38R vs 38S

[beargunkarate]

hi all,

i'm new to this forum and would appreciate any advice regarding my dilemma. i'm buying a tuxedo for my wedding and am torn as to whether to go for a 38R or 38S. i'm 6' tall and slim. unfortunately, the tuxedo i'm likely going to buy is not available at any stores near my house, so i can't just go try it on. i know that the easy, immediate response to my issue is "you're 6 feet tall. obviously don't get a short jacket"... but i like the "thom browne" look (though i want to go a bit less extreme for my wedding) and am thinking that going with a 38s vs. a 38r will be a happy medium.

thoughts??

thanks!

 

[FLW]

My thought-

You are buying evening wear, the one suit you will likely never need to replace. The only way you can screw that up? Buying a short. If you buy a regular (and buy well), your black tie needs are filled. Buy a short and in five years, when most people will have passed over the shrunken look, everyone will ask if your tux was left over from your first prom.

 

[nhannon]

Agree with the above. But it also depends on how much of your 6' is legs vs. upper body. 38R seems like a safe bet though. I'm not sure your wedding is the best setting to try to be trendy.

 

[Loathing]

If you're sure you like the very short look & you're fully aware that it can cause negative reactions from style-conservatives, then you should go for the short. If you're slightly unsure in any way, then the R is likely to serve you best over time.

 

[thesecondprize]

I'm 5' 6" & thin yet was fitted to a 38S by a J Press salesman in my pre-SF days (haven't been measured since). Salesman was shocked that the sleeve length was almost perfect - off only by .25" on one sleeve, according to him. So I can't imagine a 38S fitting you. Unless, of course, you want your jacket to be too short.

 

[NiFTY]

i am almost 6 foot, 5' 11 and change, and i bought a 38S RLPL tux and let the sleeves out a little and it fits perfect, although i don't go "thom browne" i also like the shorter jacket length. I always get positive comments - i think theres a big difference between thom browning and simply having a jacket a little shorter than convention

 

[landshark]

Get a regular. If you want to go short, get the sleeves shortened. Once you're older and realize that it is a ridiculous look, let out the sleeves and thank me.

 

[SirGrotius]

Short would be way too short for a 6' guy.

 

[AxlJack]

Originally Posted by SirGrotius

Short would be way too short for a 6' guy.
+1

 

[ShoesYouCanUse]

Get the regular.

 

[Patek14]

I'm only about 5'8-5'9ish and a 38S is too short on me. You'd have to have a really unusual body type to fit into a 38s at 6 foot

 

[pebblegrain]

go by your shirt size/thread

 

[JamesX]

IIRC the rule of thumb is that if you are less than 5'9"-ish you should get S and if you are over 5'9" (or was it 5'10&quot you should get R, if you are over 6'2" you should get L.

 

[a tailor]

clothing industry standards used by the designers is this.
height 5'4" = short
height 5' 8"= regular
height 6' 0" = long

 

[beargunkarate]

thanks everyone for the input. i'm very likely (95%) going with the regular, as all the posts make sense. i'm curious though, if I could order the short and let out the sleeves (is that always an option), is the 1" shorter jacket length really THAT much of a difference?? thanks again. i appreciate the input.