Advice: Tom Ford Wetherby, Base T, Silk Black Sports Jacket

Morning/Evening SF Hive!

I should likely read threads before I make purchasing decisions, but still I wonder if this works. kinda like it.

I've got a new Tom Ford, 100% silk, base t (wetherby) deconstructed sports jacket in black with MOP buttons and patch pockets (pics to follow). The silk is done quite nicely with a subtle sheen and texture that the camera doesn't give justice to (close up pictures included.) - it doesn't look like silk, to me. Also light as a feather. I don't really see any people wearing this model on the internet because it apparently didn't do too well. In the lookbook, TF chose models that were too small for the lapels and I think that was a poor decision IMO. On a larger chest, to me the lapels look nice(?).

Now that said, a lot of SF is anti large lapel and black coloured sports jackets. To me, there are many types of blacks with varying texture and tone and features.

Does this look good? Yes, no? Could it be worn better?

Thanks!


*I need to adjust the sleeves. I rolled them here.






Am I pairing this with $30 wrangler jeans? Yes. Yes I am. Perhaps grey would be better.






Look at that colorful glisten.

Youre not going to wear a real shirt underneath?
It appears too tight in the chest and your quarters are gaping, so it's not draping well, partly due to the high button stance. This also affects the lapels; if the lapels were longer, and the gorge higher, the lapels wouldn't look so wide. The jacket's waist is too suppressed and the shoulders look overly constructed for my taste. The black color washes out your skin tone. But, hey, I prefer classical style with balanced proportions; different strokes for different folks.



ThomGault said:

Youre not going to wear a real shirt underneath?
It appears too tight in the chest and your quarters are gaping, so it's not draping well, partly due to the high button stance. This also affects the lapels; if the lapels were longer, and the gorge higher, the lapels wouldn't look so wide. The jacket's waist is too suppressed and the shoulders look overly constructed for my taste. The black color washes out your skin tone. But, hey, I prefer classical style with balanced proportions; different strokes for different folks.

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This is good input. Sometimes I wear real shirts. Sometimes v-necks. Just depends on the day.

The jacket didn't feel too tight anywhere and I have full ergonomics, so I didn't think of it looking that way. Sorry I'm missing this part, but the quarters are gaping? What are you exactly referring to? I know the waist is cinched more, but my waist is even smaller than that. Most of the time my issue is having to find a jacket that won't pinch on my chest and then bringing the waist in as much as the garments construction will allow for it.

Now if it's looking too constructed and off proportion, then maybe I won't roll with it.

Interesting, I thought the black just created contrast. I never think of the whole washing out bit.

Thanks,

Ah, I found what gaping is. I see. If I seat the coat correctly, the gap does not occur and I can't actually wear both buttons closed (I won't) comfortably without the fabric tugging. The jacket's curved bottoms are aggressive at that area and that tells me the gaping is on purpose.

Rixon said:

The jacket didn't feel too tight anywhere and I have full ergonomics, so I didn't think of it looking that way.

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Rixon said:

Sorry I'm missing this part, but the quarters are gaping? What are you exactly referring to? I know the waist is cinched more, but my waist is even smaller than that.
The quarters are the bottom part of the front, where the two flaps of the jacket meet. In your fourth picture, do you see the large gap where your white t-shirt is exposed below the buttons? That's the gaping quarters. The issue is, again, exacerbated by the jacket's waist suppression. Normally, with a suit, you could have open quarters without much visual dissonance, because under the gap, an observer would only see trousers, but because you're wearing lower-rise jeans and a white t-shirt, thats what shows, and it creates a very discordant image against the black jacket. This issue would be fixed with a more natural drape, i.e. less tension on the buttoned button, or more fabric in the width of the jacket so that the quarters could hang more naturally.

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Rixon said:

Interesting, I thought the black just created contrast. I never think of the whole washing out bit.

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That's one of the reasons that black is a poor choice for clothing, especially clothing that is near your skin. Yes, it provides contrast---and that contrast, by default, means that your white skin looks paler than normal. For more information, check out this link, about 2/3 down (although the entire page is very helpful.): https://www.askandyaboutclothes.com/clothing/style-tips/practical-color-help/

One other note: I cant tell if the jacket is short or not. It should cover your butt, but it appears in picture three that your back pockets are showing, so the jacket may or may not need to be a bit longer.

As I mentioned previously, I'm a fan of classic menswear style, not modern fashion. Classic style tends to be more flattering, but it doesn't look trendy. The jacket's waist suppression is a key differentiator between classic and modern: you're obviously going for an extremely fitted look, but its disrupting the other elements of the jacket.

I see @ThomGault , thanks for the input. When I normally stand in the mirror that stress wrinkle doesn't appear, but it obviously is when I'm moving. Inside the jacket is about an inch of extra fabric at every seam. At the end of the day, I would easily get that adjusted. This is off the rack, after all. This would also reduce the aggressiveness of the quarter gap. I've noticed that TF seem to try and push for the opening from a fashion-forward standpoint. That said, his pants also run higher. My jeans are no longer the correct fit, actually, and without a belt they were falling in the picture. The coat does actually cover my gluteus.

I'll take a read through the link. I have black hair and I saw that as a compliment, but I'm listening. On the other side of the world where I grew up, paler is the aesthetic goal, haha. Perhaps that is why I am use to the more fitted. I grew up in Dubai and that's sort of the thing there. That said, I live in Canada now.

The bowed look on the chest seems to only really be coming in through the pictures. All of my pieces tend to look a bit like this and I've never put too much thought into it. My chest is barrelled and I had the impression that it creates a bit of a challenge for fitting jackets off the rack. My Kiton was cut for me and to me it looks similar: (Don't worry, I don't actually wear a v-neck with that.)

I totally understand about chest:body ratio. After wrestling in high school, my chest is developed and my waist narrow, so I have fitting problems similar to yours. (I've moved past OTR to MTM from a local haberdasher, which isn't as expensive as one might imagine.) Darting is almost a requirement, and it appears that your jacket in the first pic of your latest post is darted.
Your comments about differing social norms is very informative and helps me understand your perspective. All I'll say is that greys and blues are more traditional colors, as they usually compliment skin tones (as opposed to contrasting.) But your comments about your hair make sense, too.
If you're interested in learning more about classic fashion, check out Alan Flusser's Dressing the Man (https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449). Its a seminal work that should explain the basics with good illustrations.



ThomGault said:

I totally understand about chest:body ratio. After wrestling in high school, my chest is developed and my waist narrow, so I have fitting problems similar to yours. (I've moved past OTR to MTM from a local haberdasher, which isn't as expensive as one might imagine.) Darting is almost a requirement, and it appears that your jacket in the first pic of your latest post is darted.
Your comments about differing social norms is very informative and helps me understand your perspective. All I'll say is that greys and blues are more traditional colors, as they usually compliment skin tones (as opposed to contrasting.) But your comments about your hair make sense, too.
If you're interested in learning more about classic fashion, check out Alan Flusser's Dressing the Man (https://www.amazon.com/Dressing-Man-Mastering-Permanent-Fashion/dp/0060191449). Its a seminal work that should explain the basics with good illustrations.

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I see what you're saying. As I progress in my career, I'll certainly shift to MTM. I know it's not always too expensive, but I try to stick with full canvases pieces and that drives the cost up here quite a bit.

It is interesting with differing cultures. In Dubai, modern fashion and higher contrast is more normal. As if it takes more than a nicely tailored piece to turn a lady's eye. Similar in terms of cars. A Ferrari in Canada will turn many heads. That Ferrari would have to be solid gold or a vibrant pink in Dubai to get a quarter of the attention and notice that the Canadian one does. Even then, it's not seen as too unusual or outlandish, such that I wouldn't judge the driver as tacky or egotistical. I'd simply say, "that's a fun car." Same for clothing.

Thanks for the book suggestion. I'll certainly take a look through it.

Rixon said:

I know it's not always too expensive, but I try to stick with full canvases pieces and that drives the cost up here quite a bit.

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Even full canvassed doesn't have to be expensive. I purchased a fully canvassed mtm suit from h. freeman with holland and sherry fabric a couple years ago for $700. I dont know if canada would be relatively more or not.