DKNY Slim Fit Wool Suit – $195.00 (via Gilt) | Kenneth Cole New York Wool Suit – $350.00*
“I think it’s too short.”
That’s what my tailor said as I stood there in the suit you see on the left. The suit is a perfectly deep blue, subtle tonal stripe DKNY I picked up off Gilt for a steal. I was impressed with it straight out of the box, but I hadn’t put it on in front of a full length mirror until I got to my tailor last week.
Figuring that since I was a 40 short in Kenneth Cole’s eyes (the suit on the right) I thought it was fair to assume that Ms. Donna Karan would consider my 5’9″ frame to be on the vertically challenged side as well. Wrong. The shoulders fit great, and the pre tapering at the waist is terrific. But when you put a suit jacket on, let your arms hang loose and curl your fingers upward… the jacket should terminate right in the deepest crease of your c-shaped hands. And as you can see to the right, the DKNY 40s is a few inches short.
Some of you who like the Thom Browne shrunken suit look will think it’s just fine. Some will say no way, that jacket is too short. Others will point out that the sleeves on my gray suit look to be a little long (just noticed that) But we should all agree on one thing:
It’s good to know your suit size. It’s better to know your suit size specific to each brand.
*NOTE: The Kenneth Cole suit you see above was purchased three years ago at a Macy’s. They don’t appear to carry the Kenneth Cole New York online, but they do carry very similar suit separates on KennethCole.com. That’s what has been linked to. Now a warning… the suit I own is 100% wool, and their online separates appear to be a mix. If they don’t carry Kenneth Cole New York (skip REACTION, they’re poly) suits at the Macy’s near you? Try Overstock. Normal sizes can go quick, but they’re ultra cheap.
Tie by J. Crew – $49.50
Shirt by Michael Kors – $37.12
Watch by Citizen: Model AT0550 (no longer available) – $221.25 But if you want something similar, these (sadly) are about as close as you’re gonna find:
I am confused about that. I read that to put arms to your side and when you cup your hand that the sleeve should hit in that crease but then most mags go on to say have your tailor cut it so that .5 to 1 in show of your shirt. – That means that the sleeve will not reach down to your hand anymore! People tell me that suit is too small, to hell with them I don’t like the suit sleeve to go down to my hand and barely touch the wrist. Not so Thom Browne though, haha!
@Manny: It’s not the sleeve of the jacket, but the tail that should terminate in that crease?
He’s right about the shirt sleeve showing, but I remember reading something in Esquire about how a suit fits and I’m pretty sure they said that if you stand up straight and hold your arms straight next to your suit, then your suit jacket should go as far down as your knuckles.
@Manny: the sleeves would be rediculously long if that were the case. I think you mixed up the jacket length rule with the sleeve length rule.
@Zach: I’ve always heard the “cup the hand” rule, but really the difference between that and the knuckle rule is probably less than half an inch. So it’s probably down to personal (or magazine) preference.
This, to me, is precisely why higher armholes are so important. The higher the armhole, the less drag there will be on the torso when you’re moving your arms above your waist. More drag means more pulling on the jacket sleeve, which also means it’ll ride up on your shirt. I’ve got a khaki chino/linen suit from Banana Republic that’s perfect for summer. I had my tailor bring the sleeves up so 1/2″ of shirt cuff showed when my arms were at my sides. Since BR made (and still does to much extent) jackets with low armholes, every time I get behind the wheel of a car, almost my entire shirtcuff shows. It’s annoying that the sleeves ride up like that. It can be totally hit or miss depending on the jacket shape.
I personally think the image showing about the half inch of sleeve is smooth. I love lines and i would go out and say that you are a sharply dressed man with the suit on the left. I think the one on the right is how my dad would like it. He’s all old school, first knuckle yatta yatta kinda guy. I like modern looks and that my friend is NOICE. This is all about opinion after all. Cheers all!
@HM: Thanks for the kind words. I suppose the pics don’t really tell the right story. The jacket for the suit on the left is comically short in the length of the tail. Now the sleeves are just about right. The Grey suit is more tapered than it looks, and do show cuff when they’re at my side. Why it’s not there in the pic? Beats me. Shirt might have gotten caught up? My arms are shrinking? Who knows. But the DKNY on the left… that thing was perfect, EXCEPT in the jacket length. Which stunk when I realized I looked like I was wearing a jacket from the lollipop guild.
haha, I did mix up the rules, makes sense now. Good thing I never much paid attention. Joe, I think you look sharp on the left too but is it small? Maybe just a tad for those of us who look at those details but if I saw you on the street I’d say damn he looks sharp.
I wear my older potato sack fitting shirts untailored and I get compliments from ladies. You’d actually get the girl.
Since when is 5’9 short? That’s regular.
“Comically” short? I disagree. Like many traditional relative measurements, I believe the jacket length measure is sorely outdated, especially on a 5’9″ frame. (I am the same, and a jacket of that length dwarfs me). A longer jacket makes you appear shorter. I say don’t be afraid of a shorter jacket length as many rules of measure were created in a time when suit style was much different. I’m certainly not encouraging the Thom Browne look. but i think the majority of men could benefit from a shorter jacket/higher arm hole style. Also, arm lengths vary more than most think, and someone with longer arms should be wary of this.
So Jeff says “don’t be afraid of that too short look,” and Harris saying “you need a regular.” Bottom line is: You know what looks best on you. And that DKNY made me look sorely disproportional when I was standing straight up. I don’t always agree with GQ, but check out their suit your shape guide. Specifically the pic of Chuck Liddell. That jacket length is nails. And it looks like it’s at the bottom of his crotch (probably a little long on me). The DKNY? Got about halfway down my fly when I was standing straight up. I think what makes the DKNY look better is: The button placement (lower) the lapels (slimmer) and the color (Navy against the grey background.) My two cents. Same lesson applies though, know that suit jacket length varies by brand.
This is a great example of why it is not a great idea to buy a suit online. Everyone has their own idea in their minds of how a suit should look on them. I agree with HM and Jeff that the DK suit looks sharp on you. But it’s not really you’re style and if you prefer a longer suit its your own style and that’s what makes tailoring a suit so special.
One thing you have to look at in regards to the GQ link is that the reason why Chuck looks so good in that LONGER suit is because he’s 6’2″ 6’3″? And he’s about 220 on an average day. He can look afford to look shrunk because he’s a big guy.
Jeff makes a valid point that the longer a jacket is the shorter you appear. I’m 5-11 and usually wear 36R but the other day I tried that size on a Tommy Hilfiger suit and it was too long for my taste. I’m a little curious of how a Kenneth Cole would look on me. But my point is always try on the suit before you buy it. UNLESS they offer to pay for tailoring.
@Chris: I see your point, but sometimes the online deal is too tough to pass up. Always check shipping though. Onto the DKNY and me, I think it’s the photo guys, trust me on this. That DKNY suit jacket looked terrible dead straight on (which is how I should have had the pic taken.) It looked like it was taken from the kid’s department. Plus, since I’m a little wider across the shoulders, it was like wearing a square. Also, I wouldn’t call that jacket a “longer” jacket on Chuck (even though it might actually be a, say… 42L). He’s wearing a suit that fits proportionally. It’s probably more about the width of his shoulders (and in my case, mine, although I’m far from a UFC champ) that necessitates a non chopped jacket, and less about his height. Because height is relative to other people around you. And on my computer screen, Chuck is 5 inches tall. Here’s an example of what the DKNY short jacket looked like on me. Now that look might work if you’re really slim, but check out the backside pic. There is zero tail there. And if you’ve got some width across your torso and shoulders? You’re better to go with something that looks more like this. My two cents. Thanks for all the feedback fellas. I just don’t want anyone going out there buying a jacket that’s too long (or too short!)
Short jackets are in style right now, so wear it until you’re out of fashion.