How long should a tuxedo jacket be

A classic tuxedo jacket is just long enough to cover the seat. Standing straight with your arms relaxed, the hem usually falls around the knuckle of your thumb, or you can curl your fingers and just touch it. A jacket shorter than this is the fashion option, and it comes with trade-offs worth knowing before you decide.

The classic standard: covering the seat

The traditional length of a tuxedo jacket is judged by the shape of the body, not by a fixed number. The hem must cover the curve of the seat completely, so that from behind no trouser shows below it. For most men, that corresponds to a jacket ending at the thumb knuckle when the arm hangs.

Why has this standard lasted? First, it keeps the line unbroken from torso to leg, which suits evening dress, minimal by nature. Second, it hides the waistband, the braces, the cummerbund or waistcoat, so you need not worry when you bend or reach. Third, it ages well: a jacket of moderate length is never called dated.

A rule that is easier to remember for beginners: from the base of the collar to the floor, the hem usually falls near the midpoint. That is only a starting point, and a tailor always adjusts to the individual.

The short fashion cut

The trend toward shorter jackets, sometimes only reaching mid-seat or less, aims to lengthen the legs. The advantage: a man with a long torso or a tall, slender frame looks leaner; the line is sharp and youthful, suited to creative evenings.

The cost:

• The waistband, braces, cummerbund or shirt show more easily when you raise your arm or bend, especially when lifting a glass.
• It flatters a fuller seat or stomach less, since the jacket rides up and reveals the line of the seat.
• It dates faster. Jacket length is one of the things that changes from season to season.
• It is hard to reverse: once a hem is short, it cannot be lengthened.

If you want to go slimmer, shorten by a little against the standard, not much more. For a wider comparison of the two directions, see classic versus fashion tuxedos.

By proportion of torso and legs

Jacket length must be set within the proportions of the body:

Build	Suggestion
Short torso, long legs	Long enough to cover the seat; avoid a very long jacket that shortens the torso further
Long torso, short legs	A touch shorter than the standard helps the legs look longer, but it must still cover the seat
Balanced	The classic standard
Shorter men	A moderate jacket, not hanging long, with high-rise trousers to lengthen the leg
Taller men	The jacket can run a little longer to balance the height

Many Vietnamese men have a torso that is relatively long against the legs, and in that case jacket length is one of the places the tailor must judge carefully. Read more in our pieces on tuxedos for Asian proportions and tuxedos for shorter men.

How to check at the fitting

1. Stand straight with your arms down. The hem sits at the thumb knuckle; your curled fingers can touch it.
2. Turn sideways in the mirror. The hem is parallel to the floor, not shorter in front than behind, or the reverse.
3. Raise your arms, then bend slightly. The waistband and shirt do not show much.
4. Button the jacket and sit down. The jacket does not strain at the waist and the hem does not split open at the sides.
5. Step back and look at the whole. Jacket and legs should read as two balanced halves, not one overpowering the other.

Try it with the shoes and trousers you have chosen, since the jacket length looks different once you wear high-rise trousers and stand properly.

How Mon Amie judges jacket length

For a made-to-measure jacket, the length is measured from the back neck point down, but the tailor only settles it when you are standing in the fitting jacket and looking at yourself in the full-length mirror. They judge by your real stance, not only by the figure. You can read about the process on the bespoke tuxedo page and book a fitting at the showroom.