How a Women's Suit Should Fit: Jacket, Trousers and Skirt

A women's suit can be cropped or long, boxy or closely shaped, with trousers, a skirt or both. That variety makes fit harder to judge, because a jacket can look wrong when it is simply a different cut. The checks below cut through it. They tell you whether the suit fits your body as its designer intended, whatever the style, and they show which problems a tailor can fix cheaply and which mean you should try another size.

How should a women's suit jacket fit?

Check the jacket in this order: shoulders, bust, back and collar, waist, sleeves and length. The first three decide whether you have the right size. The rest are mostly matters a tailor can adjust. Wear the top you plan to wear under the jacket, and button it the way you will wear it.

Shoulders: the check that decides the size

The shoulder seam should end at the edge of your shoulder bone, where your arm begins. If the shoulder pad overhangs, you will see a dent or a fold in the top of the sleeve. If the shoulders are too narrow, the sleeve head pulls into ridges and your arm feels pinned. Some styles, such as an oversized or boyfriend cut, are designed with an extended shoulder; even then the pad should look deliberate and sit cleanly, not collapse. Narrowing shoulders is the most expensive and least reliable alteration, so if they are wrong, try another size.

Bust and buttoning

With the jacket buttoned, the front should lie flat across the bust. X-shaped creases radiating from the button, or gaps between buttons on a double-breasted front, mean the jacket is too small through the bust. The bust darts or princess seams should point toward the fullest part of the bust and stop about 1 inch (2.5 cm) short of it; if they end above or below it, the shaping sits in the wrong place and the fabric bubbles or pulls. The lapels should lie against the chest, not bow outward.

Back and collar

The back should hang smooth from collar to hem. Horizontal folds just below the collar mean the jacket is tight across the upper back; vertical folds mean it is too loose. The collar should rest against the back of your neck or the collar of your shirt, with no gap when you stand naturally. Reach both arms forward as if to hug someone: you will feel some pull across the back, but the seams should not bite and the jacket should not ride up to your neck.

Sleeves and length

With your arms relaxed, the sleeve should end at the wrist bone. With a shirt, about ¼ to ½ inch (6 to 13 mm) of cuff should show, as on a man's jacket. Bend your elbow: the sleeve should not cut into the crook of your arm. Jacket length depends on the cut. A cropped jacket ends near the waist and works best with high-rise trousers or skirts; a classic jacket ends around the hip; a long jacket covers the seat and suits slimmer trousers. Whatever the length, the hem should hang level all the way round.

How should women's suit trousers fit?

Suit trousers should sit at the rise they were cut for, high, mid or low, and stay there without a belt. The waistband should lie flat with no gap at the back, and you should be able to slide two fingers inside it. The seat should drape smoothly, the front pockets should lie closed and the crease should fall straight. Our guide to how suit trousers should fit explains what each kind of wrinkle means.

• Waist. No gap at the back when you sit. A gap means the waist is too large for your hips; a tailor can take in the center back seam.
• Seat and hips. No horizontal pull lines across the seat or the front of the hips, and no loose folds under the seat. Side pockets that pull open mean the hips are too tight.
• Rise. The crotch should sit close without cutting in. Lines fanning out from the crotch mean the rise is short or the thighs are tight; loose fabric hanging low means it is too long.
• Thigh. You should be able to pinch about ½ to 1 inch (1.3 to 2.5 cm) of fabric at the side of the thigh, less for a deliberately slim cut.
• Leg. The crease should run straight down the front of the leg to the middle of the shoe, without twisting.

How long should women's suit trousers be?

Trouser length depends on the cut of the leg and on the shoes. The table gives the usual starting points; your tailor will pin the hem with you standing in the shoes you will wear.

How should a suit skirt fit?

A suit skirt should sit at the waist it was cut for without turning as you walk, skim your hips without clinging, and let you sit and climb stairs. Pencil and straight skirts need the closest attention, because they have the least spare room.

• Waistband. Lies flat, with room for two fingers. If the skirt twists so the zip or side seams drift, the waist is too loose or the hips are too tight.
• Hips. No horizontal pull lines across the front or the seat, and side seams that hang straight down. Pull lines mean the skirt is too tight at the hips.
• Vent or kick pleat. Lies closed and flat when you stand. If it spreads open, the skirt is tight across the hips or thighs.
• Length. Set by the style and your preference; a classic suit skirt sits around the knee. Check the length sitting down as well as standing.
• Lining. Does not show below the hem, twist or cling. A good lining lets the skirt slide over tights or trousers without riding up.

What can a tailor alter on a women's suit?

A tailor can make almost any part of a suit smaller or shorter, but can make it bigger or longer only as far as the spare fabric inside the seams and hems allows. Many women's ready-to-wear suits are made with narrow seam allowances, so check inside the seams before you buy a size you hope to let out. The matrix shows what is usually possible.

Skirts have their own limits. Shortening a lined skirt with a vent or kick pleat means remaking the vent and the lining as well as the hem, so it costs more than a plain trouser hem. A pencil skirt can be taken in at the side seams easily, but letting it out depends on the seam allowance. For the full list of jobs and their limits, see what a tailor can alter.

Prices vary by city and tailor; our suit alteration cost guide gives the full table.

What do common fit problems mean, and can they be fixed?

When does made-to-measure or bespoke make sense?

If you are always choosing between a jacket that fits your bust and one that fits your waist, or between trousers that fit your hips and trousers that fit your waist, standard sizes are working against you. Made-to-measure adjusts the pattern to your measurements; bespoke drafts one for you alone. Our guides to bespoke suits for women and online made-to-measure suits explain how each works and what they cost. For the men's equivalent of these checks, see how a suit jacket should fit.

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