Admire my first jantzen shirt!

[gregory]

Hi guys, I was ridiculously excited when I received my shirt this morning. Here are the pictures. I hope you enjoy them.

I would deeply appreciate any advice concerning my question in the last photo above. I'm still learning a lot about quality shirts from all the gentlemen in this forum. To me, the only reason to dislike the Jantzen shirt is the fabric quality (nothing to be ashamed of, but could be better) and the collar construction. With this in mind, would there be any reason someone would still like to buy shirts from T&A, H&K, Lorenzini, Borelli and Brioni?? Thanks gentlemen.

 

[Ranjeev]

Hey Gregory, I'm hardly the style expert that many of our fellow peers on this forum are but I think the look in the last picture is fine. I will qualify that by saying I'd rather have my sleeves long than too short. That's just the way I feel. I really like the look of the shirt you ordered. I agree I with you about the red contrast on the collar but wearing a tie will negate that problem. Did you have to pay duty on the shirt?

 

[gregory]

Hey Gregory, I'm hardly the style expert that many of our fellow peers on this forum are but I think the look in the last picture is fine.  I will qualify that by saying I'd rather have my sleeves long than too short.  That's just the way I feel.  I really like the look of the shirt you ordered.  I agree I with you about the red contrast on the collar but wearing a tie will negate that problem.  Did you have to pay duty on the shirt?

Dear Ranjeev,

Thanks for your response. The last photo showing the shirt cuff is only achieved by pulling the shirt. Once I move my body, the cuff recedes back into the jacket, never to be seen again. The shirt sleeve will end exactly where my jacket sleeve ends. So do you think I should get longer sleeves for my shirt or modify my jacket to have shorter sleeves? The shirt is Jantzen MTM, and the suit is also MTM.

I'm glad we both hate the red thread on the collar.

I did not have to pay duty. The custom form says Shirt, Gift, value $8.

Thanks.

 

[j]

Looks awesome. I will probably order my first tonight as it's driving me crazy each time I see one of these and then I go into a store and the cheapest nice-ish shirts are $58. And obviously these are much better. In my opinion and personal preference the jacket sleeves are a bit (3/8-1/2") long. I like a little more cuff showing than most people do. And your shirt does seem short which is a common problem people seem to have with Jantzen. Having it taken out some at the cuff should be possible and not very expensive at a tailor. Also your cuff would be too loose for my own taste, and tightening it a bit would help it fall right, but that's even more a matter of personal preference. Value $8? That means shipping is like $35. What a ripoff.

 

[GBGB]

IMHO, I think you might want to add a little length to your sleeves and shorten the jacket a smidge (not a technical tailor term). One thing to keep an eye on it that some people, like me, have different length arms so check both arms for fit as well. I (unfortunately) learned the hard way.

 

[j]

IMHO, I think you might want to add a little length to your sleeves and shorten the jacket a smidge.

Didn't mean to steal your thunder on your first post. Welcome to the Forum.

 

[stuarts8]

Great shirt. Gregory. Looks very Elegant and by the sounds of things a good buy. Only problem is it is not French cuff, but then again I am biast towards them.

Stuart

 

[naturlaut]

"A Franc for your thoughts."
"In America they'd bring only a penny. I guess that's about all they are worth." ~ Casablanca

Anyway, my penny's worth of contributions here:

From the second last photo showing only your chin, I think the muted red stripes work really well with your complexion --- good choice. Don't worry about the red stitching; since it's a British spread, you'd probably be wearing a tie 99% of the time anyway.

About the sleeves, I think it's a little too short, judging from the picture when you are holding the camera: you are showing too much of your wrist with your arm raised. However, if you increase on the length, you will get into the problem of the sleeves dropping down to your palm when your arms are straight. So one thing you need to fix first, is the circumference of your cuffs. They are way too wide, again judging from the hand-holding-camera picture. A simple rule for measuring sleeve length: always measure down to your thumb knuckle (arms straightened) or to your wrist (arms bent), and always measure the circumference of your wrist.

How's the fabric?

 

[acole]

Nice shirt.  You got the same mitred cuffs that I did. When did you place the order? I'm still waiting for mine.  Say, it would be nice to have a 'MTM/bespoke shirts I Have Known' thread with pics of y'all's custom shirts...apart from being fun, it would be helpful to see how particular collar models actually look, see the shirting fabric as a complete realization rather than just a swatch, etc.  I had fun assembling my first Jantzen shirt, but I don't have a real clear idea of how it will turn out.

Adam C

 

[gregory]

Dear friends: I can't thank all of you enough for your comments. To respond to your questions: (1) The fabric is Italian 110s 2 ply. It feels substantial, it is lustrous, it is good to look at. It may be slightly stiff for other people, but I actually appreciate the stiffness as I do not like shirt fabrics to cling to my body. (2) I placed my order on Feb 7, the shirt left Hong Kong on Feb 18 and arrived here on Feb 27. (3) I agree with acole that we should have a thread where people show pictures of their MTM/bespoke stuff, or anything they particularly like

(4) Based on your excellent suggestions, I am thinking of doing the following, +0.25 inch for the collar, +0.75 inch for the sleeve length, -0.75 inch for the wrist, and french cuffs. How does that sound? Thanks gentlemen.

 

[stuarts8]

(4) Based on your excellent suggestions, I am thinking of doing the following, +0.25 inch for the collar, +0.75 inch for the sleeve length, -0.75 inch for the wrist, and french cuffs.
How does that sound?

Sounds really great Gregory. Go for it.
Stuart

 

[Alias]

I'm actually awaiting word on my latest shirt. I've asked Ricky to make some alterations to my measurements, including a higher armhole, slightly sloped shoulders, and a smaller french cuff. I guess I'll see how he delivers, once he responds to my email.

 

[montecristo#4]

I agree on the comment of cuff being too wide and also concur that your shirt sleeve is not long enough.

Cuff: Basically should be big enough so that it stops at the intersection where the very base of your thumb hits your hand. You should almost, but not quite, be able to pull your hand through a properly fitted cuff once it is buttoned.

Length: Hold one of your arms forward in front of your chest and then bend it at a right angle across your body. The shirt should have enough length in the sleeve so that the cuff doesn't move from it's proper position on the wrist. Another way to look at this is to pinch the loose fabric in the sleeve when your arm is resting at your side (again so the cuff doesn't move and rests properly on your wrist). Typically on my shirts, I like about 1.5" inches of pinched fabric in the sleeve to give me some room for movement.

The jacket sleeve may be a little long--tough to tell from that picture.

The interesting point that a lot of men miss is that unless you have a well fitting shirt in collar and sleeve, it's difficult to tailor a jacket properly. Start with the shirt.

I am waiting for my Jantzen shirt as well. Funny I ordered before you but it still hasn't been delivered.

Regards,
Montecristo#4

 

[BjornH]

(4) Based on your excellent suggestions, I am thinking of doing the following, +0.25 inch for the collar, +0.75 inch for the sleeve length, -0.75 inch for the wrist, and french cuffs.
How does that sound?

Gregory,

I would wash the shirt one or two times and then form an opinion on how much to lengthen the sleeves and the collar. My guess is at least a full inch to the arms and if the collar is tight on first wearing before washing then you probably need 1/2 an inch or even more. Really cool shirt btw .

I second the suggestion for a display case for our MTM stuff. It would be a great source of ideas for us.

B

 

[gregory]

Gregory, I would wash the shirt one or two times and then form an opinion on how much to lengthen the sleeves and the collar. My guess is at least a full inch to the arms and if the collar is tight on first wearing before washing then you probably need 1/2 an inch or even more. Really cool shirt btw . I second the suggestion for a display case for our MTM stuff. It would be a great source of ideas for us. B

Dear Bjorn: Thanks for your advice. I have done exactly as you suggested (washed my shirt). I measured the tip of my sleeve when my hands are relaxed by the side of my body, and the length of where my shirt cuff ends and where my thumb begins is 1.75 inches, so I think I will ask Ricky to add 1.75 inches to the sleeve length. If it turns out to be too long, I will simply take it to a local tailor for alteration (whereas I would be in bigger trouble if it turns out to be too short). Upon more careful examination, I have also decided to (a) reduce the cuff wrist size by 0.5 inches instead of the 0.75 inches I thought of earlier, (b) leave the collar neck size as it is instead of reducing it by 0.25 inches as I thought of earlier, and Â

reduce the total shoulder length by 0.25 inches as currently the shoulder/sleeve seam seems to fall down slightly.