More than 3 million American men will brave the malls this fall looking to invest in tailored clothing. Their biggest problem? Buyers remorse, that nagging feeling that comes from A) spending beyond your means; B) buying something that doesn't fit properly; or C) selecting a silhouette, color or pattern that really isn't compatible with your taste and/or lifestyle.

Often the biggest culprit is an overzealous salesperson, those commissioned sharp-shooters determined to ply you with product until you whip out your credit card. But generally it's all the little extras, such as shirts, ties and alternations, that frustrate the average suit shopper.

Unless you have some special sizing problems, typical alterations include shortening the sleeves, hemming the pants and nipping the waist of the trousers. Many stores offer this service free or for a nominal charge. If you're looking at alteration costs of $35 or more, a general rule is to keep shopping.

``Some stores will try to sell you a suit that is clearly too large by promising to lift the shoulder blades, cut the width and take in the center seam,'' warns Massimo Iacaboni, fashion director of the New York-based Men's Fashion Association. ``You're probably looking at $120 in tailoring bills, which is absurd for a good suit.''

Selecting a suit based on a recognizable designer name is also risky. While it's comforting to wear a label from a name you can trust, the truth is you can't always trust them. ``Designer labels can fool you the most because many times the designers just license their names and have no control over the finished product,'' notes Gordon Cohen, a senior vice president at Chicago-based Hart Schaffner & Marx, which makes clothing for Karl Lagerfeld, Tommy Hilfiger, Nino Cerruti and Henry Grethel among others. ``The real integrity of the suit lies with the manufacturer, the store or the salesman who sold it to you.''

You can't let price be your guide either. Some suits priced as low as $199 are just as well made as many higher-priced branded models. In fact, some of these lower-priced suits are even made in the same factories as the designer or branded labels.

Instead, clothing makers say a suit -- whether custom made or bought off the rack -- should be judged on the versatility and springiness of the fabric, the construction and overall fit. Watch out for fabric defects and cloths that wrinkle easily (Iinens, rayons and many blends), puckered seams and color differences between jackets and trousers, that can all affect the look and wear of the suit.

``The first thing a guy should do is look in the mirror, make sure the collar hugs the neck, the lapel lies flat and doesn't buckle, the shoulder line is even, not wavy, and the coat hangs or drapes properly,'' advises Norman Fryman, chief executive of the Greif Companies and president of the Clothing Manufacturers Association. Then, he says, carefully examine the fabric and construction.

THE TOUCH TEST:

The softer the suit, the finer the fabric. And the finer the fabric, the better the suit. For this reason, suit makers always tell customers to let their fingers do the walking.

Suits can be made of worsted wool (flat fabrics such as twill and gabardine) or woolens (brushed cloths such as tweed and flannel), cotton seersucker, silk, linen, rayon, polyester and polyester blends. All-worsted wools make the best year-round suits because the fabric breathes, stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Because worsteds drape well and quickly bounce back when squeezed in the palm of your hand, the suit will hold its soft shape longer. Likewise, new feather-weight woolen flannels have many of these same characteristics. In such cases, it's a matter of personal preference.

Polyester/wool blends are also a safe buy because the polyester helps prevent wrinkling while the wool keeps the body temperature constant. Men who are hard on their clothing are often encouraged to buy polyester-blended suits because they are more resistant to abrasion, the major cause of snags and pills. Although 100 percent polyester suits are also available, they aren't recommended. While less expensive, clothing made entirely of polyester quickly loses its shape, doesn't breathe and often has a tendency to stick to the body.

Lightweight cottons, silks, linens and rayons are perfect weights for warm-weather climates like Los Angeles. However these fabrics wrinkle easily and break down quicker in the dry cleaning process so they aren't recommended for extended wear.

FROM THE INSIDE OUT:

Most clothing makers say the only way to tell if a garment is truly well made is to take it apart. Since it isn't likely a retail store is going to let you disassemble one of their suits, you'll either have to use your x-ray vision or try a few simple tests.

Whether constructed or un-constructed, most suits still fall within two primary categories: fused or hand-finished. Lower-priced suits are generally fused, meaning the two layers of fabric that make up the inside and outside of the jacket are glued rather than sewn. This gives the suit a somewhat stiffer appearance. A fused garment is easy to spot. Simply rub the lapel between your thumb and index finger. If there is no movement, the garment is probably fused. If it produces a crackling sound, the glue has separated and the suit is no good.

A fused suit that has been completely machine made is not necessarily an inferior product, however. You can usually tell how well a suit is made by turning the garment inside out and counting the number of stitches -- anywhere from 8 to 14 -- per inch. Suits with 12 to 14 stitches per inch offer sturdier construction.

Despite the name, hand-finishing doesn't mean the entire suit is hand made. The term refers to critical, high-pressure areas such as armholes, lapels, collars, buttonholes and sleeves, which are hand stitched for greater comfort and durability. Generally the more hand-stitching involved, the softer the finished product and the higher the cost of the suit. On a hand- finished suit, you should be able to feel two layers of fabric while pinching the lapel.

Another way to tell if your new suit or sportcoat is well made? Check to make sure the pattern in the fabric lines up at the seams.

SUIT SIDEBAR #1: BASIC INFORMATION

• Standard-sized jackets are 31-inches in length and fall to the palm of the hand. Some designers are also showing 32 1/2-inch long coats for a softer, more casual look.

• A two-button jacket should button slightly below or on the waist (about 24 1/2-inches down measured from the back of the collar). Three button coats button at the top and center or center only. Some jackets feature four or more buttons, in which case only the top gets buttoned or all except the one at the bottom.

• Contoured jacket collar should lay smoothly around the neck with no space between it and your shirt.

• A vest should cover the waistband of the trousers.

• Average shoulder width (measured from end to end) is 19 1/4-inches. Shoulders on double-breasted suits are slightly wider (about 9 1/2-inches). Some older, American-made suits feature pinched 17-inch shoulders while many modern European designers opt for 20 to 22-inch shoulders for a broader, slouchier silhouette.

• Lapels should be slightly rolled and extend just about halfway between the collar and the shoulder line. Some designers cut lapels wider or narrower, depending on personal preference. When squeezed, lapels should return to their original shape without wrinkles.

  

• The well-cut jacket sleeve falls just to the bottom of the wrist. Shirt sleeves should fall just below the wrist so about one-half inch of shirt shows. If you bend your arm and the cuff recedes far behind the wrist, the sleeve is too short.

• Shirts with 3-inch straight-point collars are standard with single- breasted jackets. But generally dress shirts should be in proportion to a man's body. A man with a broad face and thick neck should avoid tiny rounded or spread collars; small men should stay away from high set collars with long points. Button-down and rounded collar shirts look best with textured jackets. Double-breasted suits require a spread collar shirt.

• Side vents on jackets should be properly aligned and anywhere from 3 to 9-inches in length. (Some European designers are showing 1-inch side seams for spring 1994.) Center vents should be 7 to 9-inches long. Unvented coats are a European styling detail and generally make the body seem taller and narrower.

• Suits should have smooth, straight seams with a single row of stitching.

• Armholes should be wide enough (at least 9-inches in diameter) to allow freedom of movement. There should be ample room between the armhole and the elbow.

• Worsted wools, woolens and polyester/wool blends for year-round wearability; cotton seersucker, rayon, linen and silk for summer only.<
• Hang suits on wooden or plastic contour hangers to retain shape; Leave the jacket unbuttoned and be sure to empty the pockets to avoid unnecessary pulling on the cloth.

• Leave space between hangers so suits and sport jackets will be free of wrinkles.

• Allow your suit to rest at least 24 hours between wearings and try to alternate suits in order to air out the fabric and relax the wrinkles.

• Use a clothing brush to preserve the suit between cleanings.

• Trousers should follow the proportions of the body. Most suit trousers today feature 20 to 21-inch widths at the knee and ankles. Some high fashion suits now feature stovepipe-legged trousers with 23-inch knees and 22-inch ankles.

• Well-made trousers should be lined or half-lined to the knee.

• Creased trousers are a matter of personal preference. Most lower-priced and commodity suits feature creased seams. High fashion suits for the 1990s stress no crease.

• Cuffs are an optional fashion idea. The added bulk is designed to pull the trouser leg down while retaining the pants natural lines.

• Look for buttons that have a hand-finished loop on the inside for more durability. Machine-sewn buttons tend to fall off during dry cleaning.

NOTE: Some statistical data provided by Hart Schaffner & Marx, Chicago.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, Americans produced more than 10.62 million suits and 13.5 million sportcoats last year, a five percent increase over 1991.

But not all those suits were made the same. Some $99 suits, for example, look and wear like $99 suits. Others have the appearance and feel of a more expensive branded suit because, in this age of 24-hour sales, discount outlets and warehouse shopping, they probably were more expensive at one time. In fact according to U.S. Department of Commerce statistics, 70 percent of all suits and sportcoats purchased in America last year sold at discount or sale prices. The average price suit for 1992 was $135.

Meanwhile, some designer suits priced as high as $700 and up wear no better than a cheap suit found on the rounder at some discounters. How do tell the difference between a well-made suit and an impostor?

Below is a sample guide to help you decide if you got what you paid for:

$99

• Probably imported from Eastern Europe, China or the Caribbean basin.

• Polyester and polyester/wool blends, as well as additional synthetic fibers. Coarser wool yarns.

• 100 percent machine-made suit with fused (glued) chest panels, lapel and collar.

• Plastic or synthetic buttons.

• Un-mitered sleeve cuffs (similar to a shirt sleeve cuff) makes it difficult and more expensive to alter.

• Unlined trousers.

• Market cloth (inexpensive acetate) linings in coats.

• Garment will break down with fewer dry cleanings.

$300

• Both domestic and imported (Orient/Caribbean/South America/Canada) tailored clothing.

• All-worsted and woolen wools as well as polyester/wool blends. Medium grade wool yarns are moderately soft to the touch.

• Machine-made, fused suit construction with some hand-sewing, particularly on collars and lapels.

• Plastic or synthetic buttons.

• Relatively easy to alter.

• Half-lined trousers, usually with a coin pocket and French fly front.

• Medium quality acetate linings in coats.

$700 and up

• Most American, Italian, French and English designer labels as well as better branded names.

• The finest and softest all-wool, two-ply worsted yarns, usually from Biella, Italy.

• A fully hand-tailored suit with hand-sewn button holes, lapels, collars, and armholes.

• Horn or other high-quality fashion buttons.

• Designed for easy alterations.

• Fully-lined trousers with coin pocket and French fly front.

• Sometimes features expensive detail treatments such as bi-swing backs, hacking pockets, additional inside pockets.

• 100 percent Bemberg linings in coats.

SAMI DINAR, owner of Beverly Hills-based retail store:

``When you take a suit or sportcoat to the dry cleaners always spend the extra $2 or $3 to have it hand finished rather than run through the pressing machine. The pressing machine kills 50 percent of the garment. The heat causes the glue in a fused garment to separate and it comes back puckered.''

ALAN FLUSSER, Clothing Designer and Author of `Clothes and the Man':

``If you spend $1500 on a custom made suit you're actually getting more suit, more value for the money than if you bought a ready made suit for the same price. The reason is, with the ready made suit you pay a 50 percent mark-up from both the designer and the store, which means you're probably getting a suit that originally cost $350 to make. With a custom made suit, you only pay the designers mark-up, which means you're getting a suit that cost about $750 to make.''

NORMAN FRYMAN, Chairman, The Greif Companies:

``For the average guy a custom made suit is just an ego thing. Unless you have some physical defect that would mean extensive alterations on a ready- made suit, the bulk of ready-made tailored clothing will fit the average man.''

You're a little thick around the waist and want to buy that fitted plaid sportcoat you saw in the window of your favorite menswear store. Before you do, just one word of advice from the experts: Don't.

``A heavy man should never wear bold plaids because it makes him look heavier,'' says Norman Fryman, chief executive at The Grief Companies. ``He should lean toward vertical stripes and small herringbones to create the illusion of thinness.'' Large men look best in straight-hanging coats rather than fitted jackets, which accent the waist.

``Double-breasted clothing is fine for a heavy man as long as he fastens the bottom button, which adds trimness and height,'' adds suit designer Alan Flusser. ``But he should probably avoid a Brooks Brothers-type of cut where the waist button is very high. That will give him more width.''

Forget about that image of a round man in a banker's three-piece pinstripe suit. Designer Andrew Fezza says large men should definitely stay away from most of the three-piece suits that are becoming popular again. ``Vests make a somewhat heavy man look overstuffed.'' However, a three-button suit has a thinning effect, he says.

Men with tall, lanky bodies can still wear any suit silhouette and get away with it. But these men under 5-feet, 8-inches also have more options. ``A shorter man can now buy a double-breasted suit that has a lower button stance and longer roll of the lapel,'' says Flusser. ``And he can wear any three-button coat with a long front line. Both give the illusion of height.