Tyger's New Bonnie Heather Jacket/Coat Alteration

[auld argonian]

I see a lot of jackets that have the hem of the jacket and the sleeve about even these days...traditionally the hem of the jacket was always a couple of inches longer than the sleeve...still a tough call because it depends on how the jacket is cut and how snuggly it fits. Months back, Cessna Towser posted a photo of a kilt shop window that had a kilt outfit in it where the jacket was longer than a regular kilt jacket and that outfit looked great so I guess it could be done.

Best

AA

[Father Bill]

Sleeve length also (strange as it may seem!) often depends on the length of the arm of the owner.

[Ryan Ross]

Sleeve length also (strange as it may seem!) often depends on the length of the arm of the owner.

Add to that that there's folks around like me that have a "long torso", and you end up with a really confusing juxtaposition between sleeve length and jacket length.

At the end of the day, I'm just glad that I'm not yet in a position where I need to wear a jacket frequently, because anything off the rack has to be heavily tailored before it works for me.

You guys who can buy off the rack don't know how lucky you are...

[tyger]

Sleeve length also (strange as it may seem!) often depends on the length of the arm of the owner.

Yes, my shirts are 17.5 x 37. But I want my jacket sleeve 0.5 inch shorter than my shirt sleeve.

[auld argonian]

Add to that that there's folks around like me that have a "long torso", and you end up with a really confusing juxtaposition between sleeve length and jacket length.

At the end of the day, I'm just glad that I'm not yet in a position where I need to wear a jacket frequently, because anything off the rack has to be heavily tailored before it works for me.

You guys who can buy off the rack don't know how lucky you are...

I figger that it all has to do with the cut. I ordered a Ralph Lauren tux form an internet dealer...got my size 42R. Looked like Clark Kent from the old Superman TV series on me. I remembered that I had a RL sportcoat that I had picked up on sale and that fit me like a glove so I looked at the size and it was 41R. I didn't even KNOW that they made a 41 but I returned the 42, the guy sent a 41 and it fit like it was made for me. Weird little things but they all add up.

Best

AA

[Ryan Ross]

I figger that it all has to do with the cut. I ordered a Ralph Lauren tux form an internet dealer...got my size 42R. Looked like Clark Kent from the old Superman TV series on me. I remembered that I had a RL sportcoat that I had picked up on sale and that fit me like a glove so I looked at the size and it was 41R. I didn't even KNOW that they made a 41 but I returned the 42, the guy sent a 41 and it fit like it was made for me. Weird little things but they all add up.

Best

AA

Aye, I hear that the brand can have as much to do with the fit, as the size can. Perhaps I'm looking at the wrong brands. Who kows...

[CMcG]

...

You guys who can buy off the rack don't know how lucky you are...

Actually, I do know how lucky I am! It does vary by brand though... H&M 38R fits like it was made for me.

[ForresterModern]

You guys who can buy off the rack don't know how lucky you are...

At 6'5" 260# wearing a 50 extra-long jacket and 18x38-9 shirts I am not exactly a typical off the rack build myself, but JosABank does a great job of stocking the full range of sizes. When the economy tanked a couple years ago they had a really big end of season firesale of their winter wear including the very same Harris Tweed jacket that Tyger is having Bonnie modify, and if I remember there were 4 different color herringbones and one plaid, each available in my odd size, so I picked up one of each for, if my memory serves me right, about $60 a piece. I remember because I posted a thread about the sale and Matt Newsome jumped on the deal and got one he liked so well he posted a photo---the only time I have ever seen him wearing p@nts in the four and a half years I have been lurking or actually a member of the forum. I love those jackets so much that I just cannot bring myself to have one altered to a kilt jacket, so I have been looking for another similar sale ever since----never my size and never that good a price since. I don't even bother looking on ebay or at the thrift stores for stuff my size as it is a complete waste of my time.

Similar problem with shirts---solved that for good prices by going to JCPenney dot com and searched first the sale listings and then the regular listings by my size, and generally can find several nice shirts that work well for both regular suit or sportcoat dress, jeans, or with a kilt in its many wear variations. Beats the pants off of having tailor made shirts at 5-6 times the price per shirt.

Tyger, you are a brave man to take such a wonderful sportcoat and put it under the knife, but Bonnie should be able to do you up right, and I am eager to see the results. So we definitley need lots of pics when it is completed. All fingers and toes (well at least the ones without gout) crossed for good luck.

jeff

[Ryan Ross]

At 6'5" 260# wearing a 50 extra-long jacket and 18x38-9 shirts I am not exactly a typical off the rack build myself, but JosABank does a great job of stocking the full range of sizes.

Yep, that must be awkward. I'm only 6' tall, but I wear a 16x37 fitted shirt; but beyond that, the stomach area is always too big, and the chest area is often too small. With jackets though, It's a little better. I get a 46 and have this lovely, talented lady that has a shop a few miles away from my house take the thing in in the relevant places. I'm planning on seeing how much she'll charge to make shirts for me, before long, as she's REALLY good and REALLY reasonable.

I posted a thread about the sale and Matt Newsome jumped on the deal and got one he liked so well he posted a photo---the only time I have ever seen him wearing p@nts in the four and a half years I have been lurking or actually a member of the forum.

Funny you should mention that.

I first met Matt when I was 16 years old. He's actually the one who convinced me to join this forum. I was probably 19 or 20 before I saw him wearing p@nts for the first time, and I've probably only seen him in said garment 10 or 12 times in those 11 years. It still looks strange to me. I'm pretty sure I remember Matt saying that I looked strange to him, the first (ok, second- I was wearing shorts when I ran into him the first time) time he saw me bifurcated.

...sorry Matt, but I couldn't let that go without a story.

[MT4Runner]

Sleeve length also (strange as it may seem!) often depends on the length of the arm of the owner.

Sounds like me. My wrists hang 3-4" below the widest point of my hips (bottom of the fell).