Jacket Length

[Steve Ashton]

The bottom of a regular suit jacket will end right about the bottom of the buttocks. This is to hide the pucker from the pants legs in the back.
So the bottom of a suit jacket will be longer than the sleeves. About 4" on average.



The bottom of a jacket cut for a kilt will be right about the crest of the buttocks. This is so we don't hide the pleats.
So the bottom of a kilt jacket will be about the same length, or just shorter, than the sleeves.



A kilt jacket will also have a cut-away to go around the sporran.

A bottom of a Prince Charlie coatee will be just below the natural waist. With the tashes in the back the same, or just longer, than the bottom of the Argyle.
(A coatee was a type of tight fitting uniform coat or jacket, which was waist length at the front and had short tails behind.)





This is why, if you wear a Prince Charlie coatee, that you MUST wear your kilt up high at the anatomical waist. So no white shirt is visible between the top of the kilt and the bottom of the coatee.




Like the tuxedo and the cut-away jackets the vest of the Prince Charlie should not be longer than the jacket.

Incorrect



Correct



There is also the old school 'rule' that you do not wear a belt when you wear a vest. This is where braces come in.
This look appears to have started with the Scottish rental (hire) shops. (Along with the horrid Ruche tie which is an ascot tied in a 4-in-hand knot)
(The knob of a cantled sporran should be worn up, just in the notch of the vest. See the 3rd photo above.) (The sporran is not a crotch protector.)







And for reference when ordering jackets - the sizing of a 42 R stock Kilt jacket will be about -

Chest = 42"
Measured loosely over the pectoral muscles.



Waist = 37"
Measured snug at the anatomical waist.



Sleeve length or Crown to Cuff = 24.5"
Measured from 1" higher than the shoulder - to the first knuckle of the thumb.





Depending on how you like the length of your sleeves -
Old School is that when the arms are straight down there should be no shirt cuff showing. (See the 2nd picture above)
But today most jackets show between 1/2" and 3/4" of shirt cuff. (See the 3rd picture above) (we can blame this on Johnny Carson)

I was always taught that the correct length of a sleeve is that, if you hold your arm bent in front of your chest, the cufflinks should just peek out.
Today if you hold your arm bent in front of your chest, the entire shirt cuff shows.

There is also a measurement of the back called "Half-Back".
This is from the spine to where the jacket sleeve seam (the scye) would be and about 8" below the collar.
On a 42 R kilt jacket this will be 9.25"



And the jacket length.
On an Argyle style = 25.75"
On a P/C = 26"

Measured starting just below the collar down to the crest of the hips or buttocks.



A 42 R vest will be about - Argyle = 20.5"
P/C = 18.5"

For a 42 Long the sleeve and full body length will be 1" longer than stock.
For a 42 Short the sleeve and full body length will be 1" shorter than stock.


I hope this helps.