Suit Lapels Explained: Notch, Peak and Shawl

There are only three suit lapel types, but within each there are dozens of decisions: how wide, how high the gorge sits, how the lapel rolls, whether its edge curves. Those decisions are what make one notch lapel look sharp and another look tired. Learn the three types, which is most formal, how wide lapels should be and the tailor's vocabulary of gorge, roll and belly, and you can judge a lapel at a glance and ask for the one you want.

What are the three types of suit lapels?

The three types of suit lapels are the notch, the peak and the shawl. They differ in shape where the lapel meets the collar, and that shape sets the jacket's formality.

What is a notch lapel?

The notch lapel is the usual lapel of the lounge suit, the informal suit of the late nineteenth century that became today's business suit, and it still carries that everyday character. It is the most versatile lapel: right for the office, interviews, weddings, funerals and dinners, and at home on sport coats and blazers too. If you own one suit, it should almost certainly have notch lapels.

Notches vary more than most people notice. The notch can sit higher or lower, open wider or narrower, and angle up or down. A small, neat notch at a moderate height looks cleanest. A very large notch, or one that sits noticeably lower on one side than the other, is a sign of careless making.

What is a peak lapel?

Peak lapels come from formal dress. The evening tailcoat still has them, and the morning coat traditionally does too. On a suit, the upward points draw the eye up and out toward the shoulders, which makes the chest look broader and the whole jacket look more commanding. That is why the peak lapel reads as more formal and more assertive than the notch.

On a double-breasted jacket, peaks are the norm, because the points balance the wide, closed front; a notch lapel on a double-breasted jacket is unusual. On a single-breasted jacket, peaks are a dressier, more individual choice. Peak lapels are often cut slightly wider than notch lapels on the same jacket, because the point needs room to rise. Our guide to peak vs notch lapels helps you decide between the two.

What is a shawl lapel?

The shawl lapel descends from the Victorian smoking jacket and is now almost entirely an evening style. On a dinner jacket it is usually faced in silk satin or grosgrain. It is equally correct with a peak lapel for black tie; the choice is one of taste, with the shawl looking softer and the peak sharper. A shawl lapel on a business suit looks out of place, though the style also appears on cardigans and casual knitwear. Our guide to black tie covers the rest of the dress code.

Which lapel is most formal?

For evening wear, the peak and shawl lapels are the most formal, faced in silk on a dinner jacket. For daywear, the peak lapel is more formal than the notch. The ladder shows how lapel and jacket combine.

What is the most versatile lapel?

The notch lapel is the most versatile. It is correct for every occasion a business suit is worn to, it suits every build, and it is the default on sport coats and blazers too. A notch lapel of about 3 to 3½ inches (7.5 to 9 cm) is the choice least likely to look out of place or out of date in ten years.

How wide should lapels be?

On a classic suit jacket, lapels should be about 3 to 3½ inches (7.5 to 9 cm) at the widest point, measured straight across from the outer edge to the seam or roll. More precisely, lapel width should sit in proportion to your shoulders and chest: a broad-shouldered man can carry a wider lapel, and a slight man looks better in one toward the narrow end of the range.

Your tie should match your lapels: the widest point of the tie should be roughly the same width as the widest point of the lapel. A wide tie between slim lapels looks heavy, and a skinny tie between wide lapels looks lost. Our guide to tie width explains how to pair the two.

Which lapel suits your build?

Every build can wear a notch or a peak lapel; what changes is the width and the gorge. The aim is a lapel that sits in proportion to your shoulders and chest, so the jacket looks like it belongs to you rather than to a trend.

Lapel width is also the detail that dates a jacket fastest. Fashion has swung between narrow lapels, as in the early 1960s, and very wide ones, as in the 1970s, every couple of decades. A jacket with lapels in the classic range of about 3 to 3½ inches (7.5 to 9 cm) sits in the middle of that swing, which is why it still looks right years later.

What is the gorge, and why does its height matter?

A high gorge makes the lapels look longer and leaner and gives the jacket a modern, Italian-influenced look; very high gorges sit almost level with the top of the shoulder. A low gorge shortens the lapels and gives a broader, softer look. Most classic jackets place the gorge somewhere around the collarbone. Neither extreme is wrong, but both date faster than a moderate gorge, and a very high gorge can make a short neck look shorter.

What is a lapel roll?

A good roll is one of the clearest signs of quality. On a half or full canvas jacket, the canvas and the hand stitching that joins it to the lapel let the lapel curl gently, so it seems to spring away from the chest. On many fused jackets the lapel is pressed flat with a hard crease, which looks lifeless and cannot be restored. Our guide to fused vs canvassed jackets explains why.

The roll also explains the three-roll-two jacket: a three-button jacket whose lapel rolls past the top button down to the middle one, so the top button sits on the turned lapel and is left undone. Our guide to one, two and three-button suits covers it in detail.

What is the belly of a lapel?

The belly is a gentle outward curve along the outer edge of a lapel, so it swells slightly between the gorge and the button before tapering. A straight lapel runs in a straight line instead. A little belly gives a lapel a fuller, more three-dimensional look and is common in classic English and bespoke tailoring. Too much belly looks exaggerated; none at all can look flat and mechanical. It is a matter of taste, and a detail you can ask for on a bespoke or made-to-measure jacket.

Lapel details: buttonholes, stitching and facings

Which lapel should you choose?

Choose notch lapels for single-breasted business suits and odd jackets, peak lapels for double-breasted suits and when you want a dressier single-breasted suit, and peak or shawl lapels for a dinner jacket. The table gives the choice by jacket.

Lapel problems a tailor can and can't fix

Most lapel problems are fit problems in the chest, and a good tailor will look there first. The lapel itself is hard to change once the jacket is made.

• Lapels that bow outward when the jacket is fastened usually mean the chest or waist is too tight. Letting out the waist can help if there is inlay; a tight chest often cannot be fixed.
• Lapels that collapse or gape away from the chest usually mean the chest is too big or the jacket is fused with little shape. Taking in the chest is difficult on a finished jacket.
• A lapel roll pressed flat can sometimes be revived on a canvassed jacket by careful steaming and pressing; on a fused jacket it cannot.
• Lapel width can be narrowed, but it is costly and often upsets the balance between collar, gorge and lapel. It is rarely worth doing.
• A lapel buttonhole can usually be added to a jacket that lacks one.

What to tell your tailor about lapels

On a made-to-measure or bespoke jacket, you can specify the lapel in detail. Ask for:

Lapels are one part of a jacket with many named details; our guide to the parts of a suit jacket covers the rest. If you are choosing a double-breasted suit, read single vs double-breasted suits next. When you are ready to have lapels cut for your shoulders, our ranking of the best tailors in London is a good place to start.

TailorGuide is independent. Our guides are written and checked by our team and carry no paid endorsements. How we work.