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Suit Fit Advice

junglemike

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I've been getting a bit buffer because I've been getting serious about rock climbing, and now my size 40 suits don't fit anymore...I still decided to get this navy hopsack suit from Spier & Mackay, because it was on sale, and I love the suit itself. But there are some obvious fit issues. Moving forward, 42 should probably be my new size (with some nipping at the waist probably?).
The suit was final sale, but I think I can still return the suit. However, a custom with this suiting would be more than 3x the price I paid for this. And even with suboptimal fit, I think I could wear this a little more casually with a T shirt, open?

I think the bump in the sleeve because of my wider shoulders is apparent. I don't think it's terrible, but it's obviously not "correct".
The pull at the button around the waist is not ideal, but it's not there if I straighten my posture a little bit. And with a tie, it's pretty tight around the waist, but there's still no strain. Add to that the fact that I'm pretty certain I can lose my love handles pretty soon. The only question is...will that ameliorate the tightness? Love handles are a little below the button, and the tightness is in my trunk, where I don't have a ton of fat.

So my questions are:
  1. How bad is the shoulder area? Inexcusable, or still serviceable?
  2. I know shoulders are notoriously hard to fix, but this has a 1/4 lining. Think it can be fixed by widening the upper back just a little bit? It looks like there's enough material along the middle seam
  3. Didn't notice the pull at the back of my suit until these pics were snapped. Is it because I'm so jacked now (heh, not really), or because of the fit, or because the tails haven't been snipped, yet? If fit, how do I fix it?
  4. Any opinions on the waist, and/or other areas along the suit would be appreciated!
Please excuse the bedhead, and thanks in advance for your input!


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The Noble Dandy

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To my European eyes, this looks almost like a nice slim fit with a few minor adjustments:
- Let out the waist area.
- Make the sleeves a bit longer.
 

TheIronDandy

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My personal experience is that if you get a chance to buy something at a great price, but you're not sure about the size/fit, and you start telling yourself a story about how you will make it work.... that's your sub-conscious telling you it's not a good idea.

I would have had a lot more money to spend on clothes that actually fit me, if I had realised this earlier!
 

junglemike

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I think you're right @TheIronDandy
I'm telling myself a story, because I love the color, material, and overall construction of the suit. But I think I belong in a 42 now, if I'm buying off the rack.
@The Noble Dandy , you don't see a problem with the shoulders? I think buying a bigger size and taking in the waist might be easier than the other way around. I did like the idea of bulging out of my suit just a little bit. But when I add a tie into the mix, it gets even less tenable, haha.

I haven't bought a 42 before. Looking at the site measurements, i might just need to take in the waist in both the jacket and the pants. Any initial thoughts?
 

The Noble Dandy

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I think you're right @TheIronDandy
I'm telling myself a story, because I love the color, material, and overall construction of the suit. But I think I belong in a 42 now, if I'm buying off the rack.
@The Noble Dandy , you don't see a problem with the shoulders? I think buying a bigger size and taking in the waist might be easier than the other way around. I did like the idea of bulging out of my suit just a little bit. But when I add a tie into the mix, it gets even less tenable, haha.

I haven't bought a 42 before. Looking at the site measurements, i might just need to take in the waist in both the jacket and the pants. Any initial thoughts?
Not really. This looks like an unstructured jacket so narrow shoulders look ok for me.
 

KOz

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Order a 42 and compare. Nothing can substitute actually trying. Still think it's just a bad fit.
 

The Noble Dandy

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Oh, are the rules different for unstructured jackets?
I was pretty set on returning it, but now I'm undecided, again...
I wouldn't say they are rules it's just that an unstructured jacket is usually more comfortable and you can wear a smaller size. Also, the question that nobody asked here: how do you feel wearing the jacket? Is it restricting your movements, do you feel like a herring in a barrel wearing it? If the answer to those questions is yes, you should definitely go for size 42.
 

KlarkKent

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It doesn't look that bad to me. I think a lot of people on here overdo it with wanting everything more classic, longer, bigger etc. With a couple alterations you're pretty close to a good modern/slim fit imo.
 

AadilDM

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check the suit fit focus on
Blazer :- shoulder, chest, back this the important points to check the fit
trouser :- waist not too tight, not too loose and length not too short trouser length make sure 2 3 crease show in the and off trouser
 

TheIronDandy

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It doesn't look that bad to me. I think a lot of people on here overdo it with wanting everything more classic, longer, bigger etc. With a couple alterations you're pretty close to a good modern/slim fit imo.
There's some truth to this, SF definitely swings classic.

But another thing to consider is that a jacket that fits close to the body when you're standing with your arms along your sides will strain a lot more when you're moving about. To me, this is the real problem with slim, short, unstructured jackets and slim trousers: they lose most of the draping effect that helps a suit look good.
 

KOz

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But another thing to consider is that a jacket that fits close to the body when you're standing with your arms along your sides will strain a lot more when you're moving about. To me, this is the real problem with slim, short, unstructured jackets and slim trousers: they lose most of the draping effect that helps a suit look good.
And the moment you gain some fat or muscle, the clothes no longer fit. Classic cuts are more flattering and more forgiving.
 

KlarkKent

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And the moment you gain some fat or muscle, the clothes no longer fit. Classic cuts are more flattering and more forgiving.

And the moment you gain some fat or muscle, the clothes no longer fit. Classic cuts are more flattering and more forgiving.
The flip side of this is you actually lose some weight then the very big and loose stuff no longer looks good. Happened to me this spring as I've lost 15 pounds.
 

KlarkKent

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But i agree as is this suit is a bit too tight but I'm rather convinced it is in the scope of a skilled tailor altering it to look rather good. If I was in love with the cloth I'd certainly keep it.
 

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