Hello and Advice appreciated on this tailoring.

[Vizard]

Firstly, hello everyone.

Secondly, one of the tailors I use has made me a chalk stripe suit (MTM not bespoke). He promised me that the stripe would match up on the lapel. However it doesn't, and he is now saying it never could, without the back being out of alignment. I have had one opinion that says yes it can, but no explanation. Could anyone here with experience please comment?

If it can be done, how? I am calling him again on Monday and want to know what I am talking about!

Many thanks

 

[papado]

What do you mean by 'stripe would match up on lapel'? Do you mean the stripes on the lapel would tie perfectly into the collar stripes on the front? I just checked a couple of my striped rtw suits (isaia, zegna, orazio) and I can occasionally see one of the stripes matching but i'd venture that is more so lucky than on purpose. Most bespoke suits I've seen don't have those stripes matched so I'm not sure where you've seen that it is done on high quality clothing with appropriate pattern design.

It appears they did indeed keep the stripes whole/intact on the lapels so It follows some basic pattern principles. If it fits you well I'm not sure if your complaint is really valid. Perhaps others can chime in but I think this not a valid concern.

 

[Crispyj]

Of course it will not align every step along the collar. The collar is contoured with your neck, in a curve. The stripe, thus, is in a different angle and a different distance between the stripes compared to the stripes on the lapel.
If you want the stripes to match up on the lapel, the stripes on the lapel would not be parallel with the lapel. Which would really look weird.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

This is....actually pretty good. Look at how the stripes on the collar match the back; you'd be surprised at how frequently they do not match. If you don't like how the collar and the lapel's stripes don't line up, as others have said, it's actually not possible unless your body shape just happens to match the spacing of the lines in the fabric, which would be extremely unlikely.

With patterns in general, all you can expect is that (assuming your shoulders are symmetrical) the left side is a reflection of the right side. Places where this might be off include where the collar attaches to the lapel, the lapels themselves, and the front darts. With your jacket, I don't see any obvious problems.They were even cool enough to make it so that the stripe on the hip pocket lines up with where the two stripes about the front dart comes together; that's pretty nifty. Don't stress and enjoy your new suit!

Edit: now there IS one symmetry issue if I were to nitpick. On double breasted peak lapel jackets, you will frequently see two boutonniere holes, one on each lapel, to maintain the symmetry. Might want to ask your tailor to open it up for you? That's what I would do, but this is more a patter of preference than anything else.

 

[JohnMRobie]

Here’s a close up as a visualization others mentioned on one of my chalk stripes which shows even if you line one of the stripes up it will get thrown off along the way in many cases with the curvature and angles they’re cut at. And on a finer stripe but double breasted where it happens again (and showing the two boutonniere holes on the lapel that were mentioned).

 

[Vizard]

Thanks guys.

I have seen this done, but it may be that the cloth / stripe measurements just happened to work out right.

 

[stuffedsuperdud]

Yea but look how the center-back seam is cockeyed. Also, the left sleevehead and the right sleevehead don't align with the body in a similar fashion. Your MTM jacket is vastly superior in that regard. Do you know what fabric they used, if you don't mind me asking? I've been wanting a blue chalkstripe 3-piece for a long time myself.

 

[Vizard]

Yea but look how the center-back seam is cockeyed. Also, the left sleevehead and the right sleevehead don't align with the body in a similar fashion. Your MTM jacket is vastly superior in that regard. Do you know what fabric they used, if you don't mind me asking? I've been wanting a blue chalkstripe 3-piece for a long time myself.

It's Loro Piana, I am sorry I don't know the code for that particular cloth. But if you ask to see the Loro Piana chalk stripe book I cannot imagine they have more than one.

 

[Vizard]

Hah, just by coincidence I was watching an old "Dragon's Den" this morning and look...

 

[breakaway01]

Interesting. Not a tailor but wouldn’t matching up the stripes on the lapel and collar simply mean cutting/aligning the front lapel facing correctly? @Despos

 

[Crispyj]

Why Align Oneself ? – Parisian Gentleman

Gentlemen, in matters of elegance, as in many other matters in life, common preconceptions die hard. Said preconceptions often seem to secretly rule the judgement of many a man. And what’s worse, is that no one ever seems to question their veracity, let alone their origins. In the realm of...

parisiangentleman.co.uk

 

[breakaway01]

Why Align Oneself ? – Parisian Gentleman

Gentlemen, in matters of elegance, as in many other matters in life, common preconceptions die hard. Said preconceptions often seem to secretly rule the judgement of many a man. And what’s worse, is that no one ever seems to question their veracity, let alone their origins. In the realm of...

parisiangentleman.co.uk

This I understand but it’s a different question from the OP’s. That page talks about the alignment between the front and back of the jacket at the shoulder. Similar issue at the sleevehead. I am not so sure this is true at the lapel and collar junction as I don’t think the two parts necessarily have to have any ease sewn in. But again I am not a tailor.

 

[Crispyj]

Spoiler

This I understand but it’s a different question from the OP’s. That page talks about the alignment between the front and back of the jacket at the shoulder. Similar issue at the sleevehead. I am not so sure this is true at the lapel and collar junction as I don’t think the two parts necessarily have to have any ease sewn in. But again I am not a tailor.

If OP wants to perfectly align his lapels with the collar, the tailor will have to change the way he attaches the collar. Here is my crude illustration of how the lapels and collar can line up. Left one will leave the first stripe bare, so the right one may be preferred. But I have no idea how tailors can work around this. @Despos will have a more professional suggestion than most of us.

Point of the article is to show OP that mis-alignment is okay, if you trust your tailor. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

 

[breakaway01]

no, I don't think you're understanding my point. When the lapel facings are cut, that is the time when the lapel pattern could be made to align with the collar. I don't think this is something that can addressed by alteration.

At this point the only solution that I can see would be to recut the lapel facings. But if the tailor has extra fabric, it should be possible. Whether it really matters is another question; the OP simply asked whether this is possible or not.

 

[Vizard]

If OP wants to perfectly align his lapels with the collar, the tailor will have to change the way he attaches the collar. Here is my crude illustration of how the lapels and collar can line up. Left one will leave the first stripe bare, so the right one may be preferred. But I have no idea how tailors can work around this. @Despos will have a more professional suggestion than most of us.

Point of the article is to show OP that mis-alignment is okay, if you trust your tailor. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
View attachment 1294674 View attachment 1294675

Haha, do I trust my tailor? I have several tailors. One I trust completely, one mostly and one not at all. They are all good for different things.

I spoke to the one I trust completely earlier and he said it's normal, forget about it.