Thick as Thieves ONLINE

[thomaspaine]

Navy wool blazer with MOP buttons in house cut. Half lined, pretty happy with it.

I have really sloped shoulders which I think is what's causing the shoulders to ripple a little bit.

 

[Slickman]

I think either the armhole is too small/shape doesn't work for you, or the jacket is pulling on your chest, hard to tell from photos

 

[ghdvfddzgzdzg]



What's the best way I can go about in fixing this problem I'm having? Not sure if its just the way my shoulders are or if its easily fixable

I have that problem in many blazers, and I think it can come from either of two things, possibly both: 1. a neck that stands vertical as opposed to tilting forward and 2. shoulders that slump forward.

A tailor can can at least minimize this; they'll pinch along the top seam that runs from your neck to your shoulder and take in some of that fabric. I've had this done with a number of tailors and it doesn't always come out great--the shoulders can end up changing pitch in the middle--so use a guy you trust.

 

[pogiguy]

Hi,
I'm new here and fascinated with the depth and breadth of information - good stuff! I'm about to spring for a Thick as Thieves suit based on the info here and the fact that he about nails the style I've been seeking. My questions have mostly been answered by Jason but I'm hoping for more info on specific fabrics, as he did not seem in the mood to go into details. Specifically, I am considering the mohair blend for my suit but since it's listed as an 8oz fabric, that seems very lightweight to me, which is a concern. Those who have tried that fabric or similar weight fabric from TaT, is it substantial enough that it drapes well? Does it carry into the cooler seasons well enough? My preference is for a heavier fabric, but if this one does the job, then no need to be particular about weights.

Thank you,
Harth
Portland, OR

8 oz is a lightweight fabric. Don't think it would be the best in the colder months.

 

[sk317]

I'm still selling my navy flannel MOP. Check out my selling list. Thanks!

 

[smoothmoose]

Shoulders are always tough. My TaT suit doesn't fit my shoulders well either. It's not a size issue, my measurement is correct and the same as suits that fit well on the shoulder. I think with TaT the shoulders are for a very upright stance, not even minor slouching. And it seems though I got my suit more than 3 years ago, it seems they still do not have much flexibility in making adjustments to the shoulders.

 

[Harth]

8 oz is a lightweight fabric. Don't think it would be the best in the colder months.

Thanks. I got the fabric samples in a few days ago and you are exactly correct. Very nice, but very lightweight.

 

[udinis]

Here are a few pics of the suit I got a few months ago. I was happy with it until I took it to a few tailors for alterations who all said that the fit was horrible and that there was nothing that could be done to fix it. However, most of these tailors are old men who seem to be pretty biased about the slim fit aesthetic in general...

I would appreciate any input about what the problems are and if anything can be done to improve them. To me, it seems like the main ones are that it pulls a little too much and there are also some significant shoulder wrinkle issues that nobody can seem to figure out. Note, I have since tried on a few off the rack suits, none of which have the shoulder wrinkle issue. Thanks.

 

[sk317]

I would let out your waist an inch or two. That's quite an aggressive slimming. Also, light shoulder padding did the trick for the shoulders for me.

 

[udinis]

I agree about the waist, I have also gained a few pounds, which has made it a little worse, just hoping there is enough fabric to do that.

The shoulders all ready have the default padding, maybe heavier padding will help?

 

[yummyarsenic]

The shoulders a tad too wide, esp. in the back.

Now that I live in Shanghai, it's really easy to find tailors that do what TaT does w/out the middleman (TaT itself) for about 1/4th the price. In addition to this you can change the armhole width and other stuff that's normally default for TaT. I recommend anyone who lives in a major Chinese city to check out the fabric markets here.

 

[simple80t]

I agree about the waist, I have also gained a few pounds, which has made it a little worse, just hoping there is enough fabric to do that.

The shoulders all ready have the default padding, maybe heavier padding will help?

Hi udinis,

Shoulder dimples (your wrinkle problem) are caused by issues with the size of your armhole. Something is making your armholes stretch/pull too much, which causes the dimple. It's a difficult operation to fix it, so you'll need a good tailor who knows how to take jackets apart and put them back together. The tailor should be able to spot where the hole is stressed and find a way to relieve it, but it will be expensive.

Padding actually has almost nothing to do with the dimples or what tailors call shoulder expression.

I hope you can get the problem sorted out.

Kind Regards,

 

[smoothmoose]

It seems like shoulder dimples are a common issue with TaT suits. Mine had the exact issue as well all the while being generally a bit boxy. Fortunately my tailor is good and was able to fix the shoulder dimples on suit and take in the waist a bit. But the odd thing is the sleeves on my TaT suit is still a bit baggy. I always thought that you cut the armhole based on your sleeve/bicep size. So it seem really odd that though the sleeves are baggy, while the armhole is too small.

 

[simple80t]

It seems like shoulder dimples are a common issue with TaT suits. Mine had the exact issue as well all the while being generally a bit boxy. Fortunately my tailor is good and was able to fix the shoulder dimples on suit and take in the waist a bit. But the odd thing is the sleeves on my TaT suit is still a bit baggy. I always thought that you cut the armhole based on your sleeve/bicep size. So it seem really odd that though the sleeves are baggy, while the armhole is too small.

Hi smoothmoose,

There is no necessary relation between the armhole size and the fullness (baggy) of the sleeves. Many Neapolitan tailors cut a large sleeve head and then taper it as it move down the arm to create the slimming effect.

The relation of the armhole to the sleeve is one of the more complex issues when doing alterations. A lot of tailors just don't want to bother with it. I won't get into too much detail, but MTM suits are cut from an established pattern, so even if one provides a number of measurements there is no possible way to account for everything, such as very sloped shoulders. A good bespoke tailor will take this into account because the pattern being drafted is just for you, but with MTM and RTW (OTR) it's best to see if you can try on a model in your relative size. Certain patterns fit certain body types.

This is why I highly recommend to my friends that they try a suit on. Like shoes, there's just too much that can go wrong and a good suit or a good pair of shoes is quite the investment.

 

[smoothmoose]

Simple, interesting info on armhole size and sleeve size. Agree with online MTM. It's tough and end of day your roll they dice. For me TaT didn't work out initially, after alterations, my suit is wearable but not my favorite by any means. I've gone through a few vendors and have still don't have my pattern nailed 100%, but is much better now.