Hey guys,

I’m gearing up for St. George next month and am trying to get my tri suit fit down (first triathlon season for me). I’m 5’8” and 142 pounds, but have broad shoulders for my height, which has always made buying clothes a bit of a challenge.

I picked up two tri suits to start, one from Roka (their Gen II apparel) and one from Pearl Izumi. I know Kiwami, Desoto and Castelli all come highly recommended on here, but ruled them out for one reason or another.

Pearl Izumi suit went right back. Size small felt way too short on me (was pulling down hard on the shoulders) even though I’m smack in the middle of their size chart.

I was hoping to get some advice on the Roka suit. The problem is I’m just not sure how tight the chest / upper body is supposed to feel. I know it’s supposed to be compressive and tight, but the Roka suit feels constricting in the chest (feels like the zipper could pop at any second) and also feels a smidge “short.” Is this how it’s supposed to feel? I’ve read in previous threads that it’ll loosen up a bit in water, but I’m not able to test that without being able to return the suit. I’m wondering if I’d be better served getting a tri top / short combo, even if the size charts indicate this size should be a good fit on me.

Here’s a photo for reference: Updated pictures here.

Any advice / thoughts would be super appreciated. Thanks, fellas.