PocketSquareGuy brought this up in the WAYWT thread and I had been thinking writing this for a couple of days now.
Question: What is the correct jacket length?
Now the answer will depend on who and when you ask but there is an overall correct answer that has to do with proportions.
Trends come and go and they will affect which length is most popular. Undeniably right now a shorter jacket is trendier, along with shorter pant cuffs. The "slim" suit, very similar to the "Beatles suit" from the sixties. If we go back into the history books and look at suits from the eighties we will see broader lapels, fuller cuts in the coats and trousers. Double breasted suits were seen on everyone.
Here is my picture of a slim suit- note the slim lapels, slim trousers, shorter length cuffs and jacket length.
But trend or no trend there is a correct length that has to do with body proportions and presentation. The object of the coat length is to divide the body into even proportions of legs and torso. When measured from the top of the jacket collar in the back to the bottom of the jacket, this length should be the same as the length measured from the bottom of the jacket to the floor. Dividing the body into even proportions. This is the most correct and the most pleasing to the eye.
The reason for this is that when the coat is too short the legs appear to be longer, which is the reason why short men have shorter jackets because they can create the image that their legs are longer. And vice, versa, if you have a jacket that is too long, you will look stubby.
A quick way to measure this for most people is with arms hanging freely at the side, if you were to curl your fingers inward as is the natural tendency, the coat should fall in between you fingers. Another measure is for the coat to be about at the last knuckle on your thumb.
Bear in mind that the correct looking coat length will depend on a few things. For suits I use the absolute 50% rule, however with sportcoats I like to have them a bit shorter. Something about the mix of colors makes it look better shorter than with a suit which has the same color for trousers and jacket.
Now, I used to sell suits so these things I know from direct experience. I wear a 40L in a suit and a 40R in sportcoats. Everytime I would fit someone for a suit I would measure them up and explain the correct fit. In the end it is the visual proportions that matter most.
Below is one of the pictures that the jacket length was questioned in the WAYWT thread. I think that the length is fine however I do get the feeling that it is a little long. I believe that this is most likely due to other factors such as the trousers being too long and bunching at the break. Also, the high gorge and the fact that it looks straight cut adds to the visual that the jacket is too long.
The next image is one that I feel the coat length would be correct for a suit however in combination with pants of another color it appears to be too long. For me, the relative length along with the dark color of the jacket would make this combo alright for a night out but I would not wear this before 5pm.
Here is the current trend, the shorter coat length. Notice how even though the coat is only a few inches shorter than the 50% ratio it gives the legs a longer appearance. Of course mixing a short coat with fuller cut trousers would be disastrous, hence the trend today is for slim fitting trousers.
Here is a coat that may be a tad long (if you look at where if comes on his knuckles) however it seems to look just fine. I would not say that this coat is too long, it could also work if it was shorter, but I would not say that it is too long.
Same thing here, by measurement coat length may be a tad long (or this guys arm-to-body length ratio is different from the average)but visually it looks just fine.
Here is one that absolutely the coat is too short. Now I am not knocking what he is wearing because I understand that it is the trend and he is wearing it casually, but I am using this image to demonstrate the visual proportions. If this were a suit it would look ridiculous.
In conclusion, I am in no way trying to ridicule everyone who is wearing a shorter jacket as there are many examples great looking suits on this forum, nor should most of you trash your thousands of dollars worth of suits and rush out to buy longer suit jackets. My intention was to create discussion about what you see as the correct coat length for mens clothing and why you see it that way. Is it form or function? If in the next two years the slim suit was out and longer coat lengths and fuller cut suits were in what would you do?
Question: What is the correct jacket length?
Now the answer will depend on who and when you ask but there is an overall correct answer that has to do with proportions.
Trends come and go and they will affect which length is most popular. Undeniably right now a shorter jacket is trendier, along with shorter pant cuffs. The "slim" suit, very similar to the "Beatles suit" from the sixties. If we go back into the history books and look at suits from the eighties we will see broader lapels, fuller cuts in the coats and trousers. Double breasted suits were seen on everyone.
Here is my picture of a slim suit- note the slim lapels, slim trousers, shorter length cuffs and jacket length.
But trend or no trend there is a correct length that has to do with body proportions and presentation. The object of the coat length is to divide the body into even proportions of legs and torso. When measured from the top of the jacket collar in the back to the bottom of the jacket, this length should be the same as the length measured from the bottom of the jacket to the floor. Dividing the body into even proportions. This is the most correct and the most pleasing to the eye.
The reason for this is that when the coat is too short the legs appear to be longer, which is the reason why short men have shorter jackets because they can create the image that their legs are longer. And vice, versa, if you have a jacket that is too long, you will look stubby.
A quick way to measure this for most people is with arms hanging freely at the side, if you were to curl your fingers inward as is the natural tendency, the coat should fall in between you fingers. Another measure is for the coat to be about at the last knuckle on your thumb.
Bear in mind that the correct looking coat length will depend on a few things. For suits I use the absolute 50% rule, however with sportcoats I like to have them a bit shorter. Something about the mix of colors makes it look better shorter than with a suit which has the same color for trousers and jacket.
Now, I used to sell suits so these things I know from direct experience. I wear a 40L in a suit and a 40R in sportcoats. Everytime I would fit someone for a suit I would measure them up and explain the correct fit. In the end it is the visual proportions that matter most.
Below is one of the pictures that the jacket length was questioned in the WAYWT thread. I think that the length is fine however I do get the feeling that it is a little long. I believe that this is most likely due to other factors such as the trousers being too long and bunching at the break. Also, the high gorge and the fact that it looks straight cut adds to the visual that the jacket is too long.
The next image is one that I feel the coat length would be correct for a suit however in combination with pants of another color it appears to be too long. For me, the relative length along with the dark color of the jacket would make this combo alright for a night out but I would not wear this before 5pm.
Here is the current trend, the shorter coat length. Notice how even though the coat is only a few inches shorter than the 50% ratio it gives the legs a longer appearance. Of course mixing a short coat with fuller cut trousers would be disastrous, hence the trend today is for slim fitting trousers.
Here is a coat that may be a tad long (if you look at where if comes on his knuckles) however it seems to look just fine. I would not say that this coat is too long, it could also work if it was shorter, but I would not say that it is too long.
Same thing here, by measurement coat length may be a tad long (or this guys arm-to-body length ratio is different from the average)but visually it looks just fine.
Here is one that absolutely the coat is too short. Now I am not knocking what he is wearing because I understand that it is the trend and he is wearing it casually, but I am using this image to demonstrate the visual proportions. If this were a suit it would look ridiculous.
In conclusion, I am in no way trying to ridicule everyone who is wearing a shorter jacket as there are many examples great looking suits on this forum, nor should most of you trash your thousands of dollars worth of suits and rush out to buy longer suit jackets. My intention was to create discussion about what you see as the correct coat length for mens clothing and why you see it that way. Is it form or function? If in the next two years the slim suit was out and longer coat lengths and fuller cut suits were in what would you do?
