How Should a Leather Jacket Fit?

A jacket can look right with your arms at your sides and feel wrong as soon as you sit down. That is why choosing a leather jacket size takes more than matching the letter on the label. Start with the layers you plan to wear, then check the measurements and how the jacket lets you move.

The aim is simple: enough room to fasten the jacket and use your arms comfortably, with the shape you actually want. A fitted cafe racer, ribbed bomber and longer coat will not sit on the body in the same way.

First, check what the size chart measures

Body measurements and garment measurements are different. A body chest measurement goes around your chest. A garment chest measurement describes the jacket itself and includes room for the wearer. Some charts instead show a flat, pit-to-pit width. Comparing those numbers as though they mean the same thing can lead to a very different size.

Read the chart's instructions and units before measuring. If it gives a flat width, doubling it produces an approximate circumference, but only compare it with a measurement taken the same way. If the chart does not explain the method, ask before ordering.

Measure for the layer you will really wear

If your everyday outfit is a T-shirt, judge the fit over that. If you want to wear a jumper underneath, make room for it when comparing garment measurements. Do not automatically add a fixed number of inches: the jacket's cut and the chart's method matter.

A jacket you already enjoy wearing is a useful reference. Lay it flat, fasten it and measure without stretching. Compare chest width, shoulders, sleeve length and back length using the same start and end points shown in the new jacket's guide.

Check the shoulders and sleeves together

For a conventional set-in sleeve, look at where the shoulder seam sits and whether the upper arm feels restricted. Then reach forward as though you are holding a steering wheel or picking something up. The jacket should let you do that without forcing the shoulders upward or pulling sharply across your back.

Sleeve length is particularly easy to misread. A measurement starting at the shoulder seam is not interchangeable with one starting at the centre back of the neck. A wider shoulder can also change where a sleeve ends on your arm. Confirm the measuring points instead of relying on the number alone.

Let the jacket style guide the fit check

Our black leather cafe racer jacket has a short stand collar and a clean zip front. Check how that neckline feels when fastened, as well as the room across the chest.

The black leather bomber jacket uses ribbed cuffs and a ribbed hem. Expect the hem to gather differently from a straight-cut jacket; judge the body room separately from the snugness of the trim.

For a longer option such as the navy blue leather car coat, check where the hem will fall on your own height. Sit down while the coat is fastened and consider the layers you intend to wear underneath.

If you are between sizes

Identify which measurement is causing the problem. A tight upper arm, short sleeve and loose waist are different fit issues; sizing up is not always the answer to all three. Send the product name, your measurements and the chart you used to The Stitch Fit, and explain whether you want a close or relaxed fit.

Do not buy an uncomfortably tight jacket on the assumption that it will stretch into the right size. Compare the men's jacket collection or women's jacket collection for another cut if necessary. Before ordering, read the current returns policy; customers are responsible for return postage.