What is causing this shoulder divot in this suit jacket?

[semolina]

I have bought the jacket in the photos. I am getting the sleeves shortened and the waist let out so there is no x around the button and the jacket does not flare out below the button. The jacket seems to fit well in the chest and shoulder area from the front. But there is a noticeable downward sloping divot on the shoulder when viewed from the side. There appears to be excess fabric near the arm hole which is somehow not visible from the front. What might be causing this and how can it be resolved?

 

[paxonus]

It is probably too tight. Have you tried a larger size?

 

[semolina]

It is probably too tight. Have you tried a larger size?

Yes, the jacket shoulder extends a fair bit beyond my actual shoulder on the larger size.

 

[paxonus]

Having the shoulder extend a bit is not necessarily bad. But in that type of jacket it doesn't work since there is no padding or structure in the shoulder to support it. I think you may need to go with a different suit. You might have better luck with an extended shoulder with some padding and structure in it.

 

[semolina]

This is one size up in their structured suit. The waist definitely fits better but the chest seems too roomy and the shoulder divot is still visible from the side. In your opinion, would it be better to let out the smaller jacket at the waist or to fix the chest on the larger jacket?

I've also checked OTR in places like Suit Supply and Charles Tyrwhitt and this problem is more pronounced in their offerings. Suit Supply in particular is too slim around the waist.

 

[semolina]

Interestingly in both suits, no divots are apparent from the front view. In the smaller unstructured jacket, my shoulders even appear to fill up the entire shoulder area of the jacket from the front, and yet there appears to be plenty of excess fabric when viewed from the side. It may be that the front of my shoulders are somehow fuller than the sides/back. If this were the case, jackets that fit the shoulder from the front would tend to be too large on the side, and those that fit from the side might be too tight upfront. Wondering if it is possible to solve this in OTR or if this is just an imperfection I will always run into. Unfortunately I do not have the time or budget for MTM.

 

[paxonus]

What looks like excess fabric can sometimes be caused by excess tightness. Notice how the back of the jacket is hugging your lower back.The vent should be hanging closer to vertical rather than meeting your elbow.

In general it is usually better to take in than let out on a jacket. You may just need a looser overall cut, like a Brooks Brothers Madison. Just out of curiosity, if you go up another size, what does it look like?

 

[semolina]

Im afraid its a bit too late to go with a different jacket as I've already got the first one altered. Here is the original unstructured jacket with the waist let out and sleeves slightly shortened. The shoulder still has a divot but I think I'll have to live with it for now. Would you suggest any other alterations to the jacket?

 

[notdos]

My suggestion is to always wear it unbuttoned. This will mask the tightness and buttoning height.

Phillip

 

[semolina]

My suggestion is to always wear it unbuttoned. This will mask the tightness and buttoning height.

Phillip

Yes the buttoning height did seem a bit high to me. For future purchases, do you know where I can find suits with a lower buttoning point? I tried OTR suits in a variety of places but I struggled to find anything with a lower buttoning point. From what I recall Charles Tyrwhitt had an even higher buttoning point.