In my ongoing quest to assemble a business/business casual wardrobe, I picked up a nice black Perry Ellis suit at TJ Maxx today. After dropping the pants off at the tailors for hemming, I headed home.
That’s when I noticed that rather than a 44 long, as the widget on the hanger said, the jacket was actually a 44 extra long.
I’m pretty much a men’s fashion tyro, thrown into this by the need to have clothes to wear come next summer and my life as a summer associate at a big law firm. Can I get by with the suit as an extra long, or should I spring for the tailoring and have it altered to the proper length? (I assume this can be done. It can, right?) I’m 6’1" and about 215 lbs.
Are you saying it doesn’t fit?
If it doesn’t fit… fix it (or return it). Especially if you’re going to be working at a “big law firm” and not just going to the occasional wedding/funeral/McJob interview. The sleeves should be short enough that your cuffs can peek out at least 1/4 inch when your arms are at your sides, and the back of the coat should be long enough to cover your butt but not too long or you’ll look like you’re wearing a skirt.
The coat should be approximately long enough that when standing straight you can just curl your fingers around the hem. Even if you get the sleeves shortened and the shoulders and chest fit perfectly, if the coat’s too long you’ll still look like you’re four years old dressing up in daddy’s clothes.
What I’m saying is that all I know about whether or not a suit fits is based on going to the store and having a knowledgeable gentleman or lady tell me that I should wear a 44 long. If I knew more than that, I probably wouldn’t have to come here and ask questions, eh? 
If I’m standing with my arms straight at my sides and fingers not curled at all, it comes down to about the first joint in my middle finger. My other suits come about to the base of the same finger, and, as you say, I can curl my fingers around the hem. That makes it several inches too long, I suppose, and the last thing I want is to look silly.
Can a tailor reduce the overall length of the suit, then? If not, I’ll have to try to put the brakes on the pants-hemming on Monday and try to return it.
Try the jacket on and see where the buttons hit on your torso. Compare that with a jacket you know you look good in. If the buttons on the new jacket are lower, don’t even try to have the jacket tailored. It just won’t look right.