Short or Regular Jacket? Want to avoid MTM. Having issues.

[ab04wq]

5'9, 176lbs, Athletic "V Shaped" build, Broad shoulders, 40-42 in Chest, long arms, 33W/30L

I've read blogs and charts that suggest only those 5'7 and under should get a short suit, yet I've also seen some that suggest those 5'9 and under should go to short. I'm 5'9ish and currently wearing 42R and I question whether or not it may be slightly too long. The arm length of a regular jacket is almost perfect, maybe even slightly too short. My chest probably warrants a 40 but my shoulders require a 42. I've been told my long arms make me appear slightly taller and whenever I go into a store the staff always goes to regular immediately.

I really like the modern fitted cut that would emphasize my shape but I think I may be inbetween sizes and the obviously the last thing you want if you're under 6' is a suits thats too long.

Anyone else in the same boat? Anyone have any suggestions or recommendations?
Is there a certain brand or designer I should try that typically fit my body type well?42S or 42R?

Any advice or help would be greatly appreciated. My body type isn't that uncommon, this shouldnt be so difficult....

 

[Blackhood]

The most reliable system is called the "ocular approach". One simply puts on a 42R and then swaps it for a 42S.

The correct method is to ... have a look, and see which one is better!

Seriously? There is no standard Regular or Short, its totally up to what ever designer put it together. Take a look, see what you like and wear it.

If the arms are good but the body is too long, then simply have a tailor remove 1"-2" from the body. If the body is great but the arms too long? Well then go ahead and take a few inches off the sleeves.

What ever you do, don't believe that because some guy wrote on the internet that you're "too short for a regular" he must be right. He's never seen you, the clothes you're trying on or the look you're trying to achieve.

 

[unbelragazzo]

^ Blackhood is correct. The only thing I'll add is that shortening the body is not always so easy. It can throw off the balance of the jacket depending on where the waist and in particular the pockets are. You're much better off picking one that fits in the body, with the length correct and the buttoning point and waist in the right place for your body, and then adjusting the sleeves as necessary, which is the easiest and cheapest alteration you can do to a jacket.

 

[bauerbach]

Ive heard that a jacket should fall between the base of your thumb, and the cup of your fingers (like you should be able to curl your fingers under the jacket).

Im similair in size to you but wear a 40, a regular comes to my fingers, a short to my thumb. Its personal preference... neither is right or wrong as far as I know. if your looking for conservative, go regular, if you prefer the "slim" cut that tends to include a shorter jacket, go with the short.

in the end, 99.99999% of the people not on this forum, will never know the difference, they will just see the end result.

 

[Frankie22]

Ive heard that a jacket should fall between the base of your thumb, and the cup of your fingers (like you should be able to curl your fingers under the jacket).

Im similair in size to you but wear a 40, a regular comes to my fingers, a short to my thumb. Its personal preference... neither is right or wrong as far as I know. if your looking for conservative, go regular, if you prefer the "slim" cut that tends to include a shorter jacket, go with the short.

in the end, 99.99999% of the people not on this forum, will never know the difference, they will just see the end result.

x100000000000

Keep in mind, short is "in" but wont get you love on SF where more timeless looks are the gold standard.

At the end of the day you're talking about an inch, just make sure the shoulders fit and the length is reasonable.

 

[Nicola]

1) It's not your height really but the length of your torso. If you're long legged your torso will be shorter at the same height. Or if you're short legged your torso longer.

2) Sleeves are meant to be adjusted. Unless they are WAY off the sleeves don't matter.

3) Try different brands. You may find a 40 made with wider shoulders.

 

[ab04wq]

Ive heard that a jacket should fall between the base of your thumb, and the cup of your fingers (like you should be able to curl your fingers under the jacket).

Im similair in size to you but wear a 40, a regular comes to my fingers, a short to my thumb. Its personal preference... neither is right or wrong as far as I know. if your looking for conservative, go regular, if you prefer the "slim" cut that tends to include a shorter jacket, go with the short.

in the end, 99.99999% of the people not on this forum, will never know the difference, they will just see the end result.

See that's part of the issue. I have long arms for my height so based on that "rule" a regular is fine, however in relation to the rest of my body I think it might be slightly long. When you have shorter legs, the longer the jacket the shorter you look. Next time I'm looking to buy a suit I'll definitely try on a short and see how it feels/looks. I do like the slim cut so that may be the way to go. It's honestly never occured to me to try a short jacket, nor has it been suggested by the "fashion experts" working at these higher end mens stores, despite the fact that I'm probably borderline.


I'm a relatively inexperienced suit buyer if you can't tell...

bauerbach, what brands/designers do you find work for you?

 

[bauerbach]

Im also new to this game. Just picked up a RLBL as my first "nice" suit. shopped several brands, and I gravitated to their look. I ended up with a regular, as their jackets were already among the "slimmest" that I tried, it landed about to my knuckles, a fair compromise in my mind (that and the short would have been a tad too short by the guidelines)

I was more concerned with the high arm holes and a decent drop to give me the silhouette of a young man who has the tapered torso. of isaia, EZ, corneliani, BB, and RLBL, RL made me the happiest.

I agree with the previous guy, he said it better, the timeless designs are favored here, and I respect that, Id certainly give a TF a spot in my closet, but not yet. maybe in 10 years a slim lapel will be as timeless as the 3 button.

 

[Theo Moore]



See that's part of the issue. I have long arms for my height so based on that "rule" a regular is fine, however in relation to the rest of my body I think it might be slightly long. When you have shorter legs, the longer the jacket the shorter you look. Next time I'm looking to buy a suit I'll definitely try on a short and see how it feels/looks. I do like the slim cut so that may be the way to go. It's honestly never occured to me to try a short jacket, nor has it been suggested by the "fashion experts" working at these higher end mens stores, despite the fact that I'm probably borderline. 



I'm a relatively inexperienced suit buyer if you can't tell...  


bauerbach, what brands/designers do you find work for you?


 

I'm 5'7 or 5'8 with shoes, and I can tell you what I've learned in the last 2-3 months trying on ridiculous amounts of clothes and also currently going through Indochino M2M. If you look at my fit question here, you can learn a bit about how, even though I'm short, I'm really not suited for a short jacket. These last few months, I kept on buying 38S or 40S and returning them. I kept on thinking that a short would make me look taller, but they always looked wrong.

The issue is that even though I'm only 5'7, my torso is quite long and probably in the R range. When I wear a short and the trousers are tight, then you can see the bottom of my butt, which looks horrible from the back.

As I said, I'm still going through Indochino's altering, but what I've realised is that for guys like us who have short inseams but long torsos, what you need is: (i) a regular-sized jacket and not a short, (ii) a lowered button stance (make sure the lower button falls directly at, or slightly lower than the top of your pants/boxers, and (iii) taper the waist like mad.

Most suits I've tried, even in the R range, have a button stance which is much too high. The button stance is really the crucial quantity when you choose the suit. Again, it's the pain of having a long torso but a short height. You're not going to look taller by shortening the jacket, but by lengthening the lapels and tailoring the waist.