Interview Suit for Tall Skinny Dude

Hi, first post here. I am heading to b school in the fall and coming from a nonprofit so I'll need a proper interview suit. I will be interviewing for consulting jobs. I am 6'5" and 165 lbs. I'm in Boston.

My original plan was to get a navy Brooks Brothers 1818 Fitzgerald in 40L during the current sale, but the SA really thought the length was too short and I should go with an XL. The smallest XL that BB makes is a 42, which looked ridiculously too big.

I like the fit of the Zenga 50Ls I have tried, but on my beanpole frame, they were noticeably short. And anyway, they are out of my price range, undiscounted. I'd like to spend $700 or less.

Thick as Thieves seems recommended for MTM, but I'm worried they are too fashionable for interviewing. My impression is that there is more risk in looking too fashionable than ill-fitted when interviewing in consulting.

Any suggestions on conservative suits that run extra long? Or should I just pony up for an MTM suit? Another option would be to just stick with a BB 40L, or perhaps a Boss 40L, and just say, "short jackets are in style..." Something long enough to meet the BB code might look awkward anyway, given the altitude of my pockets?

dude, you will be swimming in a 40L width wise at 6'5", 165. I'm 5lbs heavier and 5 inches shorter, and I wear a 38R.

You'd need something like a 36 extra long or something.

For $700, you should be able to find a MTM option that works for you. If TAT isn't doing ti for you, try indochino.

I can't imagine a 40L will look very good on you.

I think the tailor is right, a 40L sounds like it would be much too small for you lengthwise. I'm 5'11, 180 lbs and a 40L is what I wear. My arms are probably a bit longer than most people who are my height but I feel a 40L would still be much too short for someone who is 6'5. What size did he say you were from his measurements? At 6'5, 165 Lbs any suit you buy is going to need serious tailoring because you are severely underweight for your height. You just want to make sure you get an accurate measurement (fit still will vary from brand to brand) and then find something that fits well in the shoulders.

If you have become weary at self help in visiting shops until you find a brand that fits then MTM is your only hope.

Most offer a choice of style so you should find something which fits your idea of acceptable for intended purpose,

I have a somewhat similar build. I am 6'4 and weigh 175 so I feel your pain. I tried on a RLBL suit in 40L a few weeks ago and it fit extremely well, but then again they are pricey. I usually end up having to have the arms lengthened a 1/4 to 1/2 an inch depending on the fit.

When I visited BB they also told me that my fit would be a 40 XL and that because they dont make suits in that size, it would be best to get a MTM suit from them. I was told that at some point during the year they have a sale on these so you may want to look then.

Thanks for the comments. Despite the awkward height/weight, I actually have fairly broad shoulders, so I can't go smaller than a 39. I went out again yesterday to be sure before committing to MTM. Are you able to see the length in this picture? Does it look too short?

It might be a tad short, having said that if it fits in the shoulder/waist area I think it'll be ok. By the way the sleeves are perfect. Remember 99% of people won't notice anyway.

Originally Posted by nocturno8413

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Are you able to see the length in this picture? Does it look too short?

The ideal length would be a bit longer but I think it looks passable as it is.

Good fit in the shoulders, which is most important. Your right sleeve looks a bit short, or it's the way you'r standing. Most people have one arm longer than the other. a good tailor is the man to see and have him go over it for recomendations.

Don't forget that when you're standing like a robot, you almost want your sleeves to be too long. By the time you reach out to shake a hand, pick up a bag, to smoke a cigarette, it will be prox 2" further from the wrist than it started.

You look passable now, but with a single movement of the arm, the shortness would be accentuated dramatically.

Surprisingly that looks pretty good, especially in your situation.

Originally Posted by nocturno8413

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I am 6'5" and 165 lbs.
Good luck, you're going to need it.

No but seriously, I'm the same height as you and about 15lbs heavier, and nothing fits me Off The Rack. If it's long enough, it's too big in the body. If it fits in the body, it's always too short. Pretty logical though -- the market just isn't there for the abnormally tall and thin, especially when 99% of the costumers don't care about fit.

On the suit you've provided a picture of: The jacket is too short (although certain fashion victims prefer them that short or even shorter) in both the body and arms, the pants are too long.

Basically, the first thing you're going to need to find is a decent tailor or alterationist. Even more so if you intend to try MTM. I guess people who don't have experience with it think that with MTM you just place an order and then receive a perfectly fitting suit a few weeks later, but that's just not the reality of it. In many cases, your first MTM suit might fit even worse than the OTR suits you've tried. The reasons for this are too complex for this post, but the basic point is this: If you want something that fits, you're going to need someone to adjust it after seeing it on your body.

Once you've found yourself a tailor or alterationist, you can probably get away with OTR. You're going to have to go through a lot of different brands/models before you find what you need, but it is possible. Basically you need to look for something that has the right length in body and fits in the shoulders. Just about anything else can be adjusted easily. Pay attention to the pants too, lengthening or shortening is pretty easy and cheap, but anything else can get costly.

Been running into the same problems with just the 6'5 height. At least you'll end up with a great tailor after this search.

I'm 6'4 - 170. I have a reasonably well fitting Hugo Boss 40L suit. I know it's not necessarily a popular choice on here, but I have some Astor & Black suits which fit me very well. I can't talk about other MTM suits, but I feel these fit me very well.

I think they cost around the same as when you are trying to spend $700-ish.

Originally Posted by obiter dictum

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On the suit you've provided a picture of: The jacket is too short (although certain fashion victims prefer them that short or even shorter) in both the body and arms, the pants are too long.

The arms and pants aren't a problem -- the sleeves can come down a bit, especially the right sleeve, and the pants are un-hemmed in the pic. I'd prefer a longer jacket length, but as you said, there's not much out there OTR made both very long and very thin. I'm going to pull the trigger on this. It's from the Hugo line by Hugo Boss, for all you tall skinny guys out there. The fit is the best I've found.