How long should suit sleeves be? The Iconicman’s ultimate guide
Suits are the ultimate confidence multiplier and image complimenting tool, on hand, for active successful, driven, strong and elegant men. Just remember Mad Men’s, Don Draper. But wearing it in disregard of basic etiquette is a blunder that will rarely go unnoticed.
If suit fit is a careful art of fine precision and high-end tailoring, the precise alignment of your jacket and shirt is how most people spot the consistently well dressed from the accidentally elegant.
It is an easy to spot mistake and can be just as easily avoided if you take the time to properly adjust your suit dimensions.
The general consensus about the proper length of a suit sleeve is that it should end a quarter to a half-inch above the line where the shirt ends. Thus it will not show too much of the shirt and give the impression that your suit sleeves and arms are disproportionately short. Subsequently, it will not show too little of your sleeve making you look like you a teenager going to prom in a jacket borrowed from your dad. It matters very little if you think these rules are too constricting. They make the difference between you looking like a confident man and the guy that is just dressing up for an event because his girlfriend insisted that they go. Take into consideration that the sleeves of a proper fitting dress shirt should line up with the base of your hand.
Not everybody is going to buy bespoke suits. Or not all your suits are going to be bespoke. The reality is that the majority of suits sold are off the rack. That makes fitting harder but things are not as bad as they seem.
Let’s start with the things we can’t adjust. Our arms. People have different arm lengths and this is a fact that is not subject to change. Suit sleeves are known to conventionally end just above the wrist bone. But the fact that we all have different arm lengths makes it so we can rarely buy off the rack when it comes to suits and still have a perfect sleeve fit.
Regardless of that, tailors can modify your sleeves with ease. All you have to do is pick up one that fits you in most regards but has slightly longer jacket sleeves and then have it adjusted to fit. Remember tailors can shorten your sleeves but they can’t elongate them so be careful what you buy in the first place.
Like any modern man you too use accessories. We are not going to discuss here what kind of watches you should wear with your various suits. But we are going to state the number one rule when it comes to sleeve length proportions and wearing watches. A shirt cuff should be able to cover at least part of the watch when you stand. Having a watch so big that it does not allow the shirt to do that will result in instant proportion meltdown as you will have one arm with the precise shirt to sleeve alignment and one where the shirt is held back by the watch.
A properly styled and perfectly cut suit is a garment that not only gives you confidence but also projects that confidence onto the people you meet. It highlights your character and communicates to those around you that you are an organized, adamant, consistent and elegant individual.
You don’t want any mishaps to alter this projection. Like a knight that could not allow any chinks in his armor, you cannot allow details like sleeve length ruin a perfect appearance.
Do your best to keep a proper proportion between the lengths of your suit sleeves and shirt sleeves. Keeping in check minor details like these will enhance your image significantly and will let everybody know that when it comes to style you are the best-dressed man in the room.
Bespoke or off the rack, a suit is only as good as its fit. As the saying goes, the suit makes the man. So pay attention to details and don’t let your sleeves be a drag on your appearance. When women say that there is something about a guy in a suit they are referring to Harvey Specter levels of elegance. You will never make the cut, unless you put in the effort to make the necessary fitting adjustments.
If suit fit is a careful art of fine precision and high-end tailoring, the precise alignment of your jacket and shirt is how most people spot the consistently well dressed from the accidentally elegant.
It is an easy to spot mistake and can be just as easily avoided if you take the time to properly adjust your suit dimensions.
General measurements
How long should suit sleeves be?
The general consensus about the proper length of a suit sleeve is that it should end a quarter to a half-inch above the line where the shirt ends. Thus it will not show too much of the shirt and give the impression that your suit sleeves and arms are disproportionately short. Subsequently, it will not show too little of your sleeve making you look like you a teenager going to prom in a jacket borrowed from your dad. It matters very little if you think these rules are too constricting. They make the difference between you looking like a confident man and the guy that is just dressing up for an event because his girlfriend insisted that they go. Take into consideration that the sleeves of a proper fitting dress shirt should line up with the base of your hand.
Tips and tricks when choosing your suit
Not everybody is going to buy bespoke suits. Or not all your suits are going to be bespoke. The reality is that the majority of suits sold are off the rack. That makes fitting harder but things are not as bad as they seem.
Let’s start with the things we can’t adjust. Our arms. People have different arm lengths and this is a fact that is not subject to change. Suit sleeves are known to conventionally end just above the wrist bone. But the fact that we all have different arm lengths makes it so we can rarely buy off the rack when it comes to suits and still have a perfect sleeve fit.
Regardless of that, tailors can modify your sleeves with ease. All you have to do is pick up one that fits you in most regards but has slightly longer jacket sleeves and then have it adjusted to fit. Remember tailors can shorten your sleeves but they can’t elongate them so be careful what you buy in the first place.
How to wear a watch with a suit
Like any modern man you too use accessories. We are not going to discuss here what kind of watches you should wear with your various suits. But we are going to state the number one rule when it comes to sleeve length proportions and wearing watches. A shirt cuff should be able to cover at least part of the watch when you stand. Having a watch so big that it does not allow the shirt to do that will result in instant proportion meltdown as you will have one arm with the precise shirt to sleeve alignment and one where the shirt is held back by the watch.
The importance of good sleeve fit
A properly styled and perfectly cut suit is a garment that not only gives you confidence but also projects that confidence onto the people you meet. It highlights your character and communicates to those around you that you are an organized, adamant, consistent and elegant individual.
You don’t want any mishaps to alter this projection. Like a knight that could not allow any chinks in his armor, you cannot allow details like sleeve length ruin a perfect appearance.
Do your best to keep a proper proportion between the lengths of your suit sleeves and shirt sleeves. Keeping in check minor details like these will enhance your image significantly and will let everybody know that when it comes to style you are the best-dressed man in the room.
Bespoke or off the rack, a suit is only as good as its fit. As the saying goes, the suit makes the man. So pay attention to details and don’t let your sleeves be a drag on your appearance. When women say that there is something about a guy in a suit they are referring to Harvey Specter levels of elegance. You will never make the cut, unless you put in the effort to make the necessary fitting adjustments.
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Loves to play with new ideas, binge writing, traveling and gourmet coffee. Professional writer of non fiction with over 8 years experience in putting words to paper. Fan of iconic movies, sports, The Arctic Monkeys and city breaks. Yes, he knows how good his coffee is.