The Difference Between a Tailored and a Tight Jacket

In our latest video details series, Leah is joined by fashion consultant Chris Modoo to understand the key differences between a tailored jacket and a tight-fitting jacket.

Within the video, Chris discusses the key measurement points and signs to spot if a jacket is fitting too tight on you. 

Key Signs A Jacket Is Fitting Too Tight

Waist
The most obvious sign will be at waist point of your jacket. The jacket will pull tightly, show some creases and be unsightly to look at. Any jacket, even if slim and tailored should have clean lines and fit perfectly. 

Lapel
Another key sign of any jacket being too tight is bowing. This is where the lapels will bow open as a result of a combination of tight waist and not enough fullness in the chest.

If the jacket isn’t cut correctly without fullness it will always pull open and bow. Ideally, you want a nice clean lapel with plenty of chest room to pull out your wallet or pocket contents easily.

Sleeves
Another important sign to check for a tight fitting jacket is the sleeve. It should fall down naturally from the shoulder sleeve pitch and be the correct length. Shoulders should be wide enough across and not look bulky.

Vents
The back of jacket shouldn’t have any horizontal creases as this is an obvious sign that your jacket is too tight. It’s much easier to take fabric away than add in via your tailors, so loose cloth across the vents can be easily fixed. 

If the vents across the back of your jacket are kicking up, then they are too tight in the waist and will result in the jacket pulling off the back of your neck.

Key things to consider when purchasing a jacket online

Buying a jacket online that fits beautifully is actually a surprisingly simple process if you take a few comparison measurements off one of your own jackets.

The main point of measure to ensure your jacket is not too tight is the shoulders, it’s really crucial to get a well fitting shoulder. Ensure you look at size charts when purchasing online to understand your key measurements.

Known as the point to point measurement, measure across the back of the shoulders from the seam of the sleeve head to the opposite seam. This is an important measurement as some people typically wear the same size but have different shoulder widths.