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What Are the Pros and Cons of Buying a Tailored Coat?

By Karize Uy
Updated May 17, 2024
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Generally, the pros and cons of buying a tailored coat lie in one factor: the fit. On a positive side, the fit addresses a person’s specific body shape, as each person is built with certain proportions and shape. For example, tailored coats can especially cater to wider shoulders, in order to prevent a buyer from choosing a bigger-sized coat that can make her look frumpy than sleek. On a negative note, a fitted tailored coat can become rather ill-fitting when a person loses or gains weight. Tailored clothes are specifically sewn and designed to fit a person with certain measurements, and when a person’s shape changes, the coat may not look as good on her as before.

One con of buying a tailored coat is that it can be more expensive than off-the-rack coats, as tailors make sure that each coat is customized for each wearer. In terms of following a trend, a fashionable tailored coat can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. It can set a wearer to be a trendsetter when worn timely and appropriately. Fashion trends can change very quickly, though, and a once trendy coat can be rendered outdated quickly. In order to reconcile this problem, stylists would sometimes recommend a wearer do away with the trend, stick to classic and clean-cut designs, and simply dress for her body shape.

Wearers who are on the heavier side would find that the pros of having a tailored coat can outweigh its cons. When worn properly, the coat can hide unattractive bulges, such as the love handles and the saggy arms. Aside from hiding “body problems,” a good tailored coat can also accentuate one’s assets. A belted coat, for example, will further emphasize a person’s trim waist, while a thigh-high coat can show off a pair of shapely legs.

Another benefit of a tailored coat is that it can “correct” a person’s body shape and make her look more attractive. For instance, a person who has a pear-shaped torso, or whose hips are wider than the shoulders, can pick tailored coats that are straight-cut and feature details in the chest area to create the illusion of balance. On the other hand, an apple-shaped person can choose coats that feature an A-line and avoid those that have extra details in the front. In general, a tailored coat prevents many fashion dilemmas, but buyers have to pay a higher price tag for it.

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Discussion Comments

By gravois — On Dec 23, 2011

I'm kind of lucky, my frame seems to conform just about perfectly to a certain coat and pants size straight off the rack. I have never had to have a suit tailored in my life.

I actually went to a tailor once with a suit that I had just bought off the rack. He took my measurements and then told me that my suit already fit exactly as it should. I really appreciated his honesty.

By backdraft — On Dec 22, 2011

For me there is really only pros to buying a tailored coat. I think that a well tailored coat can make a man look his best. There is something very flattering about a coat that fits perfectly.

Conversely, a coat that is straight off the rack and only kind of fits can make a man look rumpled and unkempt. It costs a little money to get a coat tailored, but even a cheap tailor can improve the look of an inexpensive coat.

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