What is the best sleeve length for suit jackets?
Q. Are long jacket sleeves a new trend?
Dear Terry and Joanne, I have seen a lot of celebrities wearing sports jackets and suit jackets with very long sleeves. Is this a new trend? – Sleeveless in Seattle
A: Dear Sleeveless,
It might be a new trend but we just call it a bad fit. We are seeing more and more people wearing jacket sleeves that are just too long, both men and women but today we will focus on men.(Tips and tailoring advice below)
Money doesn’t buy good taste… or good fit
If you follow our blog or newsletter you will know that Terry and I like to watch The Celebrity Apprentice. While Donald Trump might not have his hairstyle quite right, he does make sure that his tailoring is impeccable.
Trace Adkins needs to tell his tailor “You’re fired”
But many other celebrities just make us shake our heads. The worst bad tailoring victim this season, is country music star, Trace Adkins.
All sleeve… no cattle
Trace is a big guy but his jacket sleeve length is so long that they come down to his knuckles and make him look like Magilla Gorilla. Click to hear Trace sing his hit All Hat and No Cattle
7 reasons to avoid the too-long sleeve trend.
You will look like:
- a gorilla
- you borrowed Shaquille O’Neal’s jacket
- you couldn’t afford alterations
- you don’t know any better
- you need an image consultant
- you don’t want a date (or maybe you need a woman to pick out your clothes)
- you don’t belong in the boardroom
Why throw away your money?
For the cost of a $20 sleeve alteration you’ve wasted the value of a $400 or $4000 suit (quality is important but fit trumps quality)
A corporate image consultant’s advice for proper sleeve length of the jacket
You’ve got a simple choice to look good with sleeve lengths. Do you want to show some shirt cuff or not? Here are proper places where these sleeves end:
- a long fitting sleeve should end where the hand meets the wrist (this fitting is fine but will show no shirt cuff)
- a standard fitted sleeve is about half to three quarters of an inch higher, ending midpoint of the wrist bone (this fitting reveals shirt cuff)
4 reasons to choose a standard fitted sleeve (this is my choice & James Bond’s)
- Showing a half inch to 3/4 inch of shirt cuff adds some flair to the jacket (especially effective on a dark suit and white shirt, see 007)
- French cuffs shirts are a great addition to any man’s wardrobe and what’s the point of French cuffs if you don’t get a glimpse of them
- Your cufflink bling is seen with a standard fitted sleeve
- This is the length of sleeve that people subconsciously associate with custom tailoring and thus… success.
If you want to keep your image in dress for success mode, subscribe to our blog or newsletter or attend one of our public Complete Professional seminars.
Terry’s P.S. – Need a laugh? Check out my – The Celebrity Accountant spoof