Gomon Custom Clothing · Style Guide

Types of Suits Explained: A Style Guide for Every Occasion

Short answer: “Type of suit” can mean three different things — how it’s built (single-breasted, double-breasted, two-piece, three-piece), what lapel it has (notch, peak, shawl), or how formal it is (business, wedding, black-tie, casual). Most guys only need to get comfortable with a handful of combinations: a single-breasted, notch-lapel two-piece covers the vast majority of everyday occasions, and the other types are for when you want to dress up, stand out, or match a specific dress code.

Types of Suits by Construction

The most basic split in suit construction is how many buttons close the jacket and in how many columns — which is what “single-breasted” and “double-breasted” actually describe.

Type	What It Is	Best For
Single-breasted	One column of buttons (usually 1–3), narrower overlap of fabric	Everyday business and most social occasions — the default, versatile choice
Double-breasted	Two columns of buttons, wide overlapping front panel	Making a more formal or fashion-forward statement; less forgiving on a fuller build
Two-piece	Jacket and trousers only	The standard configuration for business and most events
Three-piece	Adds a waistcoat (vest) in matching fabric	Weddings, formal events, or anyone who wants a more layered, structured look

Types of Suits by Lapel Style

The lapel is one of the fastest ways to read how formal — or how deliberately styled — a suit is meant to be. According to Wikipedia’s overview of the garment, there are three main styles used on suit jackets:

• Notch lapel. The most common style and the standard on single-breasted suits, recognizable by the step-like angle where the lapel meets the collar. It appears on everything from business suits to sport coats and works for nearly any occasion.
• Peak lapel. The most formal of the three, with points that angle upward toward the shoulder. It’s typically found on double-breasted jackets, tailcoats, and tuxedos — and cutting a peak lapel correctly on a single-breasted jacket is considered one of the more technically demanding tasks in tailoring.
• Shawl lapel. A continuous, rounded curve with no notch at all, most commonly seen today on dinner jackets and tuxedos. It traces back to Victorian smoking jackets before becoming a fixture of formal eveningwear.

Types of Suits by Formality and Occasion

Once you know the construction and lapel options, the real question is usually simpler: what does this specific event call for? Here’s how the common types map onto typical occasions:

Occasion	Suit Type
Everyday business	Single-breasted two-piece, notch lapel, navy or charcoal
Job interview	Single-breasted two-piece, conservative solid color
Wedding (guest or groom)	Two- or three-piece, single- or double-breasted depending on the level of formality wanted
Black-tie / formal evening	Tuxedo with peak or shawl lapel — a distinct category from a suit; see our Suit vs. Tuxedo vs. Blazer guide
Funerals	Single-breasted two-piece, black or dark charcoal — see our Black Suit Guide for the full breakdown
Making a statement / evening out	Double-breasted, peak lapel

Two-Piece vs. Three-Piece: Which One Do You Actually Need?

A two-piece suit covers the overwhelming majority of situations — it’s what most people picture when they hear “suit,” and it’s the safer, more versatile default if you’re only buying one. A three-piece earns its place for specific reasons:

• It reads more formal without requiring a full black-tie setup — useful for weddings and other dressed-up events.
• It works well for taller builds, where a waistcoat helps break up a long torso into more balanced proportions.
• It gives you a layering option. The jacket can come off in a warm room or a casual moment while the waistcoat keeps the look put-together.
• The tradeoff: more fabric and construction means a higher price and a warmer garment overall — not ideal for hot climates or all-day summer wear.

How to Decide: A Simple 3-Step Approach

1. Step 1 — Start with the occasion. Business, wedding, black-tie, or casual narrows your formality range before you think about anything else.
2. Step 2 — Pick single- or double-breasted. Single-breasted if you want the safer, more versatile option; double-breasted if the occasion calls for a stronger formal statement.
3. Step 3 — Decide on two- or three-piece. Two-piece for everyday wear and warm climates; three-piece for weddings, formal events, or when you want the extra layering.

Getting Any of These Types Made-to-Measure

Whichever combination you land on — single- or double-breasted, two- or three-piece, notch or peak lapel — construction choices like these are exactly what made-to-measure lets you control from the start, rather than settling for whatever’s in stock in your size. Gomon builds each suit from your own submitted measurements into an individual pattern, with your choice of lapel style, button configuration, and whether to add a waistcoat. Standard production runs about 20 days, with a two-week expedited option available, and if the fit needs adjusting on arrival, the process starts with alterations before anything else.

FAQ

References

• Wikipedia — Lapel — overview of notch, peak, and shawl lapel styles, their history, and typical formality.

Content prepared for Gomon (customclothinghere.com). Internal links to specific product/collection pages, and to the companion “Suit vs. Tuxedo vs. Blazer” and “Black Suit Guide” articles, to be added by the Gomon team before publishing.