Blazer Fit

Regardless of the type of blazer—oversized or fitted—a few rules can determine if a

blazer fits you properly and whether you need it tailored or a different size.

First, the shoulder seam should fall along your shoulder line on the jacket. If it slouches

forward, try a size smaller. If the blazer has shoulder pads, they should not extend

beyond your shoulder, otherwise they’re too big. Along the shoulder blades, the fabric

should lay flat but have enough room in it for comfortable movement.

Next, the sleeve should accommodate a blouse or perhaps even a sweater, depending

on how you plan to wear it. The sleeve should comfortably sit right under your arm

without the seam pulling or puckering.

Once buttoned, the fabric should lay flat, not only where the buttons come together, but

also from the lapel across your shoulder. If you have sloping shoulders, excess fabric

along the shoulder is common which can be adjusted by pulling out the excess fabric at

the top and reattaching.

For a standard fit of the sleeves, the cuff should hit right at the top knuckle of your

thumb. If there’s faux buttons, know there’s an added expense when tailoring to remake

the sleeve if it’s too long. It may be cheaper to detach and shorten the sleeve at the

top. If the blazer’s cuffs are real, this is likely the least expensive way to get them the

correct length.

Finally, you’ll want to examine where the bottom of the blazer hits you at the hip, you

don’t want it sitting at the widest point, as it draws the eye to that area. Instead, choose

one that hits above or below.

Tammy’s Truism: An “inexpensive” blazer isn’t really a bargain if you spend more on tailoring than you paid for it.