arottler
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- Mar 19, 2012
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Although I've found that many men on this forum have a similar dilemma, mine has an added dimension that I can never seem to address. I'm 5'5", 125lbs, and have never owned, rented, or even tried on a suit that even approached fitting me well. I only recently found a shirt that fits (the Express 1MX extra-slim fit in a Small), which despite the dubious quality is the only shirt I've ever really been happy with the fit of.
As a point of reference, I was recently given a 36R tailored jacket from the Gap as a gift, and although I appreciate it's fitted nature, it's still roughly an inch too big in every dimension. For someone my size, if things aren't VERY slim, and VERY fitted, they make me look absolutely ridiculous. The shoulder pads felt too big, the sleeves were too baggy and too long, and there was way too much space in the chest and mid-section. The whole thing felt big. Also, I'm not super diminutive for my size. I run a lot and have a well-toned upper body, but the jacket was quite simply too big.
Being a college student, I don't have the money to get a suit built for me from scratch, and I'm having a hard time even finding something that fits closely enough to be worth having tailored. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might look for a small, slim-fitting suit/coat that stands a chance of fitting decently off the rack? I haven't checked Banana Republic or Jos A. Bank yet (I've gleaned that those might be good options?), but despite having shirts in my size, Express didn't seem to have much to offer in the suit department. Also, I know that the Thom Browne look isn't exactly popular here, but in terms of jacket fit, that's sort of what I'm looking for. For what it's worth, I'm not trying to fit into any kind of corporate-appropriate scheme, just need to look nice for some weddings and other formal events this summer.
Thanks for any and all advice!
As a point of reference, I was recently given a 36R tailored jacket from the Gap as a gift, and although I appreciate it's fitted nature, it's still roughly an inch too big in every dimension. For someone my size, if things aren't VERY slim, and VERY fitted, they make me look absolutely ridiculous. The shoulder pads felt too big, the sleeves were too baggy and too long, and there was way too much space in the chest and mid-section. The whole thing felt big. Also, I'm not super diminutive for my size. I run a lot and have a well-toned upper body, but the jacket was quite simply too big.
Being a college student, I don't have the money to get a suit built for me from scratch, and I'm having a hard time even finding something that fits closely enough to be worth having tailored. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might look for a small, slim-fitting suit/coat that stands a chance of fitting decently off the rack? I haven't checked Banana Republic or Jos A. Bank yet (I've gleaned that those might be good options?), but despite having shirts in my size, Express didn't seem to have much to offer in the suit department. Also, I know that the Thom Browne look isn't exactly popular here, but in terms of jacket fit, that's sort of what I'm looking for. For what it's worth, I'm not trying to fit into any kind of corporate-appropriate scheme, just need to look nice for some weddings and other formal events this summer.
Thanks for any and all advice!