Jacket Fit and Sizing
How a Bomber Jacket Should Fit a Man
A bomber should fit a man close with room to move, seams on the shoulder tip. See what to adjust if you are slim, broad, heavier, short or tall.
A bomber jacket should fit a man close through the chest with room to move, with the shoulder seams on the tip of the shoulder and the ribbed cuffs and hem snug but not stretched. Sleeves reach the wrist bone and the hem stops around the waistband or hip. What changes from man to man is your build, so this guide shows what to adjust if you are slim, broad-shouldered, heavier, short or tall.
This page is part of our jacket fit and size guide. For the try-on test of each zone, use the zone-by-zone bomber fit check.
Key takeaways- Get the shoulders right first; the seam belongs on the shoulder tip whatever your build.- If your waist or belly measures more than your chest, size for the belly.- Style guides disagree on which builds suit a bomber best, so judge the jacket on you, not on a body-type label.- Shorter men can use the ribbed cuff to absorb a little extra sleeve.
The men's bomber fit in brief
Men's bombers are usually cut with a straighter torso and squared shoulders, while women's cuts add waist shaping. That straight body is why build matters more for men: the jacket does not follow your waist, so your shoulders, chest and belly decide how it hangs.
Compared with a biker jacket, a bomber is roomier at the chest and waist. The target is still close with room to move, and a higher armhole lets you lift your arms without the body riding up.
Bomber fit by build
Use this table as a starting point, then read the section for your build.
Slim build
A bomber is one of the easier jackets for a slim man. Both Rudsak and Nicks Handmade Boots point slim builds toward bombers or flight jackets, because the relaxed body adds a little volume.
The limit is the shoulder. If the seam falls past your shoulder tip, the jacket droops and loses its shape. Pick the size that fits the shoulder and accept a little room in the body.
Broad shoulders or an athletic build
Sources split here. Rudsak and Nicks both suggest that a V-shaped build (broad shoulders, narrow waist) suits a tapered biker or cafe racer better, and Nicks warns against loose cuts that hide the shape. You can still wear a bomber; just choose it by the shoulders.
Choose the size by shoulder width and chest, in that order. Then zip up and cross your arms: strain across the back means too small.
If a jacket fits your shoulders but swamps your waist, a straight men's body is doing what it was cut to do. A slimmer model or a made-to-measure jacket that also takes your bicep measurement is the way round it.
A bigger build or a belly
For broad or stocky men, Nicks Handmade Boots recommends bombers, with extra room in the chest and waist and no tight cuts. Note that this is the opposite of Rudsak's view that bombers mainly suit slim men.
Measure your belly as well as your chest. Sportsbikeshop's guide says that if your belly measures more than your chest, you size for the belly.
On Leather Collection's men's chart, each size assumes a waist about 5 in (12 cm) smaller than the chest, for example a US 42 has a 40.9 in chest and a 36.2 in waist. If your waist is close to your chest, your waist row will be a size or two above your chest row.
Then check the ribbed hem. It should hold at your waist without a visible dent, and it should not ride up over your belly to sit above your waistband. Getting the waist number right matters most for this build, so follow our guide to measure your waist for a jacket.
Shorter men
Bombers work well for shorter men because they are usually cut shorter in the body than other outerwear. Choose a slim cut rather than a boxy or loose one.
Sleeves are the usual problem. The Modest Man suggests sleeves that end at the wrist or about 1/4 in (6 mm) past it, and notes that a bomber's ribbed cuff can take up a little extra length. Avoid long jackets and heavily padded shoulders, which make a shorter frame look smaller. If the sleeves are far too long, shortening leather is work for a leather specialist, not a general tailor.
Tall men
Check sleeve and body length before you worry about the chest. Sleeves should reach the wrist bone with your arms relaxed, and the hem still needs to cover your waistband.
The tallest height on Leather Collection's men's chart is 6 ft 2 in (188 cm), for its largest sizes. If you are taller, or tall and slim, check sleeve and length on the jacket itself. Nicks Handmade Boots goes further and steers tall men away from cropped jackets toward longer flight or field styles.
Long or short torso
No size chart measures torso length directly, but you can control it. For a custom bomber, Leather Collection asks for body length from the base of your neck to where you want the hem to sit. Measure that line on yourself and compare it with the jacket's back length, taken from the base of the collar down.
| Build | What to look for | What to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Slim | Classic or relaxed bomber; adds some volume | Seams that hang past the shoulder tip |
| Broad shoulders / athletic | Size by the shoulders, then check the chest | Loose cuts that hide the shape |
| Bigger build / belly | Extra room in chest and waist; size for the belly | Tight cuts and a hem band that digs in |
| Shorter | The short body length of a bomber; slim, not boxy | Long jackets and padded shoulders |
| Tall | Check sleeve and body length before the chest | Cropped cuts, per one maker |
Close, classic or oversized for men
For men, Gentleman's Gazette advises skipping oversized bombers and aim for a close fit with room to move. Others treat oversized as a deliberate cut with limits: shoulder seam no more than one finger-width past the shoulder tip, sleeves no longer than mid-hand, hem no lower than mid-hip.
| Cut | Best suited to | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Fitted / minimalist: slim shoulders, tapered waist | Slim and shorter men | Too tight over a belly |
| Classic: close with room to move | Most builds | Shoulder seam position |
| Oversized: wide shoulders, loose cut | A deliberate look | Hem past mid-hip, sleeves past mid-hand |
Leather: fit the size you are now
Sources disagree on whether leather gives. Leather Collection says leather softens with wear but does not change size significantly. The Modest Man says it stretches somewhat. Either way, do not buy a leather bomber that is tight across your shoulders or belly and hope it will loosen.
From build to size
Your chest sets the size, with shoulder width as the check. If your belly is bigger than your chest, use the belly number instead. Our guide to bomber jacket sizing shows how to pick between two sizes, and how to measure for a jacket size covers the tape positions.
When your build falls between sizes
Some builds will never match one row of a chart: broad shoulders with a slim waist, a belly bigger than the chest, or long arms on a slim frame. Made-to-measure cuts the sleeves, waist, length and chest to your body, and a design consultant checks the numbers before the leather is cut.
For bombers, Leather Collection custom leather jackets include bomber cuts from vintage to slim minimalist and oversized varsity, in standard sizes US 32-50 or your own measurements.
FAQ
What body type do bomber jackets look good on?
Style guides do not agree. Rudsak links bombers with slim builds, while Nicks Handmade Boots recommends them for slim and for broad or stocky men. Bombers also suit shorter men because of their short body. The fit of the shoulders and chest matters more than the label.
Are bomber jackets supposed to be short?
Yes. A bomber is cut short in the body compared with most outerwear. The hem should cover your waistband and should not reach your seat.
leatheride Editorial Team
leatheride articles are researched from published sources, cited in the text, and reviewed before publication.