Corneliani - arm hole sizing help please

[CliffClavin]

Hi, new to the forums. I have been reading and searching through the site the last couple of weeks. Great site with lots of good insight.

Now, on to my question, I am about to purchase a few Corneliani suits and would like some comments regarding their arm hole size. A little unusual request I guess, but I am a bit of a fitness fanatic and have a little trouble sizing jackets. I did some searching and it seems Corneliani has a fairly athletic cut. Does this mean generous arm holes as well?

I'm sizing a 44R and need ~19/20" through the upper arm if that helps at all. I'm ordering from STP so I guess with their return policy, it would not be too much of a hassle if things do not fit, but I thought I would ask for a little insight before ordering.

Thanks for the help.

 

[CliffClavin]

I guess a bit of an odd question so not getting too much feedback is not surprising.

I have decided to go ahead and order the suits as the return policy seems pretty good. I will update this thread when the suits arrive so others might have something to reference if they so desire.

 

[dclloyd]

I have a few Corneliani suits and overall really like them. They're not super-slim like a D&G or Armani, but they're not an overly boxy cut either. As you point out, STP has great return policy, so worst case you can send them back. Any retailers of Corneliani in your area that you could try on?

 

[Douglas]

Yeah, I think your question is a bit puzzling. I'm not exactly sure what your ultimate question was, but I'll provide my thoughts and perhaps they'll be helpful to you, perhaps not.

I think what most people would associate with an "athletic cut" is the drop, e.g. the difference between the nominal chest size and the waist size. A typical drop is 6 inches - so a jacket tagged 44 is going to have a 38" waist on the pants. The drop also affects the cut and waist suppression of the jacket. An athletic cut is going to have a bigger drop - meaning a larger difference between the chest/shoulders and the waist. Some particularly avid bodybuilders might have as much as a 10-inch drop, which is basically impossible to find off-the-rack. Drop 7s can be found, and drop 8s can be achieved, within limits, through tailoring. Larger drops are best served thru bespoke tailoring or suit separates (with all the limitations that separates introduce).

Corneliani suits have a pretty standard drop. So I don't think of them as having a particularly athletic cut. They do, however, have a relatively European, e.g. slimmer, cut. If fashion-designer labels like Prada have a very slim cut, and popular American brands like Abboud have roomy cuts, Corneliani is going to be somewhere in the middle.

Part of the image of a slimmer and more European cut is having smaller arm scyes, which is typically referred to here as having "higher arm holes." So a Corneliani suit is actually going to have smaller arm holes than an Abboud, or a typical JA Banks or Brooks Brothers suit. So if large, roomy arm holes is what you're looking for, Corneliani is not your best bet. It's not your worst, either, though - in my experience, the Isaia suits on STP have slightly higher armholes than even the Cornelianis.

But I think the real head-scratcher here is why you want larger armholes. The typical SF member likes higher armholes, e.g. smaller arm scyes, and the look that comes with it. The general consensus is also that higher armholes lead to more freedom of movement, because the sleeve is freer to move without dragging the chest of the garment around with it. And I also can't imagine that your guns are so huge that you can't physically get your arm through the sleeve.

In sum, Corneliani has trimmer armholes than most brands you'll find at the department store, but I can't imagine why you'd want or need larger armholes.

 

[NorCal_1]

the "Spencer" model is Corneliani's slimmer fitting line with the 7 inch drop

I'm selling a size 44R Spencer model sportcoat on eBay and I included a picture of the tag which shows what to look for if you want a slimmer fitting Corneliani

fwiw, I work out and have bigger than normal size arms and the Spencer model in a 44 fits me fine and is not that much slimmer than their '6 inch drop models, but the waist suppression is, which makes it fit a lot better, imho, and will save you $$$ on tailoring costs

 

[CliffClavin]

Thanks for the replies.

Dclloyd - I went to a few local retailers and was not able to locate a Corneliani. Probably could have travelled to Tyson's in VA and found some, but as stated, the return policy seems good, so I thought I would roll the dice.

Douglas - I am always a bit confused by the term athletic cut and it seems I have maybe confused what athletic cut entails aside from the larger drop. Is athletic cut always accompanied by higher arm holes? And do higher arm holes always equate to smaller arm openings? I actually do have trouble getting the sleeves looking correct on jackets as they bunch horribly or are too tight to have any movement. I would not say I have the biggest arms in the world, but Burberry, Hickey Freeman, Hugo Boss, and Calvin Klein that I tried on this weekend would not allow me to fold my arms without the sleeves stretching significantly.

 

[NorCal_1]

I measured a Spencer model I own and the armhole is 20" around, so it should work since this is Corneliani's slimmest cut (ie. other models should be larger)

 

[CliffClavin]

NorCal - The descriptions of the suits I purchased do not reference Spencer. I don't mind some waist suppression alterations as long as the upper part does not bunch and allow my arms to move freely. I guess I'll wait and see. Should be arriving the latter part of this week I imagine.

 

[CliffClavin]

Originally Posted by NorCal_1

I measured a Spencer model I own and the armhole is 20" around, so it should work since this is Corneliani's slimmest cut (ie. other models should be larger)

Great, thank you. I really appreciate that. I am hopefully these will work. With the 25% off deal they sent, I felt these would be an excellent value suit.

 

[dclloyd]

Originally Posted by CliffClavin

Great, thank you. I really appreciate that. I am hopefully these will work. With the 25% off deal they sent, I felt these would be an excellent value suit.

Totally agree. I bought my first two Corneliani from STP last spring and am now a total convert. Great fabrics, fantastic construction and really sharp fit. And at 25% off it's a phenomenal value!

 

[CliffClavin]

Just wanted to follow up on this thread...


The suits arrived and the fit through the shoulders and arms seems to be OK. Now the problem is that the coat fits like a double breasted if closed. Will this be a disaster for a tailor to take in? I also need to drop 2 sizes in the pants and I read that this can be problematic with pocket location. I have a very competent tailor nearby (Field Custom Tailor) that I will be taking these too if the consensus is that they can be made to look good without doubling the cost of the suit in tailor fees.

Am I better off returning these and looking for something custom? Thoughts?

 

[Douglas]

Need pics.

 

[CliffClavin]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Need pics.

I will try to take some tonight and post.

I would like to hang on to these, but I suspect after the significant alteration and associated costs, I may need to return these. I would still appreciate comments though.

 

[antirabbit]

In my opinion (I have a well developed upper body, with very bulky shoulders and chest), I find smaller arm holes not only look better, but allow me a greater freedom of movement.
I typically wear Caruso, Isaia, and Kiton jackets, all of which are known for rather high armholes and have never found them to be too small.
Get the suits and embrace the small arm hole.

 

[NorCal_1]

Originally Posted by dclloyd

Totally agree. I bought my first two Corneliani from STP last spring and am now a total convert. Great fabrics, fantastic construction and really sharp fit. And at 25% off it's a phenomenal value!


CliffClavin, STP often lists the WRONG size for Corneliani's

compare the EU size to the US size

it should be EU54 = US 44 but often times, STP lists EU56 as US 44 so they sold you a size higher mostlikely, hence the reason it fits so large in the chest

make sure the EU size matches what your US size should be

I emailed them to complain but they might not have changed their listings

here's an obvious example of how they currently mis-mark sizes converting from EU to US with Corneliani suits and sportcoats <click>

in that case, just size down and do an exchange and it will fit much better