Contrary to popular belief, men’s dress clothes should always be comfortable. If they are not, it is the fault of the clothes’ fit, and not of their nature. Suffering for beauty’s sake does not do a man any good, either; if the fit of a garment makes its wearer uncomfortable, he will look it. Indeed, a man looks his best when his clothes fit so well he barely notices them.

A man’s clothes send a message to the world about him, and if they fit him well, he will always make a good impression. Most men today wear poorly-fitting clothes, and it is not hard to see why. The menswear sold in stores are cut to fit as many men as possible, and that means big. At the same time, the fashion-industrial complex creates new so-called styles by bending or breaking the time-honored traditions in menswear; Thus it is that designers and commentators may debate whether baggy or fitted pants are ‘in’ this season while neither look as good as the timeless middle-ground. A good deal of men still rely on women to hold their hands through shopping trips, but since the prerogatives of fit are altogether different for women’s clothing, the results are often sorry.

Finally, when you are buying a garment, the retailer has little incentive to tailor it properly, since nobody seeks out a mall store because he’s heard they do great alterations. Thus as in so many things, it falls to each man to take responsibility for the fit of his own clothes, and not to be swayed by the prolific selection of poor choices or the dubious influence of models, salesmen, and the opposite sex.