40 Jacket-Best Shoulder Width for 'Permanent Fashion'?

[Learn-O-Rama]

I know fashions change, especially regarding shoulder length. Currently, for a 40 jacket, a modern 18 width seems to be popular. For 'permanent fashion', what would be a safe shoulder width?

 

[Quadcammer]

18 inch shoulder widths on 40 jackets are pretty rare for most normal companies.

It depends on your body whether thats a good width for you or not.

 

[Learn-O-Rama]



18 inch shoulder widths on 40 jackets are pretty rare for most normal companies.
It depends on your body whether thats a good width for you or not.

Some Italian jackets that I have recently purchased range between 18-18-5.

 

[Dewey]

Depends on the size of your head, the thickness of your neck, the style of the shoulder. A certain proportion will always look good. 18.5 to 19 is probably the middle ground for run-of-the-mill low-end OTR.

 

[Nicola]

Also depends on the width of your shoulders.

 

[Learn-O-Rama]

A 15" neck that's rather long; so smaller shoulder width?

 

[Prince of Paisley]

There is no such thing as "permanent fashion". It's an oxymoron; an invention of the ill-informed and the historically ignorant.

As for what will or won't be in style in 10 years' time... even the best of us would struggle to make an accurate prediction.

 

[jrd617]



I know fashions change, especially regarding shoulder length. Currently, for a 40 jacket, a modern 18 width seems to be popular. For 'permanent fashion', what would be a safe shoulder width?

Depends on your own shoulder bone width, as others have said

 

[Dewey]



A 15" neck that's rather long; so smaller shoulder width?

Thinner neck would point toward smaller shoulder with, yes. Especially if your hat size is smaller.

15" is small for a 40R torso ... too-wide shoulders would probably be less of a concern for you than gapping collars, as I'd guess most 40R jackets are cut for a thicker neck.

 

[bourbonbasted]

I find it's far less about the size on the jacket. If your shoulders are 18" then start there. Get a measurement of your chest, your waist, your neck, etc. Determine, as stated above, what type of shoulder flatters/fits your body type/proportions. From there seek out those measurements and features in a jacket.

You should be far less concerned with the actual size of a jacket. As mentioned above RTW is such because it caters to some sort of "golden mean." Basically, a sizing/fit that will appeal to the most customers. This "mean" is incredibly subjective and dependent on what the designer/manufacturer is looking for in a jacket. This means that each brand or style of suit/jacket will be different. If you're 18" then for some you'll always be a 38 for others always a 40 and for others a 42. There's no way to be sure.