A contemporary Zara suit

[gabalt]

Greetings,

I'm new to the forum and, after reading a few threads here and elsewhere, I'm thinking on buying a plain black Zara suit, with a contemporary look, like their Denim Couture collection, though I was wondering which number should be the best fit for the jacket, prior to testing: I'm 5'9'' and thin. Any hints?

 

[Kyle is raaddd]

1. I wouldn't suggest Zara (quality, pencil thin lapels, short jackets)
2. I wouldn't suggest black (rather charcoal, black reads 'funeral' to me)
3. Denim couture sounds like a bad idea
4. Your height and body type dont dictate jacket size (mainly shoulder/chest fit are important, much can be tailored)
5. I suggest you just read these forums for a while, do your research. If not, you'll have many regrets in the future.

I read a lot, and still have regrets!!!!!

 

[AdamWill]

kyle: I'd kinda agree, but if Zara's style works for anyone, it's for short thin guys (note that describes pretty much all their models and most of their floor staff). "Denim Couture' is the name of a Zara collection, they've expanded it to the point that it's pretty meaningless now, and certainly not all made of denim =)

But yeah, gabalt, definitely at least read and shop around a bit before you pull the trigger. If you're 5 9 and thin and don't have a weird body type in any other way, a reasonable guess at your size would be 36 U.S., 46 European (Zara stuff usually lists both sizes), S for S/M/L/XL stuff. It's not like Zara charges you for trying stuff on, though, and jackets are super easy to try on, so just...start at a small size and keep trying them on till one fits Definitely check out some other stores and read some of the basic threads here, though, you may find your choice changing.

 

[gabalt]

Thanks, kyle and AdamWill. I browsed some specialized stores and Zara suits were the ones that pleased me the most, specially for their contemporary cut and the color (it seems plain black has disappeared elsewhere). I'm not after the greatest frabrics, but a nice and durable social suit that's "suitable" for special occasions, with a jacket that I'd be able to use separately, occasionally.

I tried the jacket from 56 to 46 European (46 to 36 US), and 46 made itself present with the shortness, limiting movements more than desired. I found number 50 (40 US) was the most comfortable and fit, with a little more space for movement and a good vertical length (except for the sleeves, I'd have them corrected). After reading the forums and the suggestions, I'm ready to go with the "comfortable fit" criteria.

Here you can see a variety of Zara suits that includes the plain black ones: http://www.stylisheve.com/zara-suits-for-men/

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[AdamWill]

gabalt: it's not so much a question of plain black 'disappearing' as it not being a traditional suit colour at all - kyle is right about that. Black is traditionally reserved for formalwear, it's not a lounge/business suit colour. But Zara and a few other places do make suits in black, and people do wear them; it's probably worth being aware it's not a strictly 'correct' style, though, for whatever that's worth to you.

Not having seen any pictures it's impossible to be sure, but I'd be kinda worried that 40 may be a bit too large. How did you judge the fit? as kyle said, the main place to judge the fit of a suit is across the shoulders and chest. For the style you're going for it should fit you quite snugly there, but not be tight or stretching. I'm not sure you necessarily want to apply 'comfortable fit' too strictly to Zara suits, as they're definitely cut in a specific 'modern' style (with the short jacket and tiny lapels kyle mentioned) which is intended to be worn pretty close-fitting. But we'd have to see pictures to be sure - if you were able to post pictures in, say, the 38 and the 40 jacket, people could take a look and let you know.

 

[gabalt]

I judged the fit mostly from the comfort around the chest area, which was close-fit but not with excessive pressure on the shoulders or limiting too much arm movements (it still limits a lot, since it's a slim fit and a suit jacket, but it was more acceptable than the 46, which had the lapels picking up and folding a little with a mild stretching).

 

[HughJ]

Welcome. I would second everything that Kyle suggested, and add that wearing a black suit jacket as a blazer is not a good idea either. It would serve you well to stick around a bit before making a purchase.

On sizing, since any suit you buy will need at least some alterations, focus in on the the shoulders. Your tailor can do a lot to improve the fit of a jacket (within a decent range), but can't do much in this regard. He will also not be able to lengthen it, so give that some consideration. In most of the pictures from the link you provided there is an extreme gap between the buttoning point and the trousers, and an overall shortness to the jackets.

It also sounds like you would benefit from higher armholes if you are finding your jackets restrictive.

As much as we nitpick the WAYWT thread, I think in general nobody posting there is doing so completely distastefully. It may be worth a look.

 

[gabalt]

Thanks a lot, HughJ. The restrictiveness was the main reason why I found more comfortable the number 48 Eur (38 Us), the middle ground between the 50 and the 46. The same thing with the length. I looked for a decent length that wasn't too short and covered the rear, but not as much as in traditional cuts and avoiding the long trench coat-like flippers. However, in a contemporary look suit, what would be a regular or acceptable gap between the buttoning point and the trousers?

I'll read the WAYWT section and check the feedback. Thank you all for the welcomes, for the prompt and careful replies. I'm much more confident on what to browse for, and on which details to focus.

 

[gabalt]

I tried to browse sites that depicted a suit that's almost identical with the one I've mentioned (except for the color), and with how it fits me.

I came around the following picture: http://lookbook.nu/look/3418183-Jack-London-Grey-Flannel-Suit-The-Suitcase

The only difference is that, with the suit I've mentioned, the belt shows a little more, without hands in pockets.