Camera Spotlight on Pastor’s Suiting
Prior to my Financial Advisory Career, I was a Fashion Coordinator for an upscale men’s and women’s clothing company. One of the most important aspects of outfitting the client was tailoring the appropriate suit. I am mentioning this as most of the sermons that you will be preaching are on the web and up front and very close. In addition, your other pastoral duties will help you feel better and more comfortable with well tailored clothing. An ill-fitting suit can cause a distraction for the viewer as well as the comfort of the preacher. There is a level of credibility and a “put together” look when the appropriate style of suit as well as the furnishings (shirt, tie, belt, etc.) are given careful thought and effort. Let me give you the basics, then build on that with some quick bullet points.
There are basically two cuts in suits, an American cut and a European cut. The American cut is for a broad shouldered, a more robust physique, where the European cut is for a more slim build. If you start with the appropriate cut, the tailoring will be possible and with less expense.
Almost every suit off the rack should have some customizations to it so that it fits properly. One example is that for some suit jackets, most likely there is more fabric at the middle of the back which can be taken in and of course the sides of the jacket to be more fitted, in addition to the suit jacket sleeves.
- Shirt length should be just at or slightly below in order to show some of the shirt cuff below the suit jacket.
- Collar styles have changed, however a classic approach is usually best. For a larger neck, a spread or semi-spread collar is best; this is going to show more of the knot in your tie as well, which is a better look (make sure you use a double windsor, or similar knot) For a smaller neck, a classic or standard collar may be best.
- Make sure the pant hem is the correct length. Be careful as usually one leg is longer than the other, so a measurement on each pant length is probably needed. You have a choice of a straight hem line or a slanted hem line. The tailor can help you to determine what may be the best for you.
- Feel free to reach out to me for further discussion or questions.
The following are some links which you may find helpful. In addition, there are many YouTube videos which will be a quick learn for you.
