Hello! New here, first custom suit question

[UTVol085]

Hello everyone! Great place here, especially for us looking for good info on clothes outside of a magazine.

I just got fitted for a suit at Paris Tailors in Seoul the other day. Felt to see the thickness and was pretty sure there were three layers to the left of the buttons; apparently it is a fully canvassed suit. Another poster mentioned them here

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...852#post775852

The cloth is navy pinstripe 170's 3-piece. Chose a natural shouldered 2 button peak lapel with 5-button peak lapel vest , 4 button working cuffs, right ticket pocket, double vents, flat fronted cuffless pants, along with a shirt and tie for 600,000 won ($650+/-). The pants I requested to be bootcut (gently tapered out past the knee, not drastic). Is this look okay or should anything be changed? I pretty much told him every feature and he put down the sketches.

My question is this: Is that a good deal? Since I have only three weeks left for my study abroad program need to choose whether or not to order one more suit, since it is very expensive to get a custom (MTM?) fully canvassed suit in the USA for a college student. Granted I only own two suits, both RTW but can't stand seeing someone in an ill-fitted suit which is the majority of suits, and almost every college students in particular. These will be for job interviews as well.

The other suit would be a grey pinstripe 3-piece with notched lapels but otherwise the same.

Also, is it proper to get the vest back to match the jacket lining and would red be too bold for the blue suit by drawing a lot of attention to the back of my vest? Figured it would be fun. One member suggested blue-grey which sounded good.

So far just the cloth and initial measurements were taken but tomorrow I go for the first of 3 fittings. Any suggstions? I really want a nicely tapered suit (22 years old, 5'10 150lb, so not a big guy) similar to the RLPL cuts.

I really apologize for the length. Sooo many questions!

 

[GBR]

Originally Posted by UTVol085

Hello everyone! Great place here, especially for us looking for good info on clothes outside of a magazine.

I just got fitted for a suit at Paris Tailors in Seoul the other day. Felt to see the thickness and was pretty sure there were three layers to the left of the buttons; apparently it is a fully canvassed suit. Another poster mentioned them here

http://www.styleforum.net/showthread...852#post775852



The other suit would be a grey pinstripe 3-piece with notched lapels but otherwise the same.

Also, is it proper to get the vest back to match the jacket lining and would red be too bold for the blue suit by drawing a lot of attention to the back of my vest? Figured it would be fun. One member suggested blue-grey which sounded good.

!


No that's OK, some won't like it but don't worry unduly about that.

 

[keykoo]

Boot...cut? Sad.

 

[emptym]

It all depends on what you want to use the suit for and for how long.

The suit you've designed may be in style now (but bell-bottomed pants w/ a suit is news to me, or a flashback to the 70's), but it won't be for long. Plus, the fineness of the fabric means it won't be very durable. If you want something for the clubs for a couple of years, this is it. If you want something to use for interviews when you graduate and to become a staple of your wardrobe, this it isn't

10+ yrs ago, I was in a similar situation as you, but in Thailand and the Philippines.
I had some things made, incl. a suit w/ a burgandy lining, one w/ a chinese vest w/ frog buttons, very full but tapered pants, etc. I often wish I had known then what I know now, so I could have invested my money better. A few of those things, that might be helpful to you now are:
1. the higher the # the less durable the fabric. Higher is finer, but anything over super 110 or 120 will be a luxury good more suitable to executives who can afford semi-disposable fineries like 100% cashmere socks.
2. a peak-lapeled coat is trendy now, and may date the suit. Same for ticket pockets. It's thought to be a bit more formal than a notch, and a bit more aggressive. I like peak lapels, but only for clubs, never for interviews. I don't like ticket pockets. I'd also suggest no lapels on the vest.
3. I was the one who suggested the blue-grey lining and would re-emphasize something like that or even more like the suit fabric if you intend to take off your jacket w/ the vest on.
4. For pants, I suggest getting two: one flat front, straight cut w/o cuffs, and one w/ one or two pleats, facing inwards w/ cuffs. If one, have it on the crease, if two, inside one on the crease. Sometimes Asian tailors like to put the pleats toward the pockets. Be sure to specify the width of the cuffs too. I'd say 1 3/8.
5. Fit, as you say, is what really counts. Make sure the collar is snug around you neck when you stand and sit naturally. Make sure the armholes are snug so that the shoulders and lapels don't rise too much when you raise your arms. Make sure he leaves room for you to grow an inch or three in the pants and jacket waist. And finally, make sure he doesn't cut the button holes on the sleeves until you're happy with the arm length.
6. If he does a good job by the final fitting, I'd say it's a good deal for a canvassed suit, and go ahead and order the second suit then. They can mail it to you.

 

[UTVol085]

By bootcut I just mean not something that is not extremely narrow at the ankle, making me look too "skinny" (again, pretty thin for an American so trying to make myself look a little less so). Bell-bottoms are definitely a "no no"; just a tad wider at the ankle because a very tight Beatle type ankle makes me feel a bit self-concious.

So no ticket pocket and no flared pants for the more formal grey suit? After reading in the forum it seems that LOWER supers are better (always assumed higher was more durable), so maybe a 120's wool in grey is better?

In all honesty, just want a suit similar to the Domenico Vacca style Arie Gold has on "Entourage". Jeremy Piven's suits are amazing and,granted I don't have $4,000 to spend on a suit, would like one to look similar to that in cut. The cloth will be vastly superior to a RTW but don't want to look like I went to Mens' Warehouse either, fit-wise. Can't stand seeing executives who are billionaire's I've met at school functions wearing clothes that "hang" off their bodies. Just seems like a lack of taste.

 

[emptym]

Oops. Sorry I said bellbottoms. I meant boot-cuts. I still would caution you against these for a suit. If they are cut full (9-9.5 inches at the knee and hem) and straight, they shouldn't make you look bad. I'm tall and thin too, and find full, straight cut legs to be best.

I'd go w/ 120's in a solid charcoal, maybe w/ a bit of heathering or "salt and pepper" as some say. Maybe a herringbone or bird's eye weave. If you get the peak stripes in blue and the charcoal solid w/ notch and no ticket, you'll have both a club suit and an interview suit.

Haven't seen Entourage. Should probably. I'm totally opposed to new trends. But I've thought more than once that I finally nailed down a look I'd be happy with forever, only to change my mind again. So now if I buy something that's even a bit fashion forward, I make sure it's at a deep, deep discount. Err on the side of the classics. You'll be happier in the long run.

 

[UTVol085]

Yeah I totally agree. Here in Korea "new trends" are everywhere! Why not wear a shiny grey jacket with black pinstriped pants and brown shoes? BEAUTIFUL! haha...

Basically I reviewed the Purple Label web-site and saw some suits that looked great, and feel that a 3 piece really stands out if it fits right. However, like anyother suit, a bad fit looks horrible and is definitely magnified when it is a 3-piece...so that's one major concern. So any suit I purchase will include a vest. Maybe it's just a personal phase.

The tailor will incorporate any features I request for the set price; basically price depends on material and it's the customers' choice from there forward. At home these options are out of my price range. Can't imagine going to a dept store after being able to choose every single thing I want. Is a peak more of "club style"? Just felt it was a nice little touch; never thought the lapel style matters as long as the overall design rather conservative. Maybe Howard Hughes 1920's stlye

How about the lining? Is a red-backed blue pinstripe vest ugly?

So ticket pockets are just a fad it seems. Maybe that will go away for the other suit. The only concern of mine is having pants that look too straight. Which is more conservative : straight from hip to ankle or the slight increase past the knee?

What do they call it when a suit's cuffs seem to get a tad larger than the rest of the sleeve? My largest fear is huge armholes and a poorly fitted suit. Honestly most RTW suits in my state (Tennessee) are pitiful...

Is this a MTM or Bespoke suit? Assume the former but you know...

"Ari Gold' (Jeremy Piven" wears Vacca suits, which are impeccable; probably the best-dressed person I've ever seen. But at 4,000+ per, and a sense of stlye, an amazing suit isn't hard to find.

Again thank you guys so much for the advice. It's so many decisions in a rather short period...

 

[JimInSoCalif]

Hopefully only you, your tailor, and perhaps someone wth whom you have a close personal relationship is going to see your suit lining and vest back. But, I think this is an area to have a little fun and I have some in paisley and some in stripes. You might check with your tailor to see what he has available.

Even though these are not areas normally 'open for public viewing',
I think I would tone down the red to something like a nice burgundy, or gray with a blue suit or blue with a gray suit, but its your suit so pick what looks good to you.

I hope you enjoy your new clothes, Jim.

 

[emptym]

I'm certainly not against vests, I just prefer vests w/o lapels.

Styles come and go. Peak lapels and ticket pockets are timeless to some degree but they are unusual and can be perceived as an affectation. They're trendy now, so they'll date your suit, but less than other things as, such as Thom Browne super-short coats and pants.

You're right that you have a rare opportunity now to get special details that you like, I'm just trying to help you make an informed decision. How classic or tendy you go depends on how long you want to keep the suit, how much you like particular details, what you want to use the suit for, etc. I just know that I wish I had chosen more classic details for my early suits. It might be sad if a year or two from now, when you have job interviews, you decide you can't wear the custom suits you had made in Korea because they were a bit too fashion-forward, and you have to go out and buy another conservative suit that you don't like as much.

The most conservative pants are very slightly tapered, from the top to the bottom. This makes them look straight. Pretty much all pants will taper from the thigh to the knee. Sometimes when I wear pants--like I recommended earlier--that are cut straight from the knee to the hem, friends who are used to the slightly tapered look will think they're flared/bootcut. Any increase in the width below the knee would be flared, bootcut or bell-bottomed and not at all traditional/conservative. The only time I can think of when this was common for business wear was in the 70's.

Flared sleeve cuffs are called trumpet or bell cuffs, I believe. Again, most jacket sleeves taper a bit. If they're straight, they'll seem slightly flared. The reason is that your upper arm, like your upper thigh, is thicker than your lower arm/leg. Italians tend to like tapered jacket sleeves.

Basically, it's MTM if they took an existing pattern and tweaked it for you. It's custom if they started from scratch with your measurements.

But let others chime in...

 

[alliswell]

Get the pants bottom the right size: it should be 2/3 the length of your shoe, or 8" if you're a size 9 US. The red vest backing might be a little much - I like the blue-grey and burgundy suggestions too.

One neat suggestion - if you're not intending to gain or lose weight - is to get the waist of your pants fitted with slide adjusters at the sides, and without belt loops. This is emphasizes that you had the clothes made for you.

 

[UTVol085]

Yeah just read a lot about the side adjusters and that is one thing that'll get added. My shoe size is 11-11.5, so does that mean a 9" bottom? That's the reason I asked for that type pant is because my big feet, haha! But now that I know straight makes them looked tapered it is another change. The vest is also supposed to be skin tight, but what is it called when the suit comes in at the waste and then goes out again to give it that really sharp early 1900s style?

The reason for wondering about the lining is that my vest back is the same color as the jacket lining (right style choice?) so when it is worn alone sitting down, etc it will be easy to see. That burgundy sounds like a really cool look.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[emptym]

Originally Posted by UTVol085

But now that I know straight makes them looked tapered it is another change.

Other way around. Slight taper looks straight. Straight can look slightly flared, as below:

Originally Posted by emptym

The most conservative pants are very slightly tapered, from the top to the bottom. This makes them look straight. Pretty much all pants will taper from the thigh to the knee. Sometimes when I wear pants--like I recommended earlier--that are cut straight from the knee to the hem, friends who are used to the slightly tapered look will think they're flared/bootcut.

An hourglass shaped waist is called nipped or wasp-waisted, as far as I know.
Vest shouldn't be quite skin-tight, but fitted.
I mentioned the burgandy lining more as a confession of a mistake I regret (slightly) than as something I recommend. My favorite blue suit is midnight blue with a midnight blue bemberg liner. But that's me.

 

[UTVol085]

Just got back from the first fitting. The thing is definitely fully canvassed, from shoulders to waist. The whole suit was just pieces of cloth held together, for the most part, by pins and the pants were simply a piece of cloth with nothing else added ("Basting stage?"). Same for vest, just front and back piece of cloth with the lapel. Specified no rear adjustment. Is this correct?

On the pants:

It seems the crotch is a bit too long"; is the proper style,or could this be due to the pants not being actually made yet or perhaps he's thinking of a less modern cut? The vest goes to the top of pants so no shirt will show...

Those bell bottoms: He said 9" ankles are proper and mine were too big at 10".

Ordered another one, sans lapel on the vest with a notched jacket in a medium grey/dark grey pinstripe with a faint lighter blue pinstripe in between. It's a thicker, more durable fabric. He pulled out books of other types that are available but not in rolls. Almost got a super-thick grey with white chalk stripe english wool but that was way to thick.

Actually went for a burgundy lining in the blue and a bright navy in the grey...
Thanks for all the help and everything!!

 

[emptym]

Sounds good. Hope you enjoy them!

 

[UTVol085]

Gracias. Actually meant Royal Blue, not navy. Is a single back right pocket decent? Searched the archives but no real opinions....