New jacket; sleeves too short? Need opinions

[MisterGrey]

So I ordered this off of eBay a few weeks ago and it finally came in; it's a rayon-linen blend, perfect weight for the Texas weather. I've been anticipating it's arrival eagerly. My usual size-- 38R-- but upon receiving it, it seemed a bit... off. It's a tagged 38R, but the sleeves and waist don't seem right. The waist I can live with-- a too snug jacket has never bothered me-- but the sleeves are bugging me. I think they're a bit too short. Can I have some opinions? (Please disregard the untucked shirt; I just threw it on under the jacket for photo purposes)

 

[Baron Kurtz]

The body of the jacket seems good. The arms could do to be a little longer, but they're not that short. There should be enough allowance in the seams.

Pattern looks interesting.

bk

 

[Mahagonny Bill]

I'm with the Baron. The body looks fine, but the sleeves do seem just a tad short. It looks like very interesting fabric, I would love to see a close-up of the material.

 

[Tailor Tom]

My thoughts...

Yes the sleeves look short to me.
Question: Try checking the interior pockets for the size. Maybe it is a really 38 short, possibly mismarked? I mention this because it looks like the waist of the coat, and the top button is a bit high for your body and the nature of a 2-button suit.

Either way, a good Tailor should be able to lengthen the sleeves for you.

 

[Geesie]

Tell people you got a Thom Browne original. You'll look so hip.

 

[pistolpete]

Too short...

One inch to my eye.....

 

[Tomasso]

One inch to my eye.....

Ditto. But perfect to wear with jeans. That's the thing about jackets; what looks fine with odd trousers, looks too long with jeans. [huh]


And, that's a lot of cuff to shoot......

 

[MisterGrey]

Thanks for the feedback, everyone! I took it in last night to have it altered. My tailor says that there was enough fabric to let the sleeves down 1.25 in, so I asked for an inch, which should end it right below the bump on the side of my wrist (proximal to the hand). I'll be sure to post pics when I get it back!

 

[GBR]

The sleeves are at least an inch too short.

 

[davestlouis]

Agreed about the sleeves...I wish you had tucked in the shirt so we could see where your waist is...I looked at the 2nd pic again, and the body of the jacket looks short too, by an inch or more.

Hell, wear the thing and enjoy it, nobody'll know the difference.

 

[jeffconnors]

sometimes there is materiel tucked into the sleeve, maybe an inch or two.
Just pinch around the cuff to check.
A tailor or seem tress can let that out for you.
I have had it done many times

 

[MisterGrey]

Here we are-- fixed, and looking much better, IMO.

I guess it must be my build and the shirt throwing people off-- the jacket doesn't seem short at all to me.

 

[Tomasso]

:eusa_clap :eusa_clap :eusa_clap

 

[Bourbon Guy]

Yikes! I apologize in advance for being blunt, but no one here is doing you any favors by allowing you to continue with this fantasy. If this is a true 38R, and your tailor has told you that you are a 38R, it is time for a new tailor.

The body of the coat is at least 2 1/2 inches too short, maybe 3. That cannot be fixed. If this is a regular, then you are a long. In addition, the waist is too tight. If you cannot button it, it doesn't fit.

Go into a store that sells suits and look for ones where the coat just reaches the inner part of your fingers when your arms are hanging naturally at your side and your fingers are curled up. Not a fist, just curled. It will be in the long section, I expect. Then work from there. All the rest can be altered by a good tailor (except the shoulders. If they are too narrow then keep going up by half sizes until you get a coat you could swing a golf club while wearing.), but the length of the coat canNOT. This is where you start.

And I don't care what any of the so-called suit experts here tell you that may contradict this. Those of us who live or lived in suits know better. If the length isn't right, none of the rest matters. The sleeve length is the last thing to consider. This coat does not fit you.

 

[MisterGrey]

Yikes! I apologize in advance for being blunt, but no one here is doing you any favors by allowing you to continue with this fantasy. If this is a true 38R, and your tailor has told you that you are a 38R, it is time for a new tailor.

The body of the coat is at least 2 1/2 inches too short, maybe 3. That cannot be fixed. If this is a regular, then you are a long. In addition, the waist is too tight. If you cannot button it, it doesn't fit.

Go into a store that sells suits and look for ones where the coat just reaches the inner part of your fingers when your arms are hanging naturally at your side and your fingers are curled up. Not a fist, just curled. It will be in the long section, I expect. Then work from there. All the rest can be altered by a good tailor (except the shoulders. If they are too narrow then keep going up by half sizes until you get a coat you could swing a golf club while wearing.), but the length of the coat canNOT. This is where you start.

And I don't care what any of the so-called suit experts here tell you that may contradict this. Those of us who live or lived in suits know better. If the length isn't right, none of the rest matters. The sleeve length is the last thing to consider. This coat does not fit you.

*shrugs* It's comfortable. I'm 5'10. Longs are far too long-- the tails reach just about the midpoint between the backs of my knees and the bottom of my butt. The sleeves extend past the ball of my thumb, and the buttons are far too low. Regulars-- and this jacket has the same length as the rest of my regulars-- have just the right tail length, button location, and sleeve length. The only problem here was the sleeve length, which has been fixed. Yes, it is slightly snug in the stomach, but you can't really tell unless I button it-- and even then, it is only a slight snugness which can be remedied by taking off a few pounds (which I intend to anyway; I put them on earlier this year while laid up with an illness).

I appreciate the feedback, but if I were to follow that advice, I'd look more like I'm wearing patterned laboratory coats and not sports coats.

 

[Boxytheboxed]

Yeah, the jacket is too short, but I dont think its such a big deal. You probably won't wear it buttoned, and someone would have to be looking to notice that its a bit too short. I think its fine.

 

[GBR]

Hideously short I regret to say.

 

[Wolfmanjack]

I have to agree with the others: the jacket is a little tight and short on you. If you think you can lose a couple inches in the waist, the jacket will then have a nice "slim fit" profile.

As for the length problem, I think you would improve the look enormously if you wore your trousers much higher on your waist. Get a pair of pleated trousers with at least a 12" rise and wear braces/suspenders to keep them at your natural waist.

Try to get accustomed to wearing your trousers almost 3" higher than you do at present. You'll find it is really quite comfortable, whether sitting or standing. The waistband of the trousers should be directly under the top button on your 2-button jacket.

When you wear braces/suspenders, the long straight line of the crease from natural waist to cuff will make you look at least 2" taller, maybe more.

This is all IMHO, of course. I hope you find this helpful.

 

[thunderw21]

I see no problem with the length now.

Modern 'rules' say that the jacket should come down to the tip of the thumb but to my eye that length is almost always too long. Your jacket has a good 'vintage' length going on. Just as long as it covers your behind you're good to go.

And as others have said, hike up your trousers and see how it looks.

 

[Lorenz]

It doesn't seem that short from the front, but as someone said, it should cover your behind (and we cannot see that). Obviously, if you cannot close the buttons, it's too tight. Perhaps, as the jacket is very fitted, you should go with less baggy pants.