Trying to find the perfect sized suit

[GeckoBroSeth]

I'm working on getting a picture in the blazer I own but I'm without a camera at the moment, so I'll try to update this thread soon with reference pictures as soon as I can get my friend over here to take pics with his cellphone. Until then I'll just try my best to describe in detail the problem I'm having.

My whole life, I've loved the style of wearing suits. I couldn't wait to grow up so I could finally fit into a suit. I was born with hypothyroidism and was told I'd be lucky to grow even 5' tall, but at 28 years old, I've made it to 5'7 which may still be considered short but I'm fine with my height. Like most people with Hypothyroidism I always struggled with being overweight for most my life, but recently have been put on a new medication and have been working out and am progressively losing my weight (I can officially wear size M dress shirts (15-15 1/2, 32-33) and I've been struggling to keep my 32/30 jeans on even with a belt, so I feel like my body is finally shaping up into a good suit-like size.)

My problem is, and though I've been trying to lift weights to broaden my shoulders a bit, they're still very short and narrow. Using a tape measure, from my neck to my shoulders is only 5 inches and like I said, very very narrow. When I wear suit jackets, the shoulder pads are usually very strict and straight and since I'm not made of money, I usually have to resort to buying jackets off the rack at thrift stores and trying to find a smaller size is next to impossible unless it's by sheer luck. The one I recently bought was tagged as a M, the tag inside is 38R, and I think it's probably the best-fitting jacket I've ever worn. Still, something doesn't look right about it due to the shoulders. the sleeve length hangs perfectly at my wrists, not too long or short, and the jacket itself buttons very comfortably and doesn't hang too low on me (stopping at just about my upper thighs)

I know it would be so much easier to see a picture and I promise I'll try to get one over the weekend. What bugs me about it is the strict, straight shoulders which I've always thought sort of looks "fake" on me, if that makes sense. Looking at myself in the mirror, it's just so obvious that my body is not made that way. I've heard of a test where you can put the jacket on and then stand against the wall and if the shoulder pad touches the wall before you do, then it's too big. And this one doesn't do that, it lines up perfectly, but the shoulders are still so straight when my natural shoulders are definitely more narrow and at a slant.

In all honesty, what I'd really like is to lose enough weight to fit into one of the new, modern slim-fit style suits, they seem to all have more narrow fit to them. I think they're still both out of my price range and weight-range as of yet, however. I've always wondered why suit jackets just don't seem to fit or look right on me, and i really do think it's all in the shoulders. Maybe someone out there with a similar problem or knowledge about this can help me out? I'll get some pics when I can to give everyone a better idea! Until then, thanks in advance!

 

[IJReilly]

Suit Supply has a wide range of sizes, fits and modest prices (for a suit). But if you are thrifting, maybe that is out of your range. The truth is that suits are expensive, and people who do not conform to standard sizes often need to resort to custom made garments, which are not cheap, in order to find a great fit. This is especially true if one has special needs in the shoulder area, since shoulders are so difficult to alter.

Best of luck.

 

[GBR]

Bespoke/MTM

 

[seejulius]

I would definitely do Custom, what is your budget & where are you located?

 

[GeckoBroSeth]

I'm in Spring Hill, FL (so stores are pretty scarce) and my income is pretty limited, most of what I have goes to bills! Saving up to get the perfect fit suit is more like a life long ambition than something I plan to do in the next year or so honestly. Also I'm in the process of losing weight and working out to shape my body a bit better (Lost 30 pounds since January!) So for me the plan is to spend my time losing weight, saving up, and hopefully one day I'll have enough and be in the best shape I can be in to get something right!

 

[Astaroth]

at 5'7 I am a little surprised that you find a regular length is right for you. I too suffer from an endocryne disorder that causes growth and weight issues and happen to be 5'7 thanks to modern medicine but when buying off the shelf I'd always have to go for a "short" jacket to get the sleeve length close to right - overall length of the jacket is more complex due to RTW's trend of being cut too short -v- button placement

How does the jacket fit on the chest if you say the shoulders are too wide?

Its possible, and cheaper, to get a tailor to adjust the shoulders of your thrift buy than to get MTM or bespoke from elsewhere (and some MTMs are limited on how much change they can make). The downside is that the shoulders and chest are the two most difficult things to alter and the normal recommendation is to get something that fits these and let the tailor sort out the rest.

 

[GeckoBroSeth]

Sorry to hear about your condition! It's tough, but all we can do is live with it right? Yeah, to be honest I'm usually surprised that most the jackets I try on (the smallest I've found so far is a 38R) overall fits me pretty well. The sleeves don't hang past my wrists, it buttons nicely, not too tight to make that dreadful X shape across the stomach but not too loose to be hanging off me either. The length doesn't seem to be too bad either, at least I believe it's hanging where it should (I'd say about to where the pockets of my pants are)

For me the shoulders have always been an issue. I used to cut the shoulderpads out of jackets but then, because they're still too big on me, they'd hang off my arms or sink inward and I'd feel like I ruined my jacket, because putting them back in I'd never line them up evenly. What I really want to do is try a slim-fit suit to see if the shoulder pads are smaller or thinner and would give my natural slanted shoulder shape better.

 

[Astaroth]

Sorry to hear about your condition! It's tough, but all we can do is live with it right?

To be honest, other than weight, height and daily injections I dont feel impacted by it - but then I dont know what its like living without it. Ohh, and difficulty buying insurance (life, medical etc). I know others with my condition seem to have much more life impacting symptoms and no one seems to know why I dont appear to be impacted (or maybe I am and dont realise)

For me the shoulders have always been an issue. I used to cut the shoulderpads out of jackets but then, because they're still too big on me, they'd hang off my arms or sink inward and I'd feel like I ruined my jacket, because putting them back in I'd never line them up evenly. What I really want to do is try a slim-fit suit to see if the shoulder pads are smaller or thinner and would give my natural slanted shoulder shape better.

If its just the shoulders and not the chest then it may be easier for a tailor to fix it. As you say though, it needs to be more than just taking the shoulder pads out.

As to slim fit, to the best of my knowledge the actual measurement differences -v- a normal cut is more in the waist than the shoulders. "Slim fit" is partially about being slimmer and partially about looking slimmer and neither of these would suggest a narrower shoulder.

 

[GeckoBroSeth]

My friend is coming over today and said he has a couple suit jackets of his own of different sizes for me to try on and we'll be getting pictures, so I'll have those taken and posted soon and then I'll get all your feedback, appreciated!

 

[GeckoBroSeth]

Gray Jacket - Haggar - Size 423 (that's what the tag says, no S/M/L or 30-40 R or whatnot, just Size 423?)




This one fits me pretty good overall, it's the smallest one I own. I can button it up and the shoulders don't stick out too far, but the sleeves length is way too short and hands upwards my wrists. Pretty comfortable though!

-

Black Jacket 1 - Express - 38R (I bought this one as a "M" from the store. This one has wrinkles and creases in it that are driving me crazy and I'm sure it'd look better if those were worked out, but I don't have an iron to do so.) This one feels kind of big on me but the shoulders at least don't hang off me too much, it's a bit long though.




-

Black Jacket 2 - Express - 38R (literally the same as the first one, but for some reason fits me totally different) I don't know if maybe I put a pound or two back on since I got it last week, it used to fit looser but now is a bit tight, that's odd. the other Express fits better than this one did.




-

Black Jacket 3 - Unknown (This one looks like it had a tag in it but it got cut out, my friend isn't sure what size it is either. It wears very loose though, no inside pockets, not a thick or tough material, but it hangs very loose on me and when i button it i have A LOT of wiggle room, so I';m figuring 40R?




-

Black Jacket 4 - Jones New York, Tailored for Foleys - No idea the size (this one is a little big on me so I'm guessing it's a 40R, very comfortable though!)




-

Black Jacket 5 - Unknown - 40R (another one without a brand name tag on it but it does have the size listed, and this one fits me very big, the shoulders feel so huge on me, maybe just the thickness of the shoulder pads?)




-

Blue Pinstripe Jacket (it looks black but it's blue pinstripe) - Kenneth Cole New York - 42R W35 (It should be obvious I suppose but I guess, different companies make their suits sized differently, because for being a 42R, this one fits me snugger than the BJ5 40R ...)



Sorry if these images suck, my friend and I are no experts, he just had me put them all on and then do a front and side pic per each jacket. If any, which one would you say fits me the best so that I know what brand or size to look out for in the future? Thanks in advance!