Advice for First Pair of Bespoke Trousers

[Jazzthief]

Greetings,

I have quite some experience with made-to-measure tailoring, but even these have derided from Suitsupply, thus far. Next week I am going for my first on-site bespoke threads and have decided to start out with trousers, as these are the garments that are in the most dire of need of upgrade in my wardrobe.

So, I am asking for any and all input the well-versed and experienced tailoring patrons. I am going to list all that I have in my mind, and am open to all advice and suggestions that you might have that I should keep in mind when going in for the consultation and fitting.

These will be casual formal (for lack of a better description) trousers that will be worn with sport coats and fine knitwear. I wear such trousers almost daily when not opting for chinos. They will be suitable for year-round wear and will be wool trousers in the weight class of 260-280 gms, if I do not opt for four-ply wool which will be heavier. Colour wise they will be mid-grey. I will steer to avoid details that will make the trousers too conspicuous.


STYLING

Waistband - slightly extended with a pointed end and visible button closure, "winged" side-adjusters that are on the lower part of the waistband, after-dinner split, 4cm height; curtained and with buttons for braces.

Fly - buttons instead of a zipper.

Pleats - double pleats, but I am undecided whether they'll be forward or reverse facing. I do know that I want them to be deeper than Suitsupply has, as those were simply too shallow and did not fit with my stronger seat (lol) which meant that they gaped. I think that Suitsupply has 2cm deep pleats. How deep would it be advisable to go? I quite like the look of Edward Sexton and Kit Blake, but have never seen any trousers by them in person. Kit Blake has 2.8cm pleats, I have heard.

Turn-ups - 5cm.

Pockets - side pockets slanted, back pockets jetted with buttons.

Buttons - dark brown horn.

Lining - half-lined, the lower groin and seat area reinforced to lessen wear of the fabric.


FIT

I like a more relaxed fit but with a nice drape to it. I am thinking of a leg opening of 21cm as I have been with 20cm hems, so far, but they still tend to stick to my calves. I will go for a high rise that will end my navel, as that is the actual place of my natural waist.

Length should be enough for the trousers to touch the back of the shoes, but have minimal break. I am not a fan of showing socks while standing.

Nothing more that I know to add in this regard, unfortunately.


So, what do you think, what have I missed, and what do you advise?

 

[nmprisons]

Who is the maker? They will have their defaults and preferences on the things you're uncertain of and I suggest deferring to them. This reads like a carefully thought out MTM order, but I'd view bespoke as less of you providing specifics (21cm leg opening) and more of your maker (assuming you've picked a competent one) helping guide you towards decisions that work overall for the garment.

I personally dislike button fly trousers. I find it too cumbersome.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Agree with @nmprisons

Usually when I see bespoke go the most wrong it’s been micromanaged. Would leave any considerations of anything like pleat depth to the maker.

A vote for 4-ply for a first trouser. In addition to being a workhorse cloth which it sounds like you are after the weight is a good starting point for a test.

If it’s an English maker and you want double pleats they’ll likely be forward. If it’s an Italian you’ll probably get to pick but they’ll usually default to reverse.

My thought process (stolen from someone else a long time ago and I can’t remember who to credit) is that the first bespoke order is the makers. Leave the fitting to them, the detail selection to them. Then you have something within their style to modify from moving forward.

I pick cloth, pleats or no, button fly or zip, braces or no, turn ups or no.

 

[Jazzthief]

Is she a statesman/woman? Really, she slept with a prince, that is is..Nothing more, nothing less.

Who is the maker? They will have their defaults and preferences on the things you're uncertain of and I suggest deferring to them. This reads like a carefully thought out MTM order, but I'd view bespoke as less of you providing specifics (21cm leg opening) and more of your maker (assuming you've picked a competent one) helping guide you towards decisions that work overall for the garment.

I personally dislike button fly trousers. I find it too cumbersome.

Agree with @nmprisons

Usually when I see bespoke go the most wrong it’s been micromanaged. Would leave any considerations of anything like pleat depth to the maker.

A vote for 4-ply for a first trouser. In addition to being a workhorse cloth which it sounds like you are after the weight is a good starting point for a test.

If it’s an English maker and you want double pleats they’ll likely be forward. If it’s an Italian you’ll probably get to pick but they’ll usually default to reverse.

My thought process (stolen from someone else a long time ago and I can’t remember who to credit) is that the first bespoke order is the makers. Leave the fitting to them, the detail selection to them. Then you have something within their style to modify from moving forward.

I pick cloth, pleats or no, button fly or zip, braces or no, turn ups or no.

You wouldn't know the maker - a local, but a well respected, one in the capital of Estonia. As far as I am aware, their house style is quite eclectic and they seem to be quite forthcoming in regards to style details, but in hindsight I do concur that I will let them guide me more. My experiences so far have been with made-to-measure, so that is why I thought that it is necessary to micromanage. I will leave the details of styling to them then.

However, would you consider rise and leg opening to still be too specific? It is just that I have experience from MTM and RTW that 20cm opening just does not work for me.

I will take the four-ply suggestion into consideration! Thank you for the advice thus far.

 

[nmprisons]

I think it is smart and important to share your past experiences with the maker. I'd wear to the first meeting a pair of trousers you think fit you well and share with them what you like and don't like about them. You might also bring an example of problem trousers that don't work for you. No harm in that at all.

 

[Jazzthief]

I think it is smart and important to share your past experiences with the maker. I'd wear to the first meeting a pair of trousers you think fit you well and share with them what you like and don't like about them. You might also bring an example of problem trousers that don't work for you. No harm in that at all.

What if I tore my last pair of such trousers (from Suitsupply MTM) last week and now there's a gaping hole on my seat?

 

[JohnMRobie]

You wouldn't know the maker - a local, but a well respected, one in the capital of Estonia. As far as I am aware, their house style is quite eclectic and they seem to be quite forthcoming in regards to style details, but in hindsight I do concur that I will let them guide me more. My experiences so far have been with made-to-measure, so that is why I thought that it is necessary to micromanage. I will leave the details of styling to them then.

However, would you consider rise and leg opening to still be too specific? It is just that I have experience from MTM and RTW that 20cm opening just does not work for me.

I will take the four-ply suggestion into consideration! Thank you for the advice thus far.

I think dictating a specific rise would be a mistake. Ordering bespoke IMO is more of a discussion and leaning on the maker, their experience etc. So a discussion about where you’d like them to sit I think would be fine but I’m always very skeptical about handing out measurements as they have their own system to draft a pattern and what numbers I am using moving from a past project might not translate to how they’d draft it if that makes sense.

Leg opening I think I’d go about it by saying something along the lines of “I’ve tried 20CM leg openings and found they didn’t work and caught on my calf” or whatever the issue was and letting them figure out if they need to press some shape into the calf, draft the pattern a little differently or give you a wider hem.

 

[ladislav.jancik]

As mentioned above, I would specify only the necessary details, no measurements and leave everything else up to my tailor. During 1st and 2nd fitting you can still adjust some details and proportions, but it is important to rely on the trained eye and aesthetic sense of your tailor.

It took me weeks, even months and dozens of wears to fully appreciate the silhouette, the details and some of the solutions my tailor made with my pants or jackets. It was only while wearing my garments that I learned a lot and found out why some things are made the way they are.

 

[Jazzthief]

It seems that they currently do not have 4-ply wool in stock. They do have 2-ply wool, Scabal Tornado, 320 gsm, to be exact. Would in your opinion be suitable for four/three season use or is it more of a summer fabric?

 

[comrade]

The key is fit. I have many pairs of trousers but only two are bespoke.
They are over 20 years old and still fit perfectly, although the waists have
been let out to accommodate a more "mature" physique. When I went
to the tailor I brought along trousers that I liked in terms of details and
fit. Otherwise, I left the rest up to him. Unfortunately, he retired not long
after the commission.

 

[Tried and True]

Greetings,

I have quite some experience with made-to-measure tailoring, but even these have derided from Suitsupply, thus far. Next week I am going for my first on-site bespoke threads and have decided to start out with trousers, as these are the garments that are in the most dire of need of upgrade in my wardrobe.

So, I am asking for any and all input the well-versed and experienced tailoring patrons. I am going to list all that I have in my mind, and am open to all advice and suggestions that you might have that I should keep in mind when going in for the consultation and fitting.

These will be casual formal (for lack of a better description) trousers that will be worn with sport coats and fine knitwear. I wear such trousers almost daily when not opting for chinos. They will be suitable for year-round wear and will be wool trousers in the weight class of 260-280 gms, if I do not opt for four-ply wool which will be heavier. Colour wise they will be mid-grey. I will steer to avoid details that will make the trousers too conspicuous.


STYLING

Waistband - slightly extended with a pointed end and visible button closure, "winged" side-adjusters that are on the lower part of the waistband, after-dinner split, 4cm height; curtained and with buttons for braces.

Fly - buttons instead of a zipper.

Pleats - double pleats, but I am undecided whether they'll be forward or reverse facing. I do know that I want them to be deeper than Suitsupply has, as those were simply too shallow and did not fit with my stronger seat (lol) which meant that they gaped. I think that Suitsupply has 2cm deep pleats. How deep would it be advisable to go? I quite like the look of Edward Sexton and Kit Blake, but have never seen any trousers by them in person. Kit Blake has 2.8cm pleats, I have heard.

Turn-ups - 5cm.

Pockets - side pockets slanted, back pockets jetted with buttons.

Buttons - dark brown horn.

Lining - half-lined, the lower groin and seat area reinforced to lessen wear of the fabric.


FIT

I like a more relaxed fit but with a nice drape to it. I am thinking of a leg opening of 21cm as I have been with 20cm hems, so far, but they still tend to stick to my calves. I will go for a high rise that will end my navel, as that is the actual place of my natural waist.

Length should be enough for the trousers to touch the back of the shoes, but have minimal break. I am not a fan of showing socks while standing.

Nothing more that I know to add in this regard, unfortunately.


So, what do you think, what have I missed, and what do you advise?

Your plan seems fine…..with the exception of a button fly. I’d just a soon shave with a straight razor.😏


Oh, and Forward pleats……always…..