How a jacket should fit, in 4 checks
Shoulders first, because a tailor cannot change them. Then the collar, the front, and the sleeves, which a tailor can.
By Ida Lund2 min read
A jacket that fits looks more expensive than one that cost twice as much and does not. You do not need a tailor to tell the difference. Stand in front of a mirror in the shirt you will wear under it, and check 4 things in this order.
1. The shoulders
The shoulder seam should end where your shoulder bone ends. Too wide and the sleeve head collapses into a dent just below the seam. Too narrow and you will feel it pull across your back when you reach forward. This is the one thing a tailor cannot fix, so choose the size by the shoulders and alter the rest.
2. The collar
Turn sideways. The jacket collar should rest against your shirt collar all the way round, with no gap at the back of the neck. A gap usually means the jacket is too big, or that you are standing straighter than you normally do. Relax and look again.
3. The front, buttoned
Fasten the top button of a 2-button jacket, or the middle one of 3. The fronts should meet flat. If the fabric pulls into an X around the button, the jacket is too small through the middle. If you can fit a fist inside, it is too big.
4. The sleeves
With your arms at your sides, about 1 cm of shirt cuff should show below the jacket sleeve. Sleeves are the easiest alteration there is, and we shorten them for free in either store.
Buy the shoulders. Everything else is an afternoon with a needle.
Length matters too, but less than people think. A jacket that covers your seat suits nearly everyone. Anything shorter is a choice, and you will know if it is yours.
