Simon Spurr Spring 2012 Menswear Collection

Probably why I don’t love them. They look a little thuggish, in a show-off way, to me.

Let that double breasted jacket be a lesson to all men.  Leaving it unbuttoned will make your clothes look oversized.

Men of all shapes and sizes can look good in a suit. However suits need to be fitted, so it kind of matters where he is “slightly broader” and exactly how broad that is. Some men have wider waists and narrower shoulders so they are more square-shaped than v-shaped, some are bigger all over, some are average-ish and just have a disproportionate butt or gut, etc. It’s hard to offer a recommendation with such a vague description, but the basic rule is that it should not hug his larger areas too tightly or he will look like he’s wearing his dad’s suit, but conversely it should not hang off of him or he will just look even bigger.
If you are looking off-the-rack, you will have to just try a lot of them to find the correct fit. There are not really standardized cuts with names, if that is what you are looking for. Fit varies by the suit manufacturer, the style of the brand, etc. A real tailor will take into account subtle details like the slope of his shoulders, the bowing of his legs, etc, and you will probably not find all of these subtle details together in one off-the-rack suit. Keep certain proportions in mind – if he is large on top and has skinny legs, he should not wear slim trousers or he will look top-heavy, and vice versa (although I think very few men are small on top with big legs.) If he has a gut, the rise of the pant should cut straight across it – it should never hang over. Certain deficiencies he can have tailored afterward, and it is well worth the money, especially if he only needs one or two suits. Once he finds one that flatters, he should try sticking with that suit brand. It doesn’t mean all their suits will fit the same, but it does mean that the brand does manufacture suits that will fit him, so it’s a starting point. Not all companies have as wide a range. If he is truly large or extreme in any of his features (be honest about this) he might need to go to a big and tall store. Many “husky” and “stocky” men do not want to put themselves into this category, but if necessary it will help immeasurably in the end.
And last of all, ironically, depending on where you are I do NOT recommend asking someone at a menswear store (the kind that rents tuxedos and sells suits, as opposed to a real tailor shop or something). Salespeople are not trained in fashion or tailoring, and I find in menswear particularly they often do not really know what they are talking about. If you are in a city and have a Brooks Brothers or something, that is probably fine, but hell, I can’t even tell you how many times I have seen twenty-something girls working the sales floor of local men’s shops and telling them how good they look in their oversized clown suits. Look at most men in rented tuxedos and tell me those fit well. (When you submit your measurements, many tack on like 2” to ensure that it will fit, but too large is no better than too small. And really, the measurements off the body are standard and are easy to take, and if done correctly are all that’s necessary to ensure at least a decent fit. Many of these salespeople can’t accomplish this, and that buffer ease is why that rented tux often arrives two sizes too big and they haphazardly try to fit it down to size. This kind of alteration is temporary and cannot work miracles.) I think straight American men tend to shy away from fitted clothing, and are thus often recommended to go larger than they really should.  A big suit doesn’t look good on anyone. (This goes for dress shirts too. Men’s should be crisp and fitted. If they are blousy or you can fit two arms in one sleeve, they are too big, regardless of what someone is telling and selling you.) If you are in a smaller town and have more of a local type store, just try on fifty suits until you find one you think looks good, and ignore ignore ignore all sales advice unless the salesperson is a man who is shaped like your husband and wearing an impeccable suit. And note, it’s not like finding a pair of jeans or a t-shirt. He will probably have to try on A LOT, perhaps even at multiple stores. Good luck!