The Ultimate Jacket Size Guide: How to Get Your Perfect Fit

One of the best fashion changes you can make is to invest in high quality outerwear. Even the best quality full-grain leather will look shoddy if it does not fit properly. If your jacket is too small it will make it difficult to move around in and prevent your jacket from draping correctly, and if it's too big it will engulf your body and make your jacket look messy. It doesn’t matter if its a stylish daily biker jacket, a robust winter coat, or a film-inspired longline coat that you’re looking for. Understanding a jacket size guide is the only method to ensure a bespoke degree of style instantly. 

The process of interpreting online sizing chart is really very confusing because there are different kinds of outerwear, which require completely different methods of layering. This is a detailed explanation of how to take your measurements, read the pattern, and pick the right silhouette for your body. 

Why You Need a Jacket Measurement Guide 

It isn’t possible for you to guess the size until you take your actual measurements. The quickest way to needing a return is to be the wrong size due to making a guess on the size based on an old t-shirt. Using a jacket measurement guide is best with a flexible cloth measuring tape and preferably a friend to keep the tape flat across the back. 

Please use a light t-shirt for these measurements...not over a heavy sweater or under an existing jacket because it will overestimate the numbers. 

Step-by-Step: Your Jacket Measuring Guide

• The Chest: It is the most important point in measuring for any men’s jacket size guide. Tape the measuring tape over the fullest parts of your chest, under your armpits and over the shoulder blades. Avoid puffing your chest out or holding your breath, stand in a natural and relaxed stance.
• Shoulders: from one of the shoulder bones (where the shoulder connects to the arm, measure straight across the upper back to the other shoulder. Jacket's shoulder seams if they hang down on the bicep, will make the outfit look poorly fit.
• Sleeve Length: Take the end of the measuring tape and pass it between the top edge of your shoulder (the same point where you made the shoulder length measurement) and the outside of your arm, past your elbow, to the bottom of your thumb/wrist bone. During this measurement, leave arm bent naturally at your side.
• Back Length: From the base of the neck (just underneath the collar line), straight down the back to the natural waist line. This way, you won't be buying the cropped jacket if you have a long torso. 

How to Read the Men's Jacket Size Guide

After you've recorded it on paper, you can start comparing the measurements to a brand's jacket sizing guide. But it is important to know the difference between body measurements and garment measurements. 

The first thing that should be included in a men's jacket size guide is body size. If your chest circumference matches exactly the medium size, the standard size is considered as medium. When we talk about “ease,” it’s the additional couple of inches added to the measurements so that you have the space to breathe and move. When a chart provides the measurement of the garment rather than your body, you must adjust the measurement by 2-3 inches to accommodate your body. 

What Fit Profiles Are?

• Slim Fit: It fits snugly to the body. Ideal for light-weight lamb skin fashion jackets over one T-shirt.

• Standard/Regular Fit: This is the normal fit which allows ample shoulder and torso space to comfortably layer a medium weight sweater without feeling uneasy.

• Relaxed/Oversized Fit: Dropped shoulders and wider fit through the torso. Very much in vogue in current streetwear fashion and perfect for chunky winter layering. 

Style-Specific Fits: Outerwear Variations

The size medium of a cropped biker jacket will look quite different from the size medium of a heavy winter coat. Outerwear sizing varies depending on the type of outerwear you are buying. 

The Bomber Jacket Size Guide

The bomber jacket has originally been created for military pilots in cold cockpits and features ribbed cuffs, ribbed waist, and a slightly blouson (voluminous) fit through the torso. If you are using a bomber jacket size guide, give a lot of attention to shoulder width and sleeve length. The ribbed waist band is meant to fit about the same height as your belt line or slightly higher. Oversizing with the intention of getting more length will cause the shoulders to fall down and the excess volume in the chest will result in the jacket being like a deflated balloon. The most appropriate bomber silhouette is to stick to your true chest size. 

The Moto and Biker Jacket Fit

Motorcycle jackets, such as classic double-rider asymmetrical jackets or sleek cafe racers, are meant to fit snugly. They are designed to be tight so that the wind does not blow through the clothes at great speed. If you are looking to buy a biker jacket from ZOQ Leather, go for your actual size. It will be tight for the first few weeks, but the leather that is true leather, will stretch and conform to your body shape. If you want to wear biker jackets under thick hoodies all the time, it's only in that case that you need to go larger. 

Layering Like a Pro: Overcoats and Trench Coats

The rules of architecture are different for longline outerwear. These pieces are meant to wear over suit jackets, blazers, and chunky winter knits, so it's important to consider your lower layers when using an overcoat size guide. 

The Men's Overcoat Size Guide

An overcoat is a cumbias and structured winter coat. If you are referring to a men's overcoat size guide you should adhere to your suit jacket size. Good overcoat manufacturers have already made the length of the coat longer to fit the semi-customized suit. If you are getting a slim-cut fashion overcoat and propose to wear it over a heavy coat jacket with a suit, however, you might want to go up a size. One of the most important areas to look at with a men’s coat size guide is the armholes. These need to be cut wider and to a sufficiently high level that the sleeves of the suit are not bunched under the overcoat when the coat is put on. 

The Men's Trench Coat Size Guide

Trench coats are lighter; versatile and functional in history. When using a men’s trench coat size guide, look at the shoulders and chest. The trench coat is an outfit that is fitted with a belt of leather around the waist that tightens close in order to make the outfit look dramatic and flattering in a V-shape. The reason for this is that the waist is adjustable; it's best to have it a little bit wider around the chest than it is to be tight. Shoulders should fit snugly, if they do, use the belt to regulate the volume of the body. 

Few Ways to Check Jacket Measurements Guide Online

If you are ready to make the leap when it comes to a high quality jacket from ZOQ Leather, then get out the jacket measurements guide on the product page. 

1. Compare Your Chest Anchor: Identify where your 36", 40" or 44" chest is on the chart. This eliminates all but one of the tiers - Small, Medium or Large.
2. Check the Shoulders: Check the matching shoulder width. People with athletic build who have a 40” chest and very wide 19” shoulders may be limited in their ability to move with a standard Medium fit, and might need to go up in size to fit a Large for structural comfort.
3. Check the Length: Review the back length to make sure that if the jacket is a cropped racer, it's down at the right place on your waist or thighs, or if it's a trench, it's down at the right place on your back. 

For those who prefer not to mess with the hassle of online returns, all the frustration can be avoided by taking the time to get the right size from a trusted sizing guide and ensure that your new leather jacket arrives fitting like a bespoke masterpiece.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a men's jacket size guide apply universally across all brands? 

No. This varies significantly from one brand to another, region (European cuts tend to be much slimmer than American cuts) and style. Never use a universal sizing guide when looking for a jacket - always look at the jacket size guide that is given on the product page of the article you are buying.

If I am between sizes on a jacket sizing guide, what should I do? 

This will depend on the material and on the style. Remember if you're in between sizes in a real leather biker jacket, size down - real leather stretches and conforms to the body. When ordering a winter parka, or using a men's overcoat size chart, order larger if you are choosing a parka for winter for thick sweaters and layering.

How do I measure myself without a flexible measuring tape? 

If you don't have a tailor's cloth measuring tape to use the jacket measurement guide, then you can use a piece of non-stretching string or yarn. Wrap the string around your chest or shoulders, make a mark where the string joins and then lay this string flat on a standard metal construction tape measure or yardstick to take your measurements.