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The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

yywwyy

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Any comments would be appreciated. Also, could you tell me why I get some wrinkles at the back of my thigh on the trousers? I don't think they're too tight there, but they bunch up like that when I stand. I plan on discussing more with my tailor about this after seeing your comments.
 

Lord Mulberry

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Not sure to be honest, perhaps the trousers are just a bit roomy in the seat? Maybe the turn-ups are a bit long and stiff and the only place the trouser fold naturally is below the seat? It may even be the type of cloth used, some just fold or hold straight better than others. It's difficult to tell without handling them. Nice suit BTW. I should also point out that with all the suits I've had made I've never been 100% satisfied although I have come close. I think it's to do with no matter how you instruct the tailor, he will always interpret things slightly differently. I guess it's just human nature.
 
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a tailor

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You will get more useful feedback if you post full-length pictures. That's the only way anyone can get a good sense of overall proportions.


thank you s b
 

a tailor

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Any comments would be appreciated. Also, could you tell me why I get some wrinkles at the back of my thigh on the trousers? I don't think they're too tight there, but they bunch up like that when I stand. I plan on discussing more with my tailor about this after seeing your comments.


who moved the front buttons? it does not look right the buttons are too close the pockets.
the front lap is too wide for the suit. put the buttons back to the smaller lap and take in the sides.
thats the way it should have been done. it will look much better.
remove the jacket and check the trousers in a mirror. grab hold of top of the waistband and lift up.
thats what it needs. but it may be uncomfortable when you sit down.
wish we had a better look at the trouser without the jacket.
i see that you like narrow tapered trouser legs. but look at the right shoe in the front view.
the very narrow legs make your feet look huge.
although for some reason women like men with big feet.
 

JBG89

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Hello All noob here,

I have a non-standard body size (in terms of suit makes) and wanted to get a few thoughts on this OTR suit I picked up. I'm somewhere between a 37 short and long and may end up going the MTM route with suit supply.

I picked up this suit here for around 300 on sale/employee discount and am thinking if I should go the MTM route which will cost about $500. Any thoughts would be appreciated!

*Additionally, I've worn this suit several times before so it may not look as pristine as if it was new

 
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yywwyy

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who moved the front buttons? it does not look right the buttons are too close the pockets.
the front lap is too wide for the suit. put the buttons back to the smaller lap and take in the sides.
thats the way it should have been done. it will look much better.
remove the jacket and check the trousers in a mirror. grab hold of top of the waistband and lift up.
thats what it needs. but it may be uncomfortable when you sit down.
wish we had a better look at the trouser without the jacket.
i see that you like narrow tapered trouser legs. but look at the right shoe in the front view.
the very narrow legs make your feet look huge.
although for some reason women like men with big feet.


-Thank you for your comments. Some questions:
0. Previously, a different tailor took the suit in too much from the back and it was tight.
1. The new tailor I like very much moved the two front buttons were moved to give more room to the suit. Should I ask for them to re-move them and take out from the back? He will have no problem doing that.
2. Why would we want to use the sides? Since in this case, it was taken in from the back originally (source of problem).
3. I don't particularly like narrow tapers, but I've been working with my tailor to try new things. We went with a 7.75'' opening. Perhaps 8'' or 8.25'' will look better on me?
4. I've attached some pictures of the trousers.

They look like this:


I want them to look like this (help!):
 

Despos

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I got a great deal on this zegna suit but I just don't know if its my size. Basically, this is my problem. My chest measures 40 inches, but I normally wear a size 38 because I like a slim fit. The shoulders and chest on a 38 are usually a bit too tight. After trying on this size 40R, it is more comfortable, but it just seems too big all around.

Any suggestion on what to do to make it fit right?
Also, from the pics, can you tell if I have sloped shoulders? I've always been a bit curious about that but I can't tell for the life of me :)


Thanks in advance!
Any suggestions? Are the shoulders okay on this one or should I just go with the size 38?


Cannot tell if you have sloped shoulders thru the jacket. Need to see your shoulders. Did you try a 38 in this same brand and cut? Don't assume that every 38 will fit the same. You may wear a 38 from one maker or a 40 from another. The 40 here looks a touch roomy everywhere.
 

Despos

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Any comments would be appreciated. Also, could you tell me why I get some wrinkles at the back of my thigh on the trousers? I don't think they're too tight there, but they bunch up like that when I stand. I plan on discussing more with my tailor about this after seeing your comments.



They look like this:


The jacket seems like it was too large and then chopped up to make it smaller. The shoulder is wide and the padding too pronounced. The shoulders are exaggerated by the severe tapering of the waist. The shape of the jacket is lifeless in that it is reduced to hug your body but doesn't have any expression. The blades are still full and the back shoulder looks too wide. The jacket is tight from the top of the back side vents to the waist line. It is clinging in this area and shows the curve of your lower back onto your hips. Makes the waist position look too low on you and doesn't really define your waistline. See how the side seams sit on your hips? Did you have this jacket shortened?

The wrinkles under the seat are caused by the trouser not being balanced on you and nothing to do with how they are tapered. Atailor described how to check this.The front waistband dips down and the back rises up. The back part should be lowered by 1/2 to 3/4" to lift the trouser up and off your calf. This will get rid of the wrinkles. The crotch should be let out 1" and the seat line reshaped and deeper. The problem of altering this on RTW trouser is the change and angle of the waistband to the back pockets.
To get he line of drape like Vox has is from how the trouser is cut and balanced to fit you first and the taper second. Even if you have the same knee and bottom circumference as Vox, you won't get the same effect without the proper balance. What ever dimensions his trousers are may not work for you and your size. The trouser is too narrow as is.
 
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Despos

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Click for large size.

Executed alterations as marked in red from previous post. The problem was largely the disproportionate suppression distribution on the front versus the back, and that the back was 1cm too long just above where the ribcage ends. Also shrunk out the blobby bit between the upper shoulder blades. Going to sew up the side and start working on paring down the scye and installing the sleeve.


It's getting better. You were right about the proportion of the the back to the front. A little more shaping and relocating the waistline on the backpart will help more. I think you let out the undarm of the side and then helped the back part to move up and clean the blades up. I would let it out there about 1/4 to 1/2" more on each side. Raise the waist (smallest point of suppression) on the back and reduce it by 1/2" on each side. Put the waistline at least as high as the front button position or even 1/2" higher, just not as low as it is now. Measure across the blade from center seam to the top of the armhole of the side body. Let's say it measures 9". Make the bottom hem the same, 9" from center seam to the edge of the side vent at the hem. The idea is to define the waist line and give more shape by widening the back part at the hem. Creating more of this shape )(. As is, the back tapers from the armhole to the waist like this / and then goes like this, I,from the waist line to the hem. Sort of kills the line. The back looks like it dies on your hips and back part has no line. I think you have been trying to have a suppressed waist all along but the body is just getting smaller but has no shape or definition.

The balance still needs adjusting. Back is longer then the front, you can see how the hem line runs from the side view. Get the balance right before the tapering because shortening the back balance will shift cloth from the front to the back.
 

yywwyy

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^Thanks for those comments, Despos. Indeed the jacket has been shortened. The jacket was reduced in the back to bring it closer initially (This was a poor job done by a careless tailor), then let out by another tailor by moving the buttons.
This is how it fit after the first tailor finished with it:

Perhaps moving back the buttons & letting out the back or sides will help with the shape & tightness issue. I'm not sure if the other things can be fixed.


The trousers actually do sit evenly at the front & back waistband when I wear it. I took a picture with the back more pulled up to reduce the wrinkling. When the front & back are worn to balance, the wrinkling is increased and the trouser leg will be on my calf even more. Thus, I think that lowering the back part will probably exacerbate the issues. What do you think? On the contrary, perhaps raising the back part will help*? I care less about the back pockets than I do about getting the pant shape straight like Vox's. I plan on taking your comments to the tailor to try our best to fix this.


*In a certain position, the back wrinkles vanish:
 
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Despos

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It looked shortened but wanted to know from you. I think you would have been better served putting all the alteration money into a suit that was better sized to you in fit and length.

The way you get the wrinkling to go away under your seat is to lower the waistband on the back part and make the back lower in relationship to the front. It is not about wearing the trouser lower, it's about lifting the back up in relation to the front rise. There is actually another step to do it properly. After you remove the waistband on the back part, open the side seam and take only the back part in 3/4" at the top and taper into the lower thigh almost to the knee. That helps lift the back part up and straightens the line of the seat.The waist is let out at the center back the amount you reduce at the side seam. That's the way it is done. The result will make the back look clean.
 

yywwyy

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It looked shortened but wanted to know from you. I think you would have been better served putting all the alteration money into a suit that was better sized to you in fit and length.
The way you get the wrinkling to go away under your seat is to lower the waistband on the back part and make the back lower in relationship to the front. It is not about wearing the trouser lower, it's about lifting the back up in relation to the front rise. There is actually another step to do it properly. After you remove the waistband on the back part, open the side seam (which side seam?) and take only the back part in 3/4" at the top (Does this mean shorten at the top?) and taper into the lower thigh almost to the knee. That helps lift the back part up and straightens the line of the seat.The waist is let out at the center back the amount you reduce at the side seam. That's the way it is done. The result will make the back look clean.


Thanks. I think I understand the idea, but I'm confused by how this is done. Do you have time to use any pictures? It will probably help when I'm discussing with my tailor.
For example, I'm not sure what you mean but lowering the waistband to make the back lower than the front, but that the back should be lifted in relation to the front rise.
 

Despos

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Do have straight pins? Make a fold of cloth, 1/2" by 1/2" parallel to the waistband seam and the back pockets across the back part of the pant , from side seam to side seam. Try the trouser on. The back leg is lifted up, removing the wrinkles. Now cut this material out. When you do that the waistband sits lower, closer to the pockets. Then you have to let the crotch out a good inch, if the outlet is there, and deepen the curve of the seat to match the curve of your seat. If you have to explain this to your tailor, you shouldn't have him do the work
 

yywwyy

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This is very clear to me now. I'm sure my tailor will know what to do anyway- It's just that I need to bring it to attention. Thanks alot for the help!

If I want to improve the fit of the jacket, what are the main operations you would suggest?
 
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Despos

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These aren't the type of alterations that are typically done as they are issues of cutting for your posture and very difficult to do on a finished garment as the fixed points like pockets, buttonholes, etc., are located in relation to and distanced from seams and fixed points. To do so now draws attention to areas that should go unnoticed because they should be balanced and proportioned as a whole. If you had asked me to make the adjustments you have done so far, I would have politely declined. The jacket already looks chopped up and has lost its proportion and balance. It looks like you took a large suit and tried to carve it down into a new silhouette but the original DNA shows thru and prevents the transformation. The shoulders and blades are too wide and that is major surgery. The back hangs up on your shoulder blades. The sides need to be reshaped. Taken in some places and let out in others. The front button position, overlap and pockets look out of place now due to shortening the jacket and the way shaping the jacket was done. These points are more critical on double breasted.
May not be what you want to hear but that's what I see.
 
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