FIT, fabric, function · Real Men Real Style Community

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FIT, fabric, function

Couldn’t do a series on the style pyramid without including the most important: FIT.

I’ve posted dozens of times on the insanity of modern mis-fitting coats so I’ll refrain from my organ grinder monkey coat pic. However, I’ll retell this story. I went into a men’s wearhouse recently and two clerks were at the mirror. One was commenting on how “good” the other looked in a coat he was trying on. The guy was probably 5’6” or less and the bigger fella was commenting how a “short” fit him well. It was ridiculous. The middle button hit the guy at his sternum and the length of the coat was easily 4” too short. I see this all the time. Guys who should be wearing “regulars” wearing “shorts” and guys wearing “regulars” that should be wearing “longs”. It’s the torso not the height that matters. The operable button should be at the natural waist. The length of the coat should cover both the rear end and the crotch. This is all assuming the shoulders and chest are correct. Yesterday I spent a couple of hours with two guys who were the owners ofr two different stores each of whom have been fitting guys in their own stores for a combined total well over 100 years. We discussed the horror that is the misinformation on the internet about fit these days.

The basic driver is the silhouette. While yes there are some minor hacks to elevate a shorter guys appearance or hacks to offset a guys weight, tallness, bulk or thinness- there are some essential things to make tailored garments look correct. One is to ignore the fashion folly of too short coats with too high buttons. The other is the pant waist height. A pant waist should basically be at barely below the operable button on a coat (if one is wearing jeans naturally this won’t happen but constantly I see slacks with a sport coat or even suit pants that have a low rise. When this is coupled with a too short/too high operable button the effect is pathetic. Causing the tie and shirt to poke out oddly in this weird triangle ) I see this daily on TV anchors and sports programs. Unfortunately guys copy these bad habits frequently.

In yesterday's pictures I have a coat that I had made in 1997 that is the correct length in both its sleeve length and coat length. It covers my ass, is at least crotch length and the button is within an inch of the trouser height. (This trouser is a mid height double forward pleat so it’s just slightly higher than the waist of the coat). (The coat has no darts which is a classic American sack fit. This is just one style-neither right or wrong but it has been my go to for 40 years yet it’s irrelevant to the other fit aspects mentioned here) At a bit deeper level of fit- the top of the pockets (patch pockets in this coat) are at my hip points). Dialing in an MTM is much easier than an off the rack with these details. But it still can be some if one knows what they are doing. Let me illustrate. Traditionally a 42 regular would have fit me but would be 1” too long (in the skirt of the coat). This new shorter trend makes most 42 regulars about an inch shorter or about the right length length for me (but the operable button is about 1/2” too high. A difference I can handle if there is a big enough saving in the coat price 😉). Unfortunately far too many guys have been misled on some of these basics. Interestingly enough, both of the store owners I spoke to are seeing a return to more sportcoats and suits being worn in the office and many of these wacky weird fits are beginning to disappear as people are getting professional help and learning the art of a better fit.

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