[PJC in NoVa]

I'm with Francis the Part-Bull Part-Man Who Inhabits the Cretan Labyrinth on this one.

I have found that even garments marked as being the same size in the same range in the same store (in my case, Brooks Bros. "Madison" cut 1818 suitcoats and odd jackets) can exhibit unambiguously noticeable variations in fit.

Recently, when I went in to one of my local BB stores to take advantage of a 2-for-1 deal on suits, I discovered that the Saxxon herringbone Madison 2btn suits were all too tight in the shoulders, upper sleeves, and upper back for me, and that while one of the solid-navy 2btn super 120s Madison suits on the rack fit OK in those critical areas, the other that was hanging right next to it (i.e., the exact same suit in the exact same size and style) plainly felt too tight.

Lest anyone jump to the conclusion that BB's quality control is unusually awful, I can say I've had the same experience with BBGF, Hickey-Freeman full-line, Coppley, Southwick, and Samuelsohn suits or sportcoats too.

The moral of the story is that trying stuff on (preferably while wearing the same sort of shirt and undershirt you'll be wearing with the suit or jacket) is the ONLY proof of the RTW pudding. Numbers by themselves mean very little, and you must never let an overeager salesperson use them to steer you into a garment that doesn't feel right.

 

[PJC in NoVa]

I lift weights and suit jackets never fit well no matter what they do. Even the custom suit did not really fit well.

I noticed Arnold Schwarzenegger the other day and commented that his suit fit amazingly well (I understand he used to lift weights too).

I Googled to see who his tailor is/was and came up with this: https://richardlimtailoring.com/index.php?p=about

Though he's still a large-framed man, obviously, Arnold has suffered a good deal of aging, a cardiac surgery, and a serious leg injury (busted it badly while skiing) since his heavy weight-training days. I'm not sure he has quite the same fit issues he used to:

 

[PJC in NoVa]

lewi,

Greetings from the US and from one who has visited Uppsala. Your city and country is a beautiful place in the summer. I had a great time there during my visit in the summer of 2006.

To get your proper chest dimension is the first order of business. The sales person or store tailor should measure you horizontally (cirmcuference) at the nipple line. They should then add two or so inches (5 cm min.) That should give you some breathing room.

Try on a jacket according to that measurement. The shoulders should not peak out too far over your own shoulder muscle. It shouldn't make a depression or a bulge in the face of the sleeve head. The height of the armhole will also affect the fit and comfort.

Here is an illustration from Flusser and Hickey Freeman regarding shoulder fit:

And another from Hickey Freeman

One can't really determine from the pic above if the jacket length is appropriate, as the model is slumping.

As to jacket length (short, regular, or long), it is often said that the back of the jacket should just cover the bottom crease of your buttocks. Stand in a three-way mirror and take a look. The cupping of your hands at the side of the jacket is not always the best indication. The length of the rear of the jacket in proportion to where your leg meets your buttock is a better test.

If you are less than 167.64 cm, you might be classified as needing a short model jacket.

Stay after it, and buy the best quality you can afford.

The coat on the model looks too long to me.