Two things decide whether prom night goes smoothly: the suit fits, and it’s hanging in your closet, hemmed, a week before the dance. Both come down to a tape measure and a calendar. Here’s how to get your size right the first time, and when to order so there’s time to fix anything that isn’t.
Your size in two minutes
Suit sizes are simple once you know the rule: your jacket size is your chest measurement in inches. A 40-inch chest wears a 40. That’s it. The number on the tag is a measurement, not a guess.
To measure, you need a soft tape and a friend, or a mirror. Stand up straight with your arms relaxed at your sides, breathe normally, and wrap the tape around the fullest part of your chest, under your arms and across your shoulder blades. Keep the tape level all the way around and slide one finger under it so it isn’t tight. Read the number. If it’s between two sizes, take the bigger one; a tailor can take a jacket in, but can’t make a small one bigger.
Most of our suits are cut slim or skinny. If you prefer a little more room, or you’re broad through the shoulders, that’s another reason to round up. Our size guide has the same steps and the full chart.
Regular or Long
Every size comes in R, and some in L. Pick by height:
- R (Regular): about 5’7” to 6’0”.
- L (Long): about 6’1” to 6’4”. The jacket and sleeves are cut longer; the chest size is the same.
Shorter than 5’7” or taller than 6’4”? Message us on WhatsApp before you order and we’ll tell you what will work. Most of our styles run 36R to 52R and 40L to 46L; a few stop at 50R, and each product page lists the exact sizes you can order.
How the pants work
Every suit and tuxedo comes as a set, and the pants are matched to the jacket: the waist is 6 inches smaller than the jacket size. A 40R jacket comes with 34-inch pants, a 44R with 38s. That drop fits most men, and a tailor can take the waist in if you’re a little slimmer than the standard.
The pants also arrive unhemmed, with the legs long. That’s on purpose: a tailor cuts them to your exact length over the shoes you’ll wear, so the break sits where you want it. Budget a few days and a small fee for that; it’s the one alteration almost everyone needs.
If your waist is more than two inches away from the drop, send us your chest and waist on WhatsApp before you order and we’ll tell you whether that size will work for you.
The size chart
| Jacket size | Chest (inches) | Pants waist (inches) | Lengths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 36 | 30 | R |
| 38 | 38 | 32 | R |
| 40 | 40 | 34 | R, L |
| 42 | 42 | 36 | R, L |
| 44 | 44 | 38 | R, L |
| 46 | 46 | 40 | R, L |
| 48 | 48 | 42 | R |
| 50 | 50 | 44 | R |
| 52 | 52 | 46 | R |
Two exceptions: the boys’ suits use boys’ sizes, and the floral dinner jacket runs XS to 6XL like a shirt. Both are explained on their product pages, and WhatsApp works for those too.
Each product page also has a Find my size button that asks a few quick questions and suggests a size. Use it as a second opinion. If it disagrees with your tape measure, the tape measure wins.
Three-pieces, tuxedos and dinner jackets
A three-piece suit is one size for all three pieces: the vest comes matched to the jacket, so there’s nothing extra to measure. Tuxedos size exactly like suits, and their pants, satin stripe and all, arrive unhemmed too. Dinner jackets are sold on their own, so you’ll wear them with black pants you already have; measure your chest the same way and pick the jacket size from the chart.
One more case: if you’re still growing, or your weight tends to move, order inside the 3-week window rather than months ahead, and measure again the week you order.
When to order
The short answer: about 3 weeks before prom. Here’s where the time goes.
| Days before prom | What’s happening |
|---|---|
| 21 | You order. We ship within 1 to 3 business days. |
| 18 | Delivery usually takes 3 to 7 business days after shipping. |
| 12 | The suit arrives. Try it on the same day. |
| 10 | Right size: drop it at a tailor for hemming. Wrong size: message us for an exchange. |
| 5 | Pants back from the tailor. Hang it up and leave it alone. |
| 0 | Prom. |
That schedule has a week of slack in it, which is the point. Carrier delays happen, tailors get busy in spring, and a size swap needs time to ship both ways. In April and May, when every tailor and every carrier is at their busiest, make it 4 weeks or more.
Is prom less than 2 weeks away? Don’t guess. Message us on WhatsApp before you order, tell us your date, and we’ll tell you honestly whether it can arrive in time.
Shipping is free on every US order, with no minimum.
The 5-minute try-on
Try the suit on the day it arrives, with a dress shirt and the shoes you’ll wear. Leave the tags on and don’t take it to the tailor yet. Check five things:
- Shoulders. The seam should sit right at the edge of your shoulder, not hanging past it or pulling in. This is the one thing a tailor can’t fix, so it decides whether the size is right.
- Chest. Button the top button. It should close without pulling an X across the front, and you should be able to slide a flat hand inside.
- Jacket length. It should cover your seat. Slim styles run a little shorter; that’s the cut, not a sizing problem.
- Sleeves. About half an inch of shirt cuff should show. A tailor can shorten or lengthen sleeves a little.
- Pants waist and seat. Snug at the waist without a belt, and no pulling across the seat. Ignore the length; that’s what the hem is for.
If the shoulders and chest are right, you have your size. Everything else is a normal alteration.
What a tailor can and can’t fix
Easy and cheap: hemming the pants, taking in the waist, shortening sleeves a little, taking in the jacket at the sides.
Possible, costs more: letting the waist out a little, adjusting the jacket length slightly.
Not fixable: shoulders that are too wide or too narrow, a chest that’s too tight to button, sleeves that need more than about an inch. If any of those are wrong, exchange the size instead of paying a tailor to fight it.
Exchanges and returns
You have 30 days from delivery to return or exchange anything that’s unworn and unaltered, with the tags still on. That’s why the try-on comes before the tailor: once the pants are hemmed, the suit can’t go back. To swap a size or color, message us or call (773) 664-2338 with your order number; exchanges depend on what’s in stock, which is one more reason to order early. Return shipping is on you unless we sent the wrong item or it arrived damaged; if that happens, tell us within 7 days and we’ll fix it at no cost. The details are in our refund policy.
Ordering with friends
If a group is ordering the same style, have everyone measure the same way on the same day and send the list together. Sizes ship on the same schedule, so one late order holds up the group photo. And if one friend is between sizes, round him up, not down.
Quick answers
I usually wear a medium. What size is that? A medium is roughly a 40 chest, but “medium” varies by brand. Measure instead; it takes two minutes and removes the guessing.
Should I order the size I wear in jeans? No. Jeans are waist sizes; suits are chest sizes. Measure your chest for the jacket, and the pants come matched to it.
What if I’m between sizes? Take the bigger one. Slim and skinny fits are cut close, and a tailor can take in a jacket far more easily than let it out.
Do I need a tailor at all? For the pants, yes, because they come unhemmed. The jacket often fits as is.
Can I order two sizes and return one? You can, within the 30-day window, as long as the one you send back is unworn with the tags on. Return shipping is at your cost.
Still not sure? Send your chest measurement, your height and your usual jeans size on WhatsApp and we’ll tell you what to order. Then read suit or tuxedo for prom? and how to match your date’s dress to finish the plan.