They (above) never fit right. I probably look horrible in them.
How did Cary Grant do it? He looks like he was born in a suit.
Wouldn't you kill to have real, custom-tailored, Saville Row threads? You can have one like this (above) for just under $5,000.
Since the hippie era men's suits have been regarded with suspicion as emblems of class distinction. They certainly are that, but they're also symbolic of efficacy, intellect, and sophistication. That last point, sophistication, requires a little history to appreciate.
In Louis XIV's time (above) men's clothes were all about ostentatious wealth.
England is a cold and damp country so eventually Brummel's sporty look gave way to the frock (above), which was long and sheltering, and always buttoned in the front. The frock favored the tie which was initially used to show off the wearer's school or regional colors.
The older Brummel design was kept alive by sportsman and military men who preferred the freedom of movement it afforded. Horsemen especially favored this cut and, since most people rode in the mornings, this type of jacket was called a "morning" coat.
The modern suit jacket is the inevitable result of combining the frock and morning coat in one medium-length jacket that can be worn all day long.
Buttons on the sleeve came about because physicians insisted on them so they could roll up their sleeves without taking their jackets off. Saville Row began by catering to the doctor trade, so the buttons persisted, even when they were no longer in demand. Maybe also because they seemed to denote military rank.
Sigh.
