UK kilt jacket sizing!??????

[denmcdough]

Some time ago I had asked Xmembers about ordering a kilt jacket, and how to size it. Many responded by saying to go up a size because UK items were cut a bit small, e.g. if you wear a 40R then go to a 42R.

Well, I did that and I've had mixed results. I normally wear a 42R, but ordered an Argyll in 44R. The jacket fits decent enough, but the waistcoat is HUGE.....I think it was marked wrong. So, I ended up selling the waistcoat and reordering one in 42. Now it's fine. I, then, proceeded to order a tweed jacket in a 40R, as the dimensions were the same as my 42R. I figured that if it didn't fit, I could give it to my son. To my surprise, it fits wonderfully. Go figure!!??

Also, my Brian Boru jacket is a 44R and it fits well enough, but I honestly think I could have gotten away with a 42. I guess it pays, before ordering, to get the dimensions. I'm learning!

Has anyone else on this forum had discrepancies like this?

[artificer]

I think that part of the issue is that while the CUT of the jacket is meant to be more snug, because of that snugness more allowance is made for an ample belly.

I had exactly the same issue with a St. Kilda Argyll. The 44R jacket fits nicely (I'm roughly a 43R US) but the waistcoat was gigantic. I could have worn it OVER my sporran! It was both too wide and too long (since if you've got a big gut, you need the fabric to cover top to bottom lest the belly dangle out below the waistcoat). That waistcoat is off to the tailor to have some fabric removed and get the bottom squared off.

When I was prepping for a black tie event I bought a 42R waistcoat (3 button) and it fits quite snugly- not TOO tight, but I wouldn't eat a huge meal before donning it

[Lime]

Any off the peg jacket, whether UK or not, will be a compromise in fit because it is simply a specific pattern cutter's interpretation of the size that will fit most people.

As different cutters work for different manufacturers jackets of the same size will vary from manufacturer to manufacturer; one from a particular manufacturer may fit you better than another.

In addition the cut of jackets will vary in manufacturers' different lines so one style may fit you and another won't.

There may also be variations in the manufacture: cheaper jackets can be cut from a stack of cloth hundreds at a time and then stitched (or sometimes even glued!) together with varying levels of accuracy and attention to detail which can affect the size.

In extremely general terms: a traditional UK jackets is quite structured with quite a high hourglass waist while American tailoring tends more towards comfort with a boxier cut which means that it will probably fit more shapes of people but this is, by no means, a rule.

Furthermore if you are purchasing a second hand jacket (e.g. from ebay) it may have been altered in its life so you can't always rely on the label.

Alternatively it may have been made bespoke (i.e. cut and sized for a particular person to take into consideration their particular figure) so it may not correspond directly with a particular size.

If you are buying at a distance it is worthwhile making enquiries so that you know you are getting the right size.... I've found this to be a particularly good guide:

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...asurement+suit

If I buy on ebay I usually email the link to the seller and ask them to send me back the measurements then compare it to jackets which I have that fit, consider whether it will fit and if, not whether it is possible and cost effective to have it altered. It is worthwhile cultivating a relationship with a good alterations tailor!

Bear in mind that even if you have a bespoke jacket made it can take at least two if not more "fittings" for that perfect fit.

[RockyR]

It also depends on the jacket manufacturer... Some tend to run a little small (which is the case I've found with St. Kilda / Wallace Collection / Gaelic Themes jackets). That's fine, so long as the retailer KNOWS what s/he is selling and how it fits. Other manufacturers sizes (even being made in the UK) may be a bit big or "regular" sizing.

It all comes down to knowing the product and how it fits before selling / buying it.

[lethearen]

UK or US, I have a hard time with getting a well-fitting waistcoat or jacket. Pretty much if it fits my chest, it won't fit anywhere else (waist or length). Of course, I'm in between standard sizes and don't need the extra allotment in the keg area. Even though I measure right around 39", a US 38" usually fits me (at least in the chest) because they're roomier.

So, for UK. I've ordered a waistcoat in a size that should have been marginally too small (a 38, but price was unbelievable), but it ended up swallowing me. Another waistcoat I ordered in 40 (as well as my two Argylls), and they all fit charmingly in the chest, if not elsewhere.

Compromise schmopromise. Custom is the way to go Then you know what you're getting.

[EagleJCS]

I almost always have to have 'off the peg' jackets tailored to fit. I have a large chest/shoulders, but narrower waist (44 inch chest, 39 waist - but I wear 36 waisted slacks, go figure*). The sleeves for most of the jackets that fit my chest/shoulders have to be taken in 3-4 inches because I have shorter arms (a 32-33 sleeve). I also usually get a short (44S instead of 44R) rather than regular length torso because of the difference in proportion. The Prince Charlie I bought in 2006 is a 44R and it fits almost perfectly, but there's no manufacturers label (I just checked) to tell me who made it or where. I'll have to dig to find out who I bought it from (it was at Stone Mountain HG).

I would suggest contacting the vendor and/or manufacturer, giving them your measurements and asking them to recommend the size that would fit you.

* And yes, I measured without inhaling/sucking in my gut, and I do have a gut that I'm trying to get rid of. Is the garment industry automatically resizing by 3-4 inches, or do the trousers actually strech that much?

[artificer]

... tailored to fit. I have a large chest/shoulders, but narrower waist (44 inch chest, 39 waist - but I wear 36 waisted slacks, go figure*).
...
* And yes, I measured without inhaling/sucking in my gut, and I do have a gut that I'm trying to get rid of. Is the garment industry automatically resizing by 3-4 inches, or do the trousers actually strech that much?

Yes, the garment industry varies WILDLY with some brands running nearly true to measure and some more than +4" greater than the given waist size.

[JerseyLawyer]

Yes, the garment industry varies WILDLY with some brands running nearly true to measure and some more than +4" greater than the given waist size.

Vanity sizing... Doncha love it?

[OC Richard]

It's best to try on jackets. I have kilt jackets labelled 46, 48, and 50 which are exactly the same size, fitting me just the same. They're from three different makers.

Likewise one maker's "Long" jackets might have the same sleeve length as another maker's "Regular".

I have two jackets, a 48L and a 48R, which have exactly the same sleeve length.