A well-fitting suit jacket should show about a quarter to a half of your shirt cuff when it’s buttoned. This allows the cuff to pop out at the correct angle.
The jacket is too tight if your shirt cuff shows more than this. Sizing up or down or getting a custom option can usually fix the issue.
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Shoulders
A suit jacket should fit snugly and not feel like it’s trying to swallow you up. The shoulder pads should be able to easily slide into the space between the end of your shoulders and your armpits. If the shoulder pads don’t line up with your arms, or if you see a dimple on the back of the sleeves, the jacket is too tight on the shoulders.
The shoulder is a key area of the jacket that can impact its final appearance, and tailors often work to alter its look through various techniques. For example, British tailoring traditionally favors structured shoulders with padding that can be designed to add an extra layer of strength and a masculine feel. Italian tailoring from Milan and Florence can also create an impression of broader shoulders, though this is more difficult to achieve and requires a higher degree of skill.
Another important sign that a jacket is too tight on the shoulders is if the arms are too wide. This is a classic sign of a too-tight fit and can be particularly pronounced in a tailored suit. If you have a rounded shoulder shape, the wide shoulders can make your arm look shorter than it actually is.
While wearing a jacket, look at yourself in a mirror and examine the way it looks on your body. You should be able to see wrinkles and a bulge of excess fabric that creates a dimple in the sleeve head.
You should also be able to easily bend your arm and not have vertical creases at the elbow and forearm. These creases often indicate an oversized suit jacket and can be corrected by adjusting the Shoulder Width to create a flattering look.
Sleeves are the most important part of a jacket, so it’s essential to make sure they are properly tailored. They should be a few inches shorter than the sleeves on your dress shirt, or else you’ll show a large portion of the cuff of your dress shirt through them.
The sleeves should also finish just above the base of your thumb or your wrist when your hand is bent, with about 1/4″ to 1/2″ of your dress shirt showing. This length is generally accepted as the ideal sleeve length, but some men prefer it shorter or longer, and tailors are happy to shorten or lengthen the sleeves for you if you ask.
Chest
A good suit jacket should fit the wearer in the chest without bunching. If it does, it will look ill-fitting and won’t flatter the wearer’s body shape.
You can check this by standing straight in front of a mirror and putting your arms down by your sides. You should have enough room for your hand to go between the jacket and your shirt sleeve. If there’s too much room, the jacket will need to be taken in a bit to best complement your body and make you look as slim as possible.
Your shirt sleeve should also be able to pop out of the suit jacket at the right angle and show you a quarter to a half inch of your shirt cuff. This is a crucial detail, as it helps you determine whether or not the suit jacket will fit your shirt properly.
If the jacket doesn’t show your shirt cuff, it is likely too long and will need to be shortened by a tailor to look its best. This is one of the easiest to correct fit issues for a suit.
The shoulders of a suit jacket should be flat and pointed without any dimples or wrinkles that can distract from the overall look. Shoulder divots are common for many men and can add unwanted bulk to your outfit.
A tailor can fix shoulder divots, but it’s a costly alteration, and you shouldn’t reject a suit because of this issue unless the style or brand isn’t for you.
Another key aspect of the jacket’s fit is the bottom hem. A jacket that’s too long will cut into your tush, and it will have a high armhole that’ll stick out over your shoulder when you’re holding your arms up.
To test if the jacket is too long, stand straight in front of a mirror and put your arms down by your sides. The jacket’s length should fall just below your middle crotch level, which is the natural point at which your buttocks curve inward.
Your jacket sleeve should be able to pop out at the right angle and show you a half-inch of your shirt cuff. This is also a quick and easy way to tell if your jacket is too tight or not. If the sleeve is too short, it will fall below your wrist and won’t allow your shirt cuff to show at all.
Arms
If a suit jacket is too tight in the arms, it will feel constricting and can even make your chest look bigger than it is. While there are no easy solutions to this issue, it can be fixed with the right tailoring.
Examining the sleeve length is one of the most common ways to tell if a suit jacket is too tight in the armholes. If the sleeve is too short, it will sit just above your thumb bone and won’t leave enough room for you to comfortably hold a fist under it.
The sleeve length should be about half an inch shorter than the shirt cuff. It’s best to get the sleeves tailored if this is an issue because a tailor can add or remove inches from them to ensure they fit properly.
Another way to check for too-tight arms is to stand in front of a mirror and examine where the sleeve hem meets your wrist. It will be a little more than half an inch longer than your shirt cuff if it’s too long.
This is a common problem for modern ready-to-wear suits. Many of today’s jackets feature a mid-to-high button stance, which can look casual and trendy when worn correctly but quickly become a faux pas when it’s too tight.
If the button stance is too high, it will pull around your waist and form an ugly “X.” It’s often a sign that the jacket is too tight all over.
It can be an easy fix for a tailor to take in the sides of the jacket to correct this.
A lot of men’s suits come with a canvas layer in the jacket to give them more structure. This is a great way to get a little extra shape without looking over-dressed or too formal.
However, you should check that the canvas layer actually sits between the outer jacket and the suit’s inner lining. If not, the outer jacket will be over-stitched, and the lining won’t have any structural strength.
The back of a suit jacket should also be free of folds and unsightly lines. This can be tricky to assess, as it’s sometimes difficult to see the back of the jacket due to a lot of clothing being pulled down over it. A well-fitting jacket should not have any issues here but rather fit cleanly.
Back
The back of a suit jacket should sit comfortably against your shoulders. This is an essential element of the overall fit of your outfit, and it’s important to make sure that it fits properly so that you look your best.
To test whether your suit jacket is too tight in the back, stand up straight with your arms by your side and allow your sleeves to hang loose. The sleeves should be at least a quarter-inch to a half-inch longer than the shirt sleeve (exposing a bit of your shirt linen).
If you can easily slip one hand, Napoleon-style, below the lapel as if you were reaching into your pocket, it’s a sign that your jacket is too tight in the back. This is especially common with sports coats and winter jackets that are too large.
You can also test the fit by leaning your arm against a wall and observing whether or not your shoulder hits first. If it does, it’s too narrow, and you should try a different size.
This can be a tricky issue to spot, so it’s important that you try on as many ready-to-wear jackets as possible before making a final decision. If you still find the problem after trying on a few more suits, it may be time to get a custom suit made.
Another indication that the jacket is too tight in the back is if the lapels bend outward at the chest area, called “breaking.” This is an easy fix for a tailor to do if your ready-to-wear jackets are too small, but you should never let a suit with broken lapels stay in your closet.
Finally, if the back of your suit jacket has a higher button stance, it can cause your torso to look shorter when you’re done up. It’s perfectly acceptable for short torsos to wear this type of jacket, but if you have a bigger torso, it can make you look off-balance when done up.
If you notice any of the above problems, it’s probably time to get your jacket adjusted. The best thing to do is try a different size, but if this doesn’t work or you can’t find a suitable solution at your local store, consider getting a custom suit made instead.
