Epaulet shop - Official Affiliate thread - Page 1050

guys...

GUYS

I got my Marcello jacket today. Holy shit, it's awesome. I understand that these have not been a big seller but frankly I am baffled that such is the case. The fabric is great, the pattern is ass-kicking (future old men unite!), and the construction is cool in a way that no one outside of Italy can even begin to try to replicate. One possibility for slow sales is that guys are confounded by the sizing on these. I was. So let me try to help.

Here is my sizing advice. I'm wearing a Euro size 46 here (ie. 'murrican size 36). I usually wear a 34R in basically everything else, and, of note, in the Epaulet Southwick jackets. The 46 Marcello is not perfect, but it's very, very close. Closer than I was expecting. Let me address each point:

1. Shoulders -- I thought the shoulders would be too wide. They're not. This is a totally different shoulder construction so of course it's... totally different. Most guys can probably expect that there should be between an additional 1/4 to 3/4 more across the shoulders than on a comparable suit jacket already in their closet. For reference, I was at the far end of that range. The southwick 34R has a 16" shoulder and the Marcello is 16.75". If it looks too wide in my pic, tell me, but I don't think it does.

2. Chest -- For me, this 46 has an inch more in the chest (laid flat -- so 2" overall). It's a little roomier but frankly it's nearly unnoticeable and along with the rest of the construction being slightly different, feels just fine. I would call this a "rounding error" or "within the margin of error" for most guys looking for a decent OTR fit.

3. Arms -- here is where I will have to have alterations done. Whereas the Southwick 34R is perfect for me OTR, these are a little long (maybe 1/2") and a little wide (again, only by maybe 1/2"). I also have skinny bird arms so I would expect the typical guy to only have a potential length issue and not a width issue -- but either way these are not expensive alterations.
---> one more "arms" note: SLEEVE PITCH! most people don't even know what this means, but if you do, it's usually the final factor in achieving a perfect fit after you've sorted out all your other bullshit. I have a very erect posture (shut up) and I've never found a jacket with a better OTR sleeve pitch for me than this. If you know how to fucking stand up straight, this may be the jacket for you.

4. Overall length and buttoning point -- nothing you can do here. This is a shorter jacket and it has a higher buttoning point. It's more casual so shut up. This is another thing that made me hesitate when I saw the original product shots. Those of you who peruse WAYWT may recall I took some heat for an extremely high buttoning point on my H&M coke dealer blazer. And with good reason, too. That one really should only be worn unbuttoned. This one, however, is just on the other side of "fair game" when it comes to buttoning point. It's a little high, but it looks great buttoned and it feels great wearing it buttoned too. I don't have any concerns about "tie peek" or even just my shirt placket billowing out from under the top button; everything is kept in check.

5. Waist -- This is the one place I really can't help, sorry. Look at me; I am not the person to ask about this. For me, it's fine. Again, sizing up one seems like the way to go as this is nipped in the waist the right amount for me but I usually wear a 34R.

In closing, I would say that the biggest reason to jump on this now is the fact that there simply won't be any more. Mike said he can't get a hold of the guy in Italy after lots of tries. Sounds like the guy showed up to Pitti, took an order for some hidden button-down shirts and these jackets, and then decided that was enough to retire in Albania, which is what Italy is going to look like in a few years anyway if the economic problems persist, and figured he'd just shortcut it, move to Albania now, buy a stolen Mercedes and live the good life in the Balkans. That's how I like to think of it at least. What was I saying? Oh yeah, size up one, and buy this jacket.