How Should A Suede Jacket Fit? A Helpful Guide.

I love suede jackets.

And because everyone and their mothers are wearing leather motorcycle jackets, buying a suede one would make your outfits a bit more unique.

Like most other pieces of clothing, they look the best only when they fit perfectly.

They offer most of the benefits that a leather jacket provides, along with the rich and luxe feel that can only be achieved by using fine suede.

In this guide, I will be telling you about how a suede jacket should really fit so that you can rock them and bask in the glory of the compliments that you are definitely going to receive.

In short, here’s how a suede jacket should fit you:

• The shoulder seam of the jacket should line up with your shoulder.
• The jacket should be fitted around the torso.
• Suede jackets should have a higher armhole for more flexibility.
• The sleeves should end up just above your wrists.
• The jacket should not go more than a couple of inches beneath your waist.

How should a suede jacket fit around the shoulder?

The shoulder is probably the most important thing to get right in a suede jacket. All other things can be tailored for pretty cheap, but the shoulders are where most tailors draw the line.

The shoulder seam on the jacket should perfectly line up with your actual shoulder. This fact also holds true for a suede jacket.

To find the sweet spot, I recommend that you use this technique.

Assume that there is an imaginary line that is extending parallel to the ground from your collar bone. The point where that line runs out of space (the point after which the line would be in the air and not on your body) is where the shoulder of the jacket should sit.

I hope you understood what I am trying to say, it is a bit difficult to explain.

How should a suede jacket fit around the torso?

A suede jacket should fit a bit tight around the torso. It should not be so tight that you have trouble breathing or moving around though.

The problem with not having a tight or fitted jacket around the chest region is that it makes your body look out of shape. Besides this, a looser jacket also goes against the appeal of the suede jacket as a garment, because it is usually a dressier or classier piece.

One quick test that I like to do to determine that the jacket is not too tight is just doing a few push-ups after zipping it up.

If I am having trouble performing the exercise, then that means the jacket is too tight.

And if the front of the jacket starts to hit the ground, then it’s fair to assume that the jacket is a bit too loose and roomy. If this happens, you need to size down.

Also, make sure that your jacket is waterproofed, because exposure to water can alter the size and fit around the torso region.

How should a suede jacket fit around the armhole?

The armhole is one of the most important parts of the construction of the jacket. It is singlehandedly responsible for how comfortable the jacket is going to be to wear; how tight it is going to feel.

The armhole of a jacket should be high and should not hang low. Lower or looser armholes are a sign of poor quality construction.

Apart from this, lower armholes also ruin the overall drape of the jacket and make it look baggier than it actually is. Which in turn makes you look a little out of shape. And since suede is not a very thick material, higher armholes will provide no discomfort to you.

How should a suede jacket fit around the sleeves?

The sleeve length of a suede jacket should end up just above the wrist. A margin of an inch or half an inch is completely fine, but the fabric should end up around the dimple of the wrist.

When it comes to the width of the sleeves, keep things simple. It should be slightly tight but not restricting. A good rule of thumb is making sure that you can touch opposite shoulders without any problem.

As I mentioned previously in this article, banging out a few quick push-ups is also a great way to figure out whether your sleeves are just right or not.

How long should a suede jacket be?

When I decided to buy my first bespoke suede jacket, the length is where I made a grave mistake. I had gone to the studio in order to give my measurements and was wearing a normal T-shirt. When mapping the length of my torso, he asked me how long I want the jacket to be.

Being young and stupid, my answer was something like this – “Uh… I don’t know. I guess just make it as long as my shirt?”

Big mistake.

What came back to me was a jacket that was too long for anyone of my size. And reducing the length of a jacket is a pretty expensive endeavor as all the zippers and the like have to be removed and reapplied.

I wasted a lot of money. Don’t be like me.

The perfect length of a suede jacket is when it hits your waist. A couple of inches here and there are fine, but anything too short or too long is not going to look good.

Final Remarks

In this article, I told you how a suede jacket should fit. But I will be the first person to tell you to take my advice with a pinch of salt.

See, fashion is subjective. Style is subjective. And clothes are supposed to represent you. What I have talked about here is how a suede jacket should fit conventionally. This does not mean that if you prefer a dropped shoulder, you can’t wear a suede jacket.

If you know what kind of a look and vibe you are going for; trash this advice. However, if you are a newbie in the world of fashion and styling, then I would recommend you to stick to the information presented in this article.