There's just one place to start when finding a suit jacket or sport coat that fits properly: the back, or the yoke, of the coat.

If the jacket doesn't fit across the back, from shoulder to shoulder, all the tailoring skill in the world won't fix it, according to Keith Novorr, owner of Michael's Fine Clothes for Men in Kansas City.

A properly fit coat will lie flat against the chest when buttoned. If it's too tight, the lapels will puff out. "So many, many men are walking around with an ill-fitting suit," he said.

His measuring rules of thumb:

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For sleeves: There should be four inches from the bottom of the thumb to the bottom of the sleeve.•

For jacket length: Old rule of thumb: A man's hand, held at a 90-degree angle toward his body, should touch the bottom of the coat. Now, because everyone wants to look taller and thinner, jackets are tailored longer: About an inch longer than the bottom of the fingers when the arms are down, in a relaxed position.•

For pant hems: Holding a ruler against the back of each pant leg, use tailor's chalk to mark the pant 12 inches up from the floor. Drop down 10C\v inches from that mark and use that as the bottom of the hem. Measure both legs; many people have one leg that is longer than the other. Measurements will be more accurate if the man wears the shoes he'll use with the pants.