Requesting opinions for my suit jacket

Hi all, Long time lurker, finally joined up a couple of days ago. Through reading many opinions and seeing a lot of different ideas and whatnot on this site I've become a bit pedantic. The following photos are of my new suit jacket. The trousers are getting tailored at the moment, but I want to have a couple of things done to my jacket as well. First off I need the sleeves shortened as I can't see any cuff whatsoever. Secondly (and my main question) is whether or not I should get the waist brought in a little bit as well. I spent a lot of time choosing the closest fit from the stores I visited. I am quite thin though and am wondering if I can flatter my figure any further by having this done. Like I said above, after reading such excellent critique I have become quite pedantic and would love to know whether you guys think this would benefit or is unnecessary. Any help is appreciated, thanks.

Take it in at the waist. It will look great.

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

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Take it in at the waist. It will look great.

Thanks for the reply. Do you think by maybe one or two inches? Or is it too hard to tell from the pictures?

Why don't you try letting your arms hang naturally so that we can see how the sleeves fit?

Is that a black suit ?

What will you be using it for?

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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Why don't you try letting your arms hang naturally so that we can see how the sleeves fit?

^^ And maybe change to a contrasting shirt also. It's a little hard to see black on black.

I'd get the shirt sleeves to end where the current jacket sleeves end. Then take the jacket sleeve up to show 1/4 to 3/8".

For waist suppression, talk to the tailor about how much to take in. He can show you how it will look by pinning it back and give you an upper limit on how far you can go. It will look good with taking the waist in.

Originally Posted by mafoofan

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Why don't you try letting your arms hang naturally so that we can see how the sleeves fit?



Hopefully this helps.

Originally Posted by cvac

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Is that a black suit ?

What will you be using it for?

No, it's pinstripe navy. I'm wearing a black shirt in order to provide a little bit of contrast.

Originally Posted by HomerJ

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^^ And maybe change to a contrasting shirt also. It's a little hard to see black on black.

Alright, I'll try a white one shortly.

Thanks for the responses though, I appreciate this.

Sleeves are a tiny bit long, assuming you want to show some cuff. Hows the back fit?

You look like you have a slim waist. If so the jacket needs to be brought in around the waist to be a little slimmer without being too tight.

The sleeves will probably need to be shortened just a little.

Hard to tell what else needs to be done without a back and side view.

Navy blue pinstripe is a great choice for a suit, but as a general rule, no dark colored shirts with suits unless you're wearing the suit to go "clubbing".

Originally Posted by cvac

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Navy blue pinstripe is a great choice for a suit, but as a general rule, no dark colored shirts with suits unless you're wearing the suit to go "clubbing".

Yeah, I was wearing the shirt to contrast with the blue in order to show it better but it didn't turn out quite how I'd planned.

Here's some with a white shirt and man, I think I answered my own question. The back is a mess and the sleeves definitely need some work too:

The sleeves are 1/2" - 1" too long, it appears. Does that wrinkling at the sleeve head go away when your arms are hanging down? I'd also guess that the jacket's a little too short, and that the front would be squarer if you had the padding built up. It looks like both sides are rotated in right now.

Did you try going down a size at the store when bough the suit?

The wrinkling in the back under the arm suggests that the suit is too big in the chest and the shoulders are too wide.

That problem might also be causing the ripples on the upper sleeve.

ALWAYS make sure you have the right size before you attempt any alterations. Unless you bought the pants and jacket as separates, now, you won't be able to return the jacket.

Next time if you are unsure about sizing, take two different sizes to the most reputable tailor in town and get their opinion. I ended up going down a size on a jacket that looked like it had the same fit problems you have with this one. A suit jacket should be snug, but not too tight. Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which without the aid of an experienced tailor.

Originally Posted by letmebefell

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The sleeves are 1/2" - 1" too long, it appears. Does that wrinkling at the sleeve head go away when your arms are hanging down? I'd also guess that the jacket's a little too short, and that the front would be squarer if you had the padding built up. It looks like both sides are rotated in right now.

Originally Posted by cvac

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Next time if you are unsure about sizing, take two different sizes to the most reputable tailor in town and get their opinion. I ended up going down a size on a jacket that looked like it had the same fit problems you have with this one. A suit jacket should be snug, but not too tight. Sometimes it is hard to tell which is which without the aid of an experienced tailor.

Thank you for your advice, I will definitely consider this with future purchases.

The salesperson measured me and said that I was a 38R which is what this jacket is. I did try a couple of 36R ones but they didn't seem to feel as right as this one. I didn't notice this much bunching in the changing room mirror either, though that may have been my subconscious hiding it so I'd buy it!

Is it worth getting the alterations done anyway or should I suck it up and get a new suit?

Can you afford a new suit?

What do you need this suit for?

Where did you buy it? A few retailers have very permissive return policies. Most will not allow you to return it. Then, you either put it in your closet as a spare, give it away, or sell it on ebay at a big loss. Your choice.

You wouldn't have been able to see the bunching in the back in a typical changing room.

The sleeves and waist can probably be fixed no problem. But the shoulders are a different matter - those will be a lot harder to fix and very expensive. I wouldn't even attempt unless you are dealing with a tailor who is very, very skilled and even then it would cost so much it wouldn't be worth it.

What could be the case is that you are between even sizes, a 36 in this brand is too small and the 38 is too big. In that case, your best option would be to try another brand instead of sticking with a cut that doesn't fit and just going for the best you can get in that particular suit brand/cut. Note that a lot of people will never get a great fit off the rack no matter what. But it pays to try out a lot to make sure you are getting the best fit possible.

As a general rule, I don't trust salespeople. But I do trust the tailor I use.

Whatever you do, ask around and find out who the best tailor in your town is. I'm sure some of the forum members would be willing to help you if you start a new thread.

Here is a big question: why did you drop off the pants without getting the tailor's opinion on the jacket first? Were you planning to take the jacket to someone else?