Can a 38S pull off a 38R?

[waterpig]

I purchased two sport coats (one HF and one Canali) and a new Corneliani suit. All three garments are sized 38R, though I normally wear a 38S. I did not purchase these items because they were the right label at the right price, but because I tried them on and they looked pretty damn good on me, though obviously the sleeves will need to be shortened.

I'm a little concerned about the length of the coat. Does that one inch really look so out of place? I compared the 38Rs to my 38Ss and the difference is pretty minimal. Everything still has tags so I can easily return it all if, by donning something an inch too long, I am committing some grievous fashion faux pas.

Thanks for your advice!

 

[edmorel]

Well, only you would know if it looks out of place as you have the suits there and can compare them. Keep in mind that different manufacturers have different lengths for regular, longs and short. A Castagnia regular is longer than some other brands "long". I am a 40R and have jackets in length from 29.5 to 31 with 29.75 being my ideal length. If the new jackets are indeed and inch longer than you normally wear and you prefer the shorter jackets, just have a tailor shorten the new one by 1/2 inch or so. It won't do anything to the balance of the coat and the half inch will make a difference as to how the length looks on you. Just try and keep everything in balance. If you like your sleeves and pant hems shorter than "normal", a short jacket is a must. If you typically have a lot of break on your pants and only show a 1/8 inch or less of sleeve, you should probably do a jacket that is a bit longer.

 

[waterpig]

I typically wear something between a full break and a half break on my pants and show about 1/8" of shirt. Are you spying on me or something?

I do have something of a "bubble butt" from sprinting and playing a few sports and I think this works to my advantage. Both the shorter and longer coats seem to end just below my behind and I see nothing particularly egregious about the extra inch or so of material when I look in the mirror. My only concern, as a 5'7" man, is that I'm appearing even shorter than I am with the slightly longer jacket. Whether this justifies returning everything, I don't know. You're very right about each designer fitting radically different. I tried on Boss and Armani coats in 38S and they were longer than the HF, Canali and Corneliani coats in 38R.