Help determining proper shoulder width for suit jacket (x-ray pics)

[soupcxan]

I am a tall, skinny guy (6' 145 lbs, actual chest measurement 37", pants 32") with skinny arms and narrow shoulders. I find that most suit jackets hang over my shoulders even in 38R. How much overhang is appropriate? I have searched on this question and the advice seems to be too general to be helpful in assessing the fit when I'm actually trying on a suit. I want to have a fitted look and I find that too wide shoulders looks stupid. However, I am concerned about going too narrow on my next purchase. BB has ordered an 1818 Fitzgerald in 38R for me and I haven't been able to try it on yet - but I hear the jackets are pretty slim - I don't want to buy a 38R when maybe a 39R is appropriate. My arms are pretty slender, so it's unlikely my deltoid would press against the sleevehead. For comparison, I have a couple beater suits from JAB and I had to size down to a 37R to get the jacket to fit, because their shoulders are cut even wider.

Here is an "x-ray" pic of me in the narrowest shouldered 38R I have been able to find (an Abboud Profile). You can see from the overlay how I fit inside the jacket. Is the fit of the shoulders at the arrows correct or too wide? The shirt is a Slim Fit 14/34 BB Select. Is the amount of space that the jacket shoulders overhangs my true shoulders appropriate? Or should I look to have about 1/2 inch less shoulder width on my next suit purchase? I'm aiming for a fitted but still conservative look - don't want to look like I am wearing a jacket that is a size too small. Appreciate your insights. Eventually I will have to go MTM but for now, this is the best I can do.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

how wide is the shoulder seam to seam measurement?

Judging by the gap in the collar, that jacket could stand to have the collar tightened, along with bringing in the jacket along the seam in the back, which will help out the shoulders.

 

[soupcxan]

Shoulder to shoulder is 18". Should I look for 17.5" in my next suit? An old thread said that the 38 Fitz shoulders are 17", which sounds like it could be too small.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

18" is probably a bit big for you, the smallest i've seen in a 38 is about 17.5", some of RL bleeker suits and congressmen have it at 17.5.

I would suggest you visit your tailor, have the back seem pinned up, let him know you want to tighten up the jacket, along with the collar, ect.
You'll probably find between doing that, and having the waist taken in (if nessecary) that it fits pretty well.

Overall it shouldnt cost you more then $60 to do that back seam and at the most about $75 more for the waist suppression.

 

[Mark from Plano]

It's a reverse Foof.

 

[JohnD356]

The shoulder seam on your jacket should stop where your shoulder stops, if the jacket hangs off the edge of your shoulder, the jacket is too large. You'll know if the jacket is too small in the shoulder if your shoulder pushes out into the sleeve.

 

[Montauk]

First off, cool pics! Great idea.

Unfortunately, they very clearly show that you're wearing your coats WAY too big. Too big to alter without effectively remaking the whole thing). Don't worry about looking like a Thom Brownie by fitting your shoulders closer; especially if you favor a slimmer cut (and you should), your jacket shoulders shouldn't overhang more than a half inch, and ideally less.

 

[soupcxan]

Because shoulders are rounded, I have a hard time determining exactly where they end for the purposes of jacket sizing. Do the shoulders "end" right where they begin to slope downwards? Or at the inflection point before the arm goes completely vertical?

Would you say the seams on the shirt I have on fit my shoulders well? The shirt is exactly 17". So I should be looking for a jacket that is also 17" wide in the shoulders?

 

[tripp]

I am trying to solve exactly this same problem! The pictures are a fantastic idea. I might have to try that. I also have Joseph A Bank suits contributing to my confusion. In another thread, a JAB manager who goes by "mcmillin" states that JAB jacket shoulders are intentionally wide so that the fabric hangs straighter at the shoulder. I've found that your jacket can be as few as 3 inches larger that your actual chest measurement, so you can definitely go down one inch in JAB suits as well as a number of others, especially sack suits, to get the fit you prefer in the shoulders. The fashion magazines say you can do down 2 inches in chest size, seemingly regardless. My experience is this can work for sack suits, but not for slimmer cut suits. I personally prefer to inhale. It's a jacket, not a corset.

Back to the shoulders, my JAB suit jacket has wider shoulders than a Nautica model from my college years. Do you remember the big shoulders of the 90s? Bottom line: don't shop JAB. JAB is not alone, however, in constructing jackets that extend beyond your shoulders. In the 90s, the measurement was an inch or more. Today, I think a half inch is the limit. If you press down against the shoulder pad within a half inch of the seem, you should be able to feel bone - your shoulder.

I tried on a jacket when in Europe not too long ago in a Neapolitan sihouette (very lightly padded). I've decided to order online. I'll report back if you like.

Hope this helps! You've certainly helped me!

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by JohnD356

The shoulder seam on your jacket should stop where your shoulder stops, if the jacket hangs off the edge of your shoulder, the jacket is too large.

I don't think this generally applies. It can be difficult to tell where your shoulders 'stop' and the shape of your arms might require more shoulder extension. Perhaps the OP could stand to have narrower jacket shoulders than what he shows in his picture, but not by much. Otherwise, his arms will start bulging out at the sides and he'll turn into an egg.

I think the OP's measurements are particularly odd (I can sympathize). He has an extremely narrow neck for his height and a very narrow chest. A RTW jacket that fits him in one place will likely look wrong with respect to another. He's a great candidate for MTM or bespoke.

 

[Montauk]

Originally Posted by soupcxan

Because shoulders are rounded, I have a hard time determining exactly where they end for the purposes of jacket sizing. Do the shoulders "end" right where they begin to slope downwards? Or at the inflection point before the arm goes completely vertical? Would you say the seams on the shirt I have on fit my shoulders well? The shirt is exactly 17". So I should be looking for a jacket that is also 17" wide in the shoulders?
I think your shirt fits very well on the shoulders. I'd recommend that you find a suit that extends the shoulder up to a half inch beyond the shirt seam (which looks like it'd be at least a full inch less than the jacket you're wearing in the pics). I tend to not place too much emphasis on the shoulder to shoulder measurement of a jacket, since different cuts can vary and still fit equally well. The most important measurement is the chest circumference--which I generally find comfortable at only 2 inches larger than my own chest (assuming the jacket has high, snug armholes, which few lower-end labels do; this in a nutshell is how higher end labels like RLBL rock trimmer fits that would be otherwise be very uncomfortable).

 

[JohnD356]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

I don't think this generally applies. It can be difficult to tell where your shoulders 'stop' and the shape of your arms might require more shoulder extension. Perhaps the OP could stand to have narrower jacket shoulders than what he shows in his picture, but not by much. Otherwise, his arms will start bulging out at the sides and he'll turn into an egg.

I think the OP's measurements are particularly odd (I can sympathize). He has an extremely narrow neck for his height and a very narrow chest. A RTW jacket that fits him in one place will likely look wrong with respect to another. He's a great candidate for MTM or bespoke.

Really? You think the jacket is just a bit too big? If the first photo is accurate, then it looks to my eye that the shoulders of the jacket extend fairly well beyond the actual shoulder. Could just be me, I tend towards jackets that hug my shoulders.

 

[TheFoo]

Originally Posted by JohnD356

Really? You think the jacket is just a bit too big? If the first photo is accurate, then it looks to my eye that the shoulders of the jacket extend fairly well beyond the actual shoulder. Could just be me, I tend towards jackets that hug my shoulders.

Looking at the image of the jacket on, it appears that his arms already curve outward quite a bit. Maybe that's just the angle of the photo or his pose at work, but decreasing the shoulder width by much would only worsen the effect. I'm not saying I ike sloppy shoulders, just that tight and close-in isn't aways appropriate and do not necessarily signal good fit. In my opinion, Styleforum denizens tend toward too narrow over too wide when it comes to jacket shoulders.

 

[JohnD356]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

Looking at the image of the jacket on, it appears that his arms already curve outward quite a bit. Maybe that's just the angle of the photo or his pose at work, but decreasing the shoulder width by much would only worsen the effect. I'm not saying I ike sloppy shoulders, just that tight and close-in isn't aways appropriate and do not necessarily signal good fit. In my opinion, Styleforum denizens tend toward too narrow over too wide when it comes to jacket shoulders.
Got it. I'm probably guilty of the too narrow error, but at the very least I'm in good company.

 

[soupcxan]

Originally Posted by mafoofan

In my opinion, Styleforum denizens tend toward too narrow over too wide when it comes to jacket shoulders.
I don't want to go from a jacket that's too big to one that's too small. But when I look at the average person on the street wearing a suit, overly wide shoulders seems to be the most common defect. In that context, SF's love of the narrow is an understandable reaction.