Bernhard Roetzel

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by Master Shake

Interesting. When I met with Tom Mahon, he suggested adding slanted pockets to add some interest to a solid gray suit. This was not what I had originally had in mind, but I had just seen "The Man With the Golden Gun" the night before, and I had notice some great suits Roger Moore had with slanted pockets in that movie. I also suppose the fact that I'm on the younger side of the spectrum had something to do with Tom's suggestion.


Well Mr. Mahon is authentically English. Slanted pockets are quite acceptable in England. Many may not wear them but they are positively received. Huntsman, Dege and the many hacking and military style tailoring firms have entrenched the slanted pocket in the English style. Now, ticket pockets are not well liked, that's more for the tourists.

 

[A Y]

Tom Mahon also spontaneously recommended hacking pockets as well as a ticket pocket for me on a grey glen plaid. But I had told him that the suit would be more for going out, and wouldn't be used for business (that's T-shirts and jeans), so perhaps that's why he made his suggestion.

--Andre

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by Master Shake

Interesting. When I met with Tom Mahon, he suggested adding slanted pockets to add some interest to a solid gray suit. This was not what I had originally had in mind, but I had just seen "The Man With the Golden Gun" the night before, and I had notice some great suits Roger Moore had with slanted pockets in that movie. I also suppose the fact that I'm on the younger side of the spectrum had something to do with Tom's suggestion.
The younger guys are more likely to be into this than the older guys, with certain exceptions. Ticket pockets are a lot more common over there than hacking pockets. The old London dislike of those on city suits seems to be fading. At A&S, every cutter and front office man in the shop had on a coat with a ticket pocket, all city worsteds. In ye olden times, that just would not have happened.

 

[passingtime]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

Tom Mahon also spontaneously recommended hacking pockets as well as a ticket pocket for me on a grey glen plaid. But I had told him that the suit would be more for going out, and wouldn't be used for business (that's T-shirts and jeans), so perhaps that's why he made his suggestion. --Andre
This is a UK-centric comment, actually a London-centric, view on business suits so you should keep it in context. Going back fifteen years to when I first started in the City hacking pockets were worn by the senior people with, usually but not always, peak lapels. Now hacking pockets are more widely worn as they have become available in RTW but are still not common which is why they are a nice detail. In the last few years hacking pockets have become more common as they start being available in the better RTW ranges. Ticket pockets on business suits are rather fussy and used to be a way to tell a suit was bespoke, again they are on RTW now so they don't even have that virtue.

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by passingtime

Going back fifteen years to when I first started in the City the only people with hacking pockets were the senior people wore hacking pockets and usually, but not always, with peak lapels.

Thanks for the comments. This actually helps me make up my mind for which pockets I should get for my next suit, which is going to be a vested, SB peak lapel.

Ticket pockets on business suits are rather fussy and used to be a way to tell a suit was bespoke, again they are on RTW now so they don't even have that virtue.

I've also read that ticket pockets are a good way to break up vertical expanse, which can be helpful for tall people. That may have been in Manton's book, or maybe somewhere else.

--Andre

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by doc_muller

People who teach style should not look like a bad mitten.

 

[passingtime]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

Thanks for the comments. This actually helps me make up my mind for which pockets I should get for my next suit, which is going to be a vested, SB peak lapel.



I've also read that ticket pockets are a good way to break up vertical expanse, which can be helpful for tall people. That may have been in Manton's book, or maybe somewhere else.

--Andre

Very nice, but then I am probably biased because I have a couple of these, they have stood me in good stead over the years.

I'm not keen on ticket pockets, but that's a personal prejudice. You could consider using the vest to break up your height rather than a ticket pocket. If you have a DB vest with lapels the strong diagonal will break up the vertical line, especially if like me you don't always button the jacket. You could ask Tom for his advice and if he thought it would work.

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by passingtime

This is a UK-centric comment, actually a London-centric, view on business suits so you should keep it in context. Going back fifteen years to when I first started in the City hacking pockets were worn by the senior people with, usually but not always, peak lapels. Now hacking pockets are more widely worn as they have become available in RTW but are still not common which is why they are a nice detail.

In the last few years hacking pockets have become more common as they start being available in the better RTW ranges. Ticket pockets on business suits are rather fussy and used to be a way to tell a suit was bespoke, again they are on RTW now so they don't even have that virtue.

This is what my research has turned up for me. It's a confident man or a natty man with a personal sphere of power who sports the hacking pocket on a city suit.

Ticket pockets I get the sense are the thing the English tailors make for foreigners, maybe it helps them identify them easier. Personally, I think ticket pockets ruin a city suit.


With the English it seems the color or shade of the suit is a lot more important than specific tailoring details.

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

Thanks for the comments. This actually helps me make up my mind for which pockets I should get for my next suit, which is going to be a vested, SB peak lapel.



I've also read that ticket pockets are a good way to break up vertical expanse, which can be helpful for tall people.
--Andre


Awesome Andre. What style for the vest?

I would say the ticket pocket might date the suit, whereas hacking pockets are timeless. And what's wrong with being tall?

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by passingtime

If you have a DB vest with lapels the strong diagonal will break up the vertical line, especially if like me you don't always button the jacket.

That's an interesting thought, though currently I'm leaning away from DB vests because the cloth involved (the LL Cloth Club's blue-grey flannel triple overcheck) may clash with a DB vest's increased formality, and I'm not sure I could pull off a DB vest, yet.

I'm also trying to reduce the number of novel elements in the suit so it doesn't look like Banana Republic commissioned it: it will already have fairly striking cloth, peak lapels, hacking pockets, and a lapeled vest. But I'll keep my mind open, and meditate on more AA illustrations before I decide.

Originally Posted by Film_Noir_Buff

What style for the vest?

I would say the ticket pocket might date the suit, whereas hacking pockets are timeless. And what's wrong with being tall?

I'm thinking of some kind of lapeled SB vest, cut fairly low. Nothing wrong with being tall, but sometimes a vast expanse of uniform cloth up top isn't too flattering if your proportions have a longer torso and shorter legs like me.

--Andre

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

That's an interesting thought, though currently I'm leaning away from DB vests because the cloth involved (the LL Cloth Club's blue-grey flannel triple overcheck) may clash with a DB vest's increased formality, and I'm not sure I could pull off a DB vest, yet.

You are doing a triple overcheck flannel in a 3 piece sb, peak lapel?

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

I'm thinking of some kind of lapeled SB vest, cut fairly low. Nothing wrong with being tall, but sometimes a vast expanse of uniform cloth up top isn't too flattering if your proportions have a longer torso and shorter legs like me.

--Andre

With that fabric, I would get a plain vest, people might not notice all the detail on a complex fabric pattern.

 

[A Y]

Originally Posted by Film_Noir_Buff

You are doing a triple overcheck flannel in a 3 piece sb, peak lapel?

Sorry man --- that's the way it is.

Thanks for the vest advice. Having too much stuff going on is what worries me.

--Andre

 

[Film Noir Buff]

Originally Posted by Andre Yew

Sorry man --- that's the way it is.

Thanks for the vest advice. Having too much stuff going on is what worries me.

--Andre


Is there a jpeg of the fabric you could show us? I only saw the apparel arts plate. It is not a bad rule of thumb to actually reduce the number of bells and whistles the more complex the fabric pattern or colors become. There are always exceptions. I imagine that you have to be happy with the suit but what was your intended purpose and hoped for reaction to it?

 

[Will]

I don't believe the fabric has been woven yet. Once it has arrived, we're in a for a small deluge of three piece SBs with peaked lapels thanks to the AA drawing.

 

[Manton]

Originally Posted by Will

Once it has arrived, we're in a for a small deluge of three piece SBs with peaked lapels thanks to the AA drawing.
You have to admit, though, that such would be a good way to make that suit. I may nonetheless do mine notch. But still, straight pockets, no ticket, and an SB vest.

This cloth will, BTW, be bolder than the double windowpane I have that you said you would never wear.