Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

sew a seam and press it open. when you look at the seam that is pressed open, you see the outlet folded back on both sides of the seam.
Sew seam and turn one outlet over and on top of the other outlet. Both outlets are on the same side of the seam; one outlet is overlapping the other. Lap seam is referring to the outlets overlapping each other. From the top or right side view of the seam, one side, the overlapped side is raised from the thickness of dual outlets and the other side is flat. The lap side is 3 layers of cloth, other side is one layer

UrbanComposition said:

Is lapped seams the same as pick stitching spaced from the lapel seam?

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I believe what you are referring to is called swelled edges. Typically a sportcoat/ overcoat thing.

Pick stitching, whether done by hand or machine, has longer stitches more widely spaced than top stitching (swelled edges) which is done by machine. Pick stitching is hard to see on heavily textured fabrics like tweeds, so if you see a line of stitching parallel to the lapel edge it's probably top stitching. It was a hallmark of Ivy League jackets in the 60s, then was in vogue for suits in the 70s....Joaquin Phoenix' peak lapel Joker costume has it for the retro vibe.

In the photo attached, you can see the difference between pick and top stitching on my jackets.

DWW also has a nice write up covering edges and stitches.

mack11211 said:

Pick stitching, whether done by hand or machine, has longer stitches more widely spaced than top stitching (swelled edges) which is done by machine. Pick stitching is hard to see on heavily textured fabrics like tweeds, so if you see a line of stitching parallel to the lapel edge it's probably top stitching. It was a hallmark of Ivy League jackets in the 60s, then was in vogue for suits in the 70s....Joaquin Phoenix' peak lapel Joker costume has it for the retro vibe.

In the photo attached, you can see the difference between pick and top stitching on my jackets.

Click to expand...

Swelled edges can be done by hand. It is on my bespoke work at least. But yes, machine top stitching is kind of a thing in itself.

mack11211 said:

Pick stitching, whether done by hand or machine, has longer stitches more widely spaced than top stitching (swelled edges) which is done by machine. Pick stitching is hard to see on heavily textured fabrics like tweeds, so if you see a line of stitching parallel to the lapel edge it's probably top stitching. It was a hallmark of Ivy League jackets in the 60s, then was in vogue for suits in the 70s....Joaquin Phoenix' peak lapel Joker costume has it for the retro vibe.

In the photo attached, you can see the difference between pick and top stitching on my jackets.

Click to expand...

Sort of, every jacket has edge stitching, it can be done right on the edge and almost invisible, or a few mm from the edge for decoration.

Ergh...

The Chai said:

Ergh...

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That's hideous. He should have just had a kimono made of that fabric and worn that instead.

Looks like he’s just trying NOT to be Bond for the moment as the event is for another movie.

Knives Out is a murder mystery. He's clearly wearing that to conceal a weapon.

I recall seeing a picture of Kevin hart in a rake article wearing a similar suit...either way is fugly

Silly question...

Are the Merino Brothers in Hong Kong a cloth agent? Has anyone ordered from them before, or can my tailor work with them directly for a specific cloth? Thanks

adding to the discourse about swelled edges. The "swell" is created first by how the outlets along the jacket's edge are formed. It is normal to trim one outlet (the underside) to be shorter than the top outlet. This creates a layering of the outlet to make it thinner and smoother and not create a thick ridge along the edge.
You skip trimming the outlet to create a swelled edge. Both outlets are the same length creating a uniform thickness. If the cloth isn't dense or is too thin I add a hefty edge tape to create more bulk. Stitching on the edge of the outlet compresses the cloth and by contrast creates a swelled effect. The stitch can be done by hand which is pic stitching or by machine which is called machine stitching. Either method can be considered top stitching.

Pattern aside...is 3.5 meters the "typical" amount of cloth for a two piece suit? I plan to also ask my tailor directly but I'm looking to source my own CMT fabric.

I'm 6 feet (182 cm) in height, and I weigh 180 lbs (81 kg). Thanks

It also depends on the pattern. take 4m to be safe.