Whats a 39R to do? plus who makes this polo suit?

[TrojanGarb]

Hey guys, what do all of you "inbetween" sizes do for suits? I'm new to the whole suit scene, but it seems like a I'm a pretty solid 39. (Hopefully some time in the gym can boost that up to a 40

) Would you buy a 38 or 40? Or perhaps it depends on the maker: ie a sack brooks suit would easily be a 38 but a slim suit a 40?

I suppose it is easier to alter a larger suit than smaller one. But what key areas should I look for a good fit? The shoulders... anything else?

Anyway, I was browsing along yoox and came across this polo suit
Older blue label suits were sourced to corneliani. I remember a thread where some of these corneliani suits popped up on yoox. Is this one of those suits?

Perhaps I'll take a stab at it, if it doesn't fit then I can always return it i suppose.

 

[Jovan]

If you're going to buff up, definitely get a 40. It should fit fine and will last longer in your wardrobe since it'll accomodate your build later on. You could always try on both a 38 and 40 anyways and see how they fit. Make sure the shoulders fit perfectly if anything; it's tried and true advice.

 

[Siggy]

If you are in between go up to the next even size. Sizing will vary among brands and even among cuts of the same brand, so knowing your size is just a starting point.

As mentioned, the key areas for jacket fit will be the fit of the shoulders and chest, and jacket length. You can't really change the shouders or chest/lapel area, so make sure the fit there is good and not binding.

 

[dare-]

That's a nice price if that's a corneliani made one, even if half-canvassed, I love the cut of the Polo II. But I can't really justify buying another suit right now. I have one, but that's all I need...right now.

 

[fatherseanfan]

Sometimes you'll find 39Rs for sale on Ebay. Because it is such a rare size they often find themselves in clearout sales.

 

[DandySF]

Both Brooks Brothers and Hickey Freeman make a size 39 jacket, in suits and sport coats. It's much better to minimize the unpredictability of alterations by starting with a good fit.

 

[DocHolliday]

Couple of things on the suit: It's the newer blue label stuff, not the older, that's made by Corneliani. The older was made in the U.S. and was fully canvassed. The one on Yoox is newer, and is made by Corneliani. But be warned: The ones on Yoox are often made for the European market and tend to run significantly slimmer than the ones sold in the U.S.

 

[Holdfast]

I'm a 37 so have the same problem.

You're never going to be entirely happy with RTW even sized jackets unless you take them for some surgery to a tailor and even then there are limited of what can be done economically.

Some RTW makers do odd number. RL definitely do, though it's sometimes hard to find them. And as you say, a lot of makers fit differently, so shop around.

If you know your measurements exactly (get a tailor to measure you), you can try hitting eBay and comparing numbers. I did this and found that Brioni happens to suit me well.

The other option (which I ended up choosing) is to go MTM or bespoke. Honestly, it will save you a lot of hassle in the long term and besides, it's a more enjoyable and customisable experience. You won't regret it.

 

[gamelan]

well for what it's worth, i'm a 39 chest (16.5 neck, 35 sleeves...yes i'm a mutant) and here's what i've found so far...

i've got 40R Zegna, John Varvatos, and Jil Sander sportcoats that fit well (the Zegna especially).

i've got a 38R Armani sportcoat that fits well.

40R Costume National and Martin Margiela sportcoats are way too slim fit for me.

dress shirts though are the real killer. i think it's pretty much going to have to be Jantzen for me.

-Jeff

 

[Dill]

I too am about a 39R and I bought that suit in a 40R. I pick it up from the tailor on tuesday, and hopefully it fits like a dream. I got the sleeves shortened, and there was some bunching by the neck that he was going to fix. I will post some pics after I pick it up.

 

[TrojanGarb]

Thanks for the advice. I'll be going on a suit trying-on frenzy later at the local outlets (anyone know of good sales at camarillo?) and try various makes and sizes.
Hopefully I don't run into a problem with my lazy eyes where both a 38 and 40 will probably look good to me. At least until I find that perfect fit and burn it into memory

.

Very helpful with the polo suit. All the signs do not bode well for me and the yoox suit, european sizing coupled with an inch smaller... but that sure is a tempting price. I guess worst case I lose $8 shipping.

 

[LA Guy]

Buy European. A size 50 Eu actually translates better into a 39 US. The US size = European size - 10 is just a convenient fiction. Don't take my word for it. Do the math. That's why a lot of sales people mistakenly say "Oh, Italian brand X is cut small." Now, you can just smile and nod to the smug bastards working the floor at Neiman Marcus.

 

[thinman]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

Buy European. A size 50 Eu actually translates better into a 39 US. The US size = European size - 10 is just a convenient fiction. Don't take my word for it. Do the math. That's why a lot of sales people mistakenly say "Oh, Italian brand X is cut small." Now, you can just smile and nod to the smug bastards working the floor at Neiman Marcus.

This is my advice also. Multiple the Euro size by 0.7874 to get US sizing (it's a metric to English unit conversion). Euro 50 translates to US 39.4. I have similar problems and find Brioni Euro 50L is a good fit, as is Corneliani 38L, Canali 38L, Kiton 40L, and Isaia 40L (i.e. sizing is also highly dependent on manufacturer).

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

My chest measures 37.5". Every 36 will fit me except for specific designers (Costume National, Prada), and usually the problem lies in the shoulders which are cut too narrow. Plus, I have the benefit of having everything cut closer to my body in 36

So my advice would be to stick to 38.

!luc

 

[Jovan]

As far as overall fit goes, I'm a 38 off the rack. It fits my shoulders the best. Usually the chest is where it all goes to hell with most brands though. Way too big and boxy. I've never tried on these brands that make slimmer fitting suits, but I have hope for Sacque Suit. (Thanks for the info, Tom!

) This year I got my first bespoke and was very pleased. Mind you, it's overseas, but they got it right and have a great knowledge of size and dimension. To help them further with my next order, I think I'll send a picture of myself so they know exactly what body shape they're working with and how they could enhance my features, etc. This company is the same one I've been touting all my time here at SF, so I don't even need to throw out the name anymore. Anyways, what I'm trying to say is that there are inexpensive ways to go about getting custom clothing if you're an odd size or body shape, and you won't regret it usually.