter inch of his shirt cuff.
Affleck, on the other hand, didn't go made-to-order. He also, it seems, skipped the trip to the tailor. As a result, he's showing way too much shirt cuff. The reason is simple: The shirt sleeve is too long. His cuff goes all the way down to the first knuckle of his thumb. Look back to master Gyllenhaal and you can see that it should just hit where your hand meets your wrist.
Issue 2: The Trousers
Now we move southward and see that JG's trousers are tailored without a break, so the hems just barely kiss the tops of his cap-toe oxfords. Over on team Affleck, however, we see that the bottom of his trousers are stacked up like traffic on an L.A. freeway. That look is fine for jeans and a pair of high tops, but for a suit it feels sloppy.
Issue 3: The Jacket
Finally let's take a look at the fit of the jacket. With Gyllenhaal, nearly every point hangs perfectly. There are no superfluous folds from too much fabric, and nothing bulging from too little. (One possible knock: there's a bit of a dimple in the sleeve right below the shoulder, which may or may not be because of his posture.)
Affleck's suit appears to be a little too tight in the middle—hence the shirt reveal below his top button. (Again, though, that could be because of the way he's standing.) It's also a little too loose everywhere else, most notably the sleeves, which are an easy fix for most tailors. Jake's jacket is tailored into one perfect fluid line, while Ben's looks like the EKG reading on a heart arrhythmia.
The Devil Is in the Details
These are two good looking actors who were genetically engineered to wear suits. And yet, with just a few subtle tweaks, one looks like Don Draper redux while the other looks like he borrowed something from his dad's closet. The small things matter, and they can drastically alter the look of your clothing. Especially when it comes to suits. Never forget that.
