Sport coat / suit jacket measurement variations?

[CashmereLover]

Background

I'm searching for a nice s/s NWT sport coat - looking for a 38R/40R item all over eBay, SF B&S, eHaberdasher and StF for the brands I know and recognize, mainly the following: Polo, RLPL, Caruso, Corneliani, Canali, Borrelli, Cucinelli and Zegna. Some of these may be hard to find at my $500 budget, but still.

Issue

Carefully considering the measurements provided by sellers, I wonder how much shoulder and chest variation one can accept for a nice fit. Since I only have one suit jacket and one sport coat today, I have very little to compare to. Here are the approx. measurements of my two reference jackets:

Raffaele Caruso EU48 (suit)
Chest: 21" (42.0")
Waist: 19.3" (38.6")
Jacket length: 30.7" (total)
Sleeve length: 24.4"
Shoulders: 17.5"

Gant EU46 (sport coat)
Chest: 21.2" (42.4")
Waist: 19.7" (39.4")
Jacket length: 31.3" (total)
Sleeve length: 24.0"
Shoulders: 18.1"

I think both fit me very well. Obviously a 3" difference between chest and waist fits me. The Caruso feels slightly better but this may be due to the fabric (wool/linen) and construction, which is way more soft than the Gant (stiff cotton). They were purchased in retail shops were I got help to chose the right size and make alterations. In particular, the man who helped me with the Caruso, is one of the most experienced in my city - i.e. I'm leaning to compare the eBay etc. sport coats mainly with the Caruso measurements.

So, given these measurements, and your own experiences from online shopping, what is your view on shoulder and chest variations within the interval of a nice fit? I know the waist is easy to alter, but what about the chest size?

 

[Reevolving]

Can you post links of what you're looking at?

 

[hammer07]

Very few sellers will give you measurements that are as specific as yours and you may find that the measurements will probably vary a bit for different styles/cuts even though they might actually fit you similarly well. It can be a bit of a crapshoot sometimes even with good measurements.

 

[NORE]

This may be difficult given your size but I would not deviate from my normal size to widen my options with the thought that an item can be altered to fit. What do you think about this? You may also wish to search size "M" in lieu of/addition to numbered sizes.

 

[CashmereLover]

I do expect some differing measurements, but my expectations on particularly eHaberdasher and StF are high. But I notice that very few sellers provide waist measurements.

NORE, that Polo looks exactly like something I would consider in terms of pattern and cut (as far as one cal tell from the photos). However, the shoulders are two inches wider than my Caruso, which I doubt will look good. Also, at that price, I wouldn't expect it to actually be a Polo Ralph Lauren SC, but rather a "Lauren".

Some examples of what I'm looking at:

Canali 40R - typically one of those SCs where I wonder if one additional inch on the chest (43" vs. my 42" Caruso), and half an addition inch on the shoulders (18.5" vs. my 18" Gant), would be within the range of a "great fit" for me. Otherwise, I love everything about this Canali - if it's still left in one month from now, I might buy it. Seller accepts returns.

Caruso 40 - measurements seems fine, but the color may be too bold.

As for material, I'm looking for something mostly in light wool. A blend with linen and/or silk would be fine, as well as cashmere. I suppose cotton is alright, but my Gant is 100% cotton and it's a horribly "stiff" sport coat - don't know if this is due to the quite thick cotton, or the fused construction. Or both.

As long as the seller accepts returns, it won't hurt to try out one or two sport coats, right?

 

[Nicola]

Colour on the Caruso isn't that over the top but I'd wonder about the texture. OTOH the ad claims silk blend but it's wool/linen.

There is soft cotton.

 

[CashmereLover]

Originally Posted by Nicola

Colour on the Caruso isn't that over the top but I'd wonder about the texture. OTOH the ad claims silk blend but it's wool/linen.

There is soft cotton.

Yeah the Caruso color might be good, it's hard to tell from the pictures. The herringbone texture is fine with me, but yes, there is a confusion with the fabric composition. Generally though the seller seems to have a nice range of sport coats. Also it's located in EU (like myself), so I think there are no customs fee or additional taxes.

Soft cotton... maybe this Borrelli then, although a bright solid colored jacket is not very stain/dirt friendly...