My friend, The Grumpy Owl, has written an excellent guide to buying used suits.
Try on the jacket. The sleeves should come to your wrist, the armholes should be in your armpits, the collar should hug the neck and the body should fit snugly around yours. Move around and listen for a ripping noise. That noise is a bad sign. If you hear it, quietly return the jacket to the rack. If someone else hears it, wave a hand around your buttocks and pretend to have farted.
Generally, if the jacket fits, so will the trousers. You should know your waist size and check it. Then hold the trousers flat against your body to determine the length. Starting from your belt, they should touch your shoes. At this stage the fit does not require perfection. It just needs to be in the range of what your local tailor can alter. Err big but not too big and keep in mind that, having the armholes reduced will shorten the sleeve length. Chances are that the armholes will be a problem. They usually are.
Now, I said the first rule is fit. And I stand by that. But you’re not going to go through all the racks trying everything on. So leave FIT until you find something you like and are deciding whether to buy it. No matter how much you like it, if it don’t fit, it ain’t shit. Just leave it for someone else.
Keep reading here: The Used Suit « The Grumpy Owl
