Length of sport-coat

[Mecnun]

What is the general rule on length of a sport-coat? If I let my arms & hands do the measuring where should I ideally be my thumb vis-a-vis the bottom of the sport-coat?

 

[Manton]

The thumb test is not realiable. Better to go by hieght. Better yet to use the relative length of torso v. legs. A lot of tailors say you should be measured from the coat's collar to the floor. Divide that by two and that's your ideal coat length. That should be adjusted up or down depending on your torso-to-leg ratio and personal taste. A slightly shorter coat results in a longer leg line, and is thus preferred by a lot of men who pay careful attention to their coats' length.

 

[Tomasso]

Originally Posted by Mecnun

If I let my arms & hands do the measuring where should I ideally be my thumb vis-a-vis the bottom of the sport-coat?

That's not an accurate method to determine proper length, as arm length will vary from one person to another.

 

[a tailor]

every one is different, there is no rule for it .
except that the length should be long enough to cover the butt plus
about one inch.

just ask a custom tailor how he measures a coat length.

the popular ideas are wrong. some have longer or shorter arms.
some have longer or shorter legs.

 

[a tailor]

every one is different, there is no rule for it .
except that the length should be long enough to cover the butt plus
about one inch.

just ask a custom tailor how he measures a coat length.

the popular ideas are wrong. some have longer or shorter arms.
some have longer or shorter legs.

 

[alflauren]

I stopped going to a tailor when I realized he used the "divide in half" method to determine if something fit me. I came in, said I wanted an inch taken off the bottom of a sportcoat, he measured me, and said "no, look, the size is right." I prefer the shorter coat to elongate my legs, and typically buy 38S coats and have an inch taken off the bottom.

So, the point being, do what looks right to you, rather than go by some test that might not flatter your body. Just cover the butt and you're fine.