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Struggling with fit; is this jacket the right size?

Chris987

Veteran

Of all the things I’ve been trying to learn since joining YLF earlier this year, I’m finding FIT to be the most difficult. I’ve come to the conclusion that tailored, fairly close fits are generally the most flattering on my body type, even thought other ones work occasionally. For these sturctuured, tailored looks, I have to play goldilocks in order to find the best fit…I literally have to try one that is too small, one that is too large, and then hopefully one that is just right. And, I often have to take photos in the dressing room and look at them in real-time. I can’t seem to consistently identify “just right fit ” any other way.

When I find only one size in a store, or order only one online, I see no pattern in my judgement on whether it’s the right size, except that I seem to get it wrong a lot. I do a lot of returns. Occasionally I end with something that is close but not quite right. I guess I just need more practice.

This faux leather jacket seemed to fit me pretty well, and I really like it, so it followed me home, but I don’t trust myself on the fit. There is one larger size available online that I could order. This one fits well over a light to mid-weight sweater so I can wear it now, and it will be wearable as an outdoor topper in spring and fall. I love the color and the subtle stitched pattern on the sides and back. What do you think fabbers? Should I order the next size up even if just for comparison purposes?

This black velvet blazer on the other hand I’m more sure of. I tried on two sizes and think I picked the right one.

As always would love to hear your comments and ideas!

1 – 3 faux leather jacket

4 black velvet blazer one size too big

5 black blazer right size

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Petite Faux-Leather Jacket, Only at Macy's

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10

Petite Velvet One-Button Blazer, Only at Macy's

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2

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17 replies

Latest reply was from Chris987

Anonymous

Well, I think the first leather jacket looks good to me. It seems to fit well on your shoulders, looks a good length, and looks good open and closed.

I think you chose the right velvet blazer too because the first one in #4 looks as though it tips very slightly off your shoulder and #5 looks a better fit there. Sleeve looks good too.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

What Diane said. I think you got it right, Chris.

Fit can be tricky to make sense of if you didn't learn sewing as a youngster and/or didn't have family members picky and educated about fit, and/or didn't come of age in a time when tailored fits were the norm. I think many people are so used to seeing soft knits these days that they don't know how tailored clothing should look and feel. And of course, even with tailored items, some prefer a tighter "shrunken" fit and some prefer looser.

Another issue is changes to body shape and size; it gets really tough to gauge if we lose or gain weight.

Both those jackets look great on you.

always trying

Veteran

black blazer looks like a good fit. The leather jacket I only like unzipped. To me those kind do not look good on anyone (well maybe there are exceptions, but)--zipped they are just not flattering.

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I agree with the others but another way I personally judge fit of a jacket, aside from the shoulder seams, length, etc., is to see if I can comfortably move both arms in a body hug sort of way without much pulling at the back. Maybe try on jackets first without a mirror, then once you "feel" like you have the right fit, take a look?

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Both look like very good fits. It's a little harder to tell with the black jacket, but that's mainly because it's so hard to see details when photographing black garments. It looks like it might be pulling slightly when buttoned -- do you plan on wearing it buttoned? I know I only button my blazers when I'm putting on a coat over them, and once the coat is removed, the blazer gets unbuttoned.

Traci

Veteran

I find comparison helps. I'll take my best fitting item and compare it to the ones I'm considering buying. This strategy also helps mitigate any sort of fitting room witchery with lighting and mirrors that makes things look better than they do once I get them home.

I like the fit of both of these on you, even the closed leather. I have a tendency to get these things wrong, but I actually prefer the smaller black jacket.

crazyone

Veteran

I think the fit of the leather jacket is great! No need to size up.

For the blazer, like Janet, I see some pulling when buttoned, but that is less of an issue if you don't plan to wear it that way.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The faux leather jacket is Killer. Great fit, and I'm glad it followed you home.

Can't see the blazer well enough to assess fit unfortunately, and also would like to see it unbuttoned.

Maneera

(website)

Veteran

I think the jacket is a PERFECT fit. Looks great both open & zipped up. Slam dunk!

Tina

Veteran

Agreeing with the others that the fit of the first jacket looks quite good. I'm curious to know why you thought you should try a size up.
The smaller of the black blazers looks like a good fit as well. It would be an easy alteration to move the button if there is pulling and you plan to wear it closed (unless there is no room to move it over). Pictures do not always do justice either and when you are holding a phone it can shift things as well.

Anonymous

The fit of the leather jacket looks spot on to me!

Chris987

Veteran

thanks Diane, good advice...shoulders first, then length, then check both open and closed. I think the shoulders are hardest measurements for me to assess. Length, especially sleeve is usually easy to adjust but not shoulders.

Suz, I DID learn sewing as a youngster but not so much about fit....in fact I remember arguing with a Home Economics teacher in high school about her measurements vs. mine on a skirt we made in class. I had to follow hers which were wrong and I ended up doing over part of it Interesting lesson about the fallibility of one's teachers. But you are so right about not really learning about fit in general when I was younger, changes in body shape over the years, etc etc. Plus I have been paying much more attention to it recently, even some of the stuff in my closet that I thought DID fit doesn't meet my newer definition. Thanks for the support!

Always trying - I agree that I would probably not wear the leather one closed, but I wanted to see what it would look like in case I ever wanted to zip it for example if I wore it in spring as an outer topper. If I can't get it closed, which happens on a lot of zip up jackets I try on, then the side seams usually pull toward the back and the overall fit looks off.

texstyle GREAT point...I do the same with jackets, blouses, shirts. If it pulls at the armholes and across the back when I do a body hug then it is too small. I've learned this lesson the hard way - having too much stress across the back can really pull a garment out of shape, cause it to rip, and/or make it very uncomfortable to wear even if it's off only a little bit.

Janet, thanks, and like you I would mostly wear the velvet one open but I will check again. Could be that moving the button just a little would take care of the pulling if I decide I care about it. And you are SO right about black garments being tricky to photograph. I had to try this on with lighter wash jeans to really confirm the fit.

Traci, good advice, but I don't have many jackets that fit really well and wasn't on a "jacket hunt" that day so I didn't bring one with me. I can certainly do what you suggest at home and will do that. Thanks!

Thanks Crazyone...and see what I said above, I'm going to check on the button/pulling.

Thanks Angie. I like the faux leather one enough that I'm thinking about duplicating it in black also. I so rarely find things like this that fit well, I do really like black (unlike you, I know )and it's marked way down right now. I'll see if I can somehow get some better pics of the black velvet one.

Thanks Maneera!

Tina, thanks! The reason I thought maybe I should size up was my mistrust of my visual judgement and the fact that the next size up was the only one I didn't find on the rack to try on. I will definitely consider moving the button on the black velvet one.

Thanks ZoieChic

Vix

Veteran

Hi Chris --

I'm with Diane (yes to faux-leather and smaller black jacket, yes to what to look for) and with alwaystrying re prefering 1st jacket unzipped/finding those rarely look great zipped unless there's structural magic at work.

In addition to all the other comments upthread, I'll add that fit/ease is a personal preference and that what to tradeoff when is another one.

Me, I really like tailored items to have a just-right shoulder with a high armhole and narrow sleeves. That's generally a more "constrained" fit and feeling to begin with, and throw in my specific shape and there can be more tightness across the upper torso than I'd like when buttoned/zipped up. But it's a trade-off that works for me when tailoring can't fix it and custom isn't an option.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Get the black, Chris - and I DO wear black leather jackets.

celia

Veteran

Love the leather jacket. It fits really well and the color is beautiful with your coloring.
I cannot see the fit of the velvet blazer but I say go with your intuition.

jill58

Veteran

I think they're both great.

Chris987

Veteran

Thanks Vix, Angie, Celia, and Jill58!

The black faux leather one is on it's way....

I was able to get a photo of the velvet jacket closed, although only by doing the reverse photo thing on my iphone. The color is very distorted but it clearly shows the jacket pulling just a bit when closed. I couldn't even see this with my naked eye. Thanks Janet and others for mentioning this, I can either move the button just a bit or ignore it, but at least I know.

Still trying to get a better pic overall, I'm having difficulty with the natural part of the lighting now that the sun is so low in the sky as the days are shorter.

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