Sport Coats and Jeans

[orange fury]

New pics. I think I’ve made a decision, but I want to hear feedback to see if it matches what I was thinking.

39R

40R

Interestingly, these were the measurements:

39R:
Shoulder- 18”
Chest- 20.5”
Length (BOC)- 30”

40R:
Shoulder- 18.5”
Chest- 21”
Length- 29.75” (!)

My 40R from last year:
Shoulder- 18”
Chest- 21”
Length- 30”

 

[Riva]

New pics. I think I’ve made a decision, but I want to hear feedback to see if it matches what I was thinking.

39R
View attachment 1080086

View attachment 1080087

View attachment 1080089

40R
View attachment 1080088

View attachment 1080091

View attachment 1080090

Interestingly, these were the measurements:

39R:
Shoulder- 18”
Chest- 20.5”
Length (BOC)- 30”

40R:
Shoulder- 18.5”
Chest- 21”
Length- 29.75” (!)

My 40R from last year:
Shoulder- 18”
Chest- 21”
Length- 30”

Back looks cleaner on the 40 but front is better with the 39 imo.

 

[orange fury]

Back looks cleaner on the 40 but front is better with the 39 imo.

Admittedly, the one I keep will need to be pressed

 

[dieworkwear]

Both look too short to me, tbh. It just feels like one of those things you'll wear a couple of times and then re-sell.

Between the two, I like the 40 more, fwiw. The 39 looks shrunken all around, whereas the width on the 40 looks OK, but it's still kind of cropped.

FWIW, the two side-by-side and made brighter.

 

[Riva]

Both look too short to me, tbh. It just feels like one of those things you'll wear a couple of times and then re-sell.

Between the two, I like the 40 more, fwiw. The 39 looks shrunken all around, whereas the width on the 40 looks OK, but it's still kind of cropped.

FWIW, the two side-by-side and made brighter.

View attachment 1080110

I'd wear the fit of the left daily but maybe for formal events it should be the right pic.

 

[jcmeyer]

Agree with DWW. Do the make an L? 40L!

 

[saskatoonjay]

Both look too short to me, tbh. It just feels like one of those things you'll wear a couple of times and then re-sell.

Between the two, I like the 40 more, fwiw. The 39 looks shrunken all around, whereas the width on the 40 looks OK, but it's still kind of cropped.

FWIW, the two side-by-side and made brighter.

View attachment 1080110

What a difference with the pics shrunken so they fit on my screen! The jackets ARE too short.

 

[Riva]

What a difference with the pics shrunken so they fit on my screen! The jackets ARE too short.

This is probably the only time I agree. They're too short for your long legs and the formal occassion.

 

[dieworkwear]

What a difference with the pics shrunken so they fit on my screen! The jackets ARE too short.

I'm not really one for rules, but you can sort of tell in the original photos because the jacket isn't long enough for his fingers to easily cusp. The real "rule of thumb" here is that the hem of the jacket should roughly bisect the wearer halfway between the collar and the floor, but the idea that the jacket should cover your butt or roughly hit around your first/ second knuckle is easier for most people to judge.

IMO, the problem with all those short, slim, and deconstructed jackets nowadays is that they're often not very flattering. OP has a better build than most, so that J. Crew jacket is less egregious. But when you cut a jacket short, it emphasizes the hips in a weird way, which often gives the wearer a pear-shaped silhouette. Versus if the jacket is longer, it can actually be slimming. Yves Saint Laurent wore very long jackets that emphasized his slim build.

If you take out the structure in the chest and shoulders, you can similarly get that pear-shaped silhouette. The shoulders become narrow; the chest too tight. So unless your shoulders are naturally broader than your hips, the widest part of your silhouette ends up being around your hips.

In the two side-by-side photos I posted above, the 40 is on the left ,the 39 is on the right. Assuming OP's measurements are right, the upper half of the two jackets is only a 0.5" difference, but I think it makes an important impact. The 40 gives his shoulders and chest a bit more breadth, and if you cover up the bottom half of his outfit, the 40 gives him more a flattering V-shaped figure.

Again, OP has a much better natural build than most. This effect is worse when you see guys who aren't in the best shape -- even worse if they in fact have a pear-shaped body.

But then if you extend the OP's photo all the way down, the jackets to me just look shrunken. I don't like using age or gender descriptions in clothes cause they feel so loaded, but to me those sort of jackets just look like you're wearing a women's or a boy's jacket. The effect feels more masculine to me if you have that V-shaped figure at the top with the broad shoulders and fuller chest, and a longer length.

It's hard to sell that stuff in stores though cause guys think it's fusty, old fashion, and out of date. So if you're shopping at more affordable stores, it's all going to be this shrunken, Thom Browne-esque tailoring. Sometimes that stuff can look fun in J. Crew ads, but it's less good in-real-life and on real people.

Some examples of longer jackets with slightly fuller chest/ shoulders area:

 

[orange fury]

I really appreciate all the advice and feedback- I promise I’m not trying to bombard the thread with my questions lol. I do have a question though, since the jacket is sold out online (no chance at a 40L)- would the effect of the shorter jacket be lessened by slimmer pants? The ones I’m wearing are pretty wide, which makes the whole thing look a bit bottom heavy imho

Edit: actually, I just tried on both jackets with much slimmer pants from one of my Spier & MacKay suits, and it completely changed the effect in my eyes. I’ll take some pics tomorrow evening and repost

 

[dieworkwear]

I appreciate all the advice and feedback. I do have a question though, since the jacket is sold out online (no chance at a 40L)- would the effect of the shorter jacket be lessened by slimmer pants? The ones I’m wearing are pretty wide, which makes the whole thing look a bit bottom heavy imho

You can wear a short jacket if you do it in a very obviously casual way. Some SWD brands cut short jackets that are meant to be used more like casualwear. Here's an example from Barena:

That jacket is likely knitted from a jersey. It has revers and a three-button closure, but it's more obviously meant to be worn like casualwear (like you would with a field jacket or bomber). But the whole outfit has to be very casual and not CM-y, I think. In the J. Crew ad you posted, you can see the person wearing with jeans and a t-shirt (although, I also generally feel that, if a look seems like it could come from a J. Crew or Ralph Lauren ad, you should probably avoid it because it looks affected -- basically like you copied a J. Crew or Ralph Lauren ad).

I think tailoring is a little more forgiving if you don't fasten the coat. It's easier to tell when a jacket is too tight or short when you button it. And it's easier to get away with a contemporary cut in casualwear. Doesn't mean you can't wear wool trousers, but everything has to look very casual.

I sorta feel like this is easier to do with actual SWD brands though, like Barena, rather than J. Crew, which is meant for a more contemporary-classic look (so CM-y).

 

[Riva]

I really appreciate all the advice and feedback- I promise I’m not trying to bombard the thread with my questions lol. I do have a question though, since the jacket is sold out online (no chance at a 40L)- would the effect of the shorter jacket be lessened by slimmer pants? The ones I’m wearing are pretty wide, which makes the whole thing look a bit bottom heavy imho

Edit: actually, I just tried on both jackets with much slimmer pants from one of my Spier & MacKay suits, and it completely changed the effect in my eyes. I’ll take some pics tomorrow evening and repost

Short jackets must always be worn with slim pants. Otherwise you'll look like a bonsai plant.

 

[brillopad]

Sorry to distract from the conversation, but here is a photo of a sportcoat and jeans.

 

[flashjack]

Sorry to distract from the conversation, but here is a photo of a sportcoat and jeans.

Apology accepted providing you supply details on the jeans. Chukkas really round things off nicely.

 

[sugarbutch]

If @orange fury is planning to wear the jacket with jeans, then I think the length is about right. If the plan is to wear it with tailored pants, then mo length mo betta.