New suit and lapel width question

[donCarlos]

I would appreciate piece of local groupthink on lapel width. I know that if I want the lapels to be absolutely correct, the width shall somehow correlate to shape of my face, like the shirt´s collar.

Since I can´t really afford to go bespoke, I have to rely on RTW. I went to Van Graaf (Prague has such a few places to buy an affordable decent suit. To be precise, this one.), told the sales person that I want a navy blue solid conservative 2 button suit. They showed me about three models, one of them was too "soft" (I wonder if it was that "soft tailoring" I hear so much about here), had pretty uncertain shape and wrinkled every time I moved. The others were better, but I felt the lapels are too narrow, about 2,5-3 in.
Is it too narrow, or can I say that it is some kind of modern standard and just buy the suit? I am 6 ft. 5 in. tall and quite athletic built, so it doesn´t look too bad. But is it conservative enough not to be out of fashion in a short time?

Thanks for replies, if pictures can help, I will post whatever I can.

 

[acridsheep]

Gonna need pics to help. You sound like a big dude - small(er) lapels might look pretty goofy on you.

 

[Beatlegeuse]

2.5" is a little on the narrow side. If you want something conservative that is not too fashion forward, it is probably best to stick to at least 3" lapels or wider.

 

[yeeth]

2.5" is fine for small guys i believe - i think 3" looks a bit big for me (i am 5'5" and have narrow shoulders). But for 6'5" i think it will look skinny.

 

[Lightbringer]

Originally Posted by yeeth

2.5" is fine for small guys i believe - i think 3" looks a bit big for me (i am 5'5" and have narrow shoulders). But for 6'5" i think it will look skinny.

2.5 is fine for smaller guys. But I'm 6'1" and 2.5 is really very small. I'd imagine it would be even moreso than yourself. Get something between 3 to 3.75 inches wide.

 

[acridsheep]

Without pics, I think if you find yourself wondering "are these lapels too small?" they probably are. Likewise, if you are wondering "are these lapels too big," they may be, but probably are not. This is my fit from WAYWRN today, and you aren't going to be able to get any bigger than these lapels. For reference, I'm 6' on the dot.

 

[Lightbringer]

Originally Posted by acridsheep

Without pics, I think if you find yourself wondering "are these lapels too small?" they probably are. Likewise, if you are wondering "are these lapels too big," they may be, but probably are not. This is my fit from WAYWRN today, and you aren't going to be able to get any bigger than these lapels. For reference, I'm 6' on the dot.

I want measurements on those lapels.

 

[acridsheep]

When it's windy, I get airborne.

 

[patrickBOOTH]

Are those tautz lapels?

 

[acridsheep]

Kinda. The suit is PRL, circa 1998.

 

[Sanguis Mortuum]

Originally Posted by donCarlos

I felt the lapels are too narrow, about 2,5-3 in.
6 ft. 5 in. tall and quite athletic built, so it doesn´t look too bad.

That sounds pretty narrow, and might look dated when that stops being fashionable. Around 2.75" looks fine on me, but I'm about 5'6" and skinny as a rake so it probably is too narrow for you...

 

[donCarlos]

Thanks guys, I´ll keep searching. There still is Hugo Boss section over there, which is a bit more pricey, but I may be able to find something under 870 USD. (which is my limit after conversion). I look forward to the look in the sales people eyes when I start measuring the lapels...

Navy blue doesn´t seem to be standard here. I´m starting to think about some darker charcoal suit. It may be less universal, but much easier to obtain.

 

[porcelain monkey]

I think between 3 and 3.5 inches (whatever the hell that correlates to in centimeters - we Americans are not concerned with that) will be conservative and timeless. You want to match you tie to your lapels (roughly). Fashions for men's tie widths evolve on a 20 - 30 year cycle, but even then, it is not more than an inch in either direction of 3 inches for all but the most extreme examples. My personal choice is a 3 inch lapel and 3 inch tie, but I will wear ties from 2.75 to 3.25 inches, and have a few suits with 3.5 inch lapels that see fairly regular wear.

 

[donCarlos]

So, I narrowed the selection to two suits

1) Hugo Boss (No, nothing better available for those money around here), for 800 USD, very dark blue, very nice fit, still needs to have the sleeves shortened.

2) Pierre Cardin, 580 USD, it would need some more substantial alterations. Main concern I have about this one is the fabric. It´s very soft, looks more blue than the first one, but has these tiny dots that are not really visible from distance. Do you think it makes the suit less universal? Less formal? Unsuitable for some occasions, maybe?

Thanks again for any advice.

 

[Despos]

3 3/4" lapels are as narrow as I would suggest for you. 4 or 4 1/4 would not be too wide. Better to have lapels proportioned to your chest size and shoulder width than your facial shape. Disclaimer; My bias is to have wide lapels.
The dotted pattern is a classic pattern for business. The solid navy might be more versatile, meaning multi purpose and adoptable to more use.