Is a full canvased suit worth it?

[paperfire]

Hi all, I am in the process of ordering made to measure suits and have to decide whether to get the suit half-canvassed or full-canvassed. The company has a deal where they are charging $420 for the half-canvassed suit, while the full-canvassed suit costs $775. Full canvassing also comes with pick stitching and decorative lining for what its worth. Is the full-canvass suit worth it, or is the half-canvass fine? How much of a difference is there?

 

[othertravel]

The more important question is which company?

 

[paperfire]

They are a local tailoring company.

 

[othertravel]

If it's your first suit from them, I recommend doing the half canvass option first. That way if it doesn't come out well, you're not out the extra $300+.

Also, try to find reviews of their prior work.

 

[Caustic Man]

Assuming they do decent work, use decent materials, and guarantee your satisfaction, full canvass is definitely worth it if you can afford it. If you cannot, half canvass is not bad. Avoid fused if at all possible.

 

[RogerP]

Quote:
+1

 

[add911_11]

It is worth the extra for a fully canvassed suit, even more if they hand padded the whole chest and lapels.

 

[ckgs]

In short, yes. The real problem is once you start wearing fully canvassed suits that's all you will want.

 

[VinnyMac]

In short, it depends on who it's from and how much you have to pay for it. A two or three hundred dollar difference isn't a big deal, but is it a good idea to spend $800 for a suit from that particular retailer? I don't know. There's no standard "yes" or "no" answer.

 

[JTA]

Just my two cents.

Too many factors to be considered nevertheless in general a good fitted fused jacket is better then a fully canvassed ill fitted one.
If all factors are equal then yes, fully canvassed is better.

 

[Caustic Man]

a good fitted fused jacket is better then a fully canvassed ill fitted one.

Any piece can be altered (within certain confines). Nothing can ever be unfused.

 

[Bounder]



a good fitted fused jacket is better then a fully canvassed ill fitted one.

Not to pick on you but I see variations of this argument all the time and I find it quite annoying. Yes, and? You might as well point out that a poorly-fitted suit with pants is better than a well-fitted suit without pants. I do not think this comes as much of a revelation.

It is particularly annoying here as one of the functions of canvassing is to make the suit fit better. A jacket that doesn't fit, doesn't fit. No amount of complicated internal construction will make it fit. Assuming, however, that the jacket fits -- using whatever tolerances you want to use to define that -- a fully canvassed jacket will look better than a fused jacket. Theoretically, a fully-canvassed jacket will also last longer than a fused jacket. Though modern fusibles are much better than they used to be and suiting fabric is somewhat less robust than it used to be, thereby making that particular advantage of canvassing largely moot.

If you aren't going to get a jacket that fits, why get it at all, with or without canvassing? I would be much more inclined to learn whether they can make up a decent jacket on someone else's dime rather than my own. Translation: get a look at what they have made for other people before you try them out. Ask a lot of questions. Where are they having their MTM done? Samuelsohn? (Not very likely) Some random factory in China? etc.

 

[punchdrunkwelle]

A fully canvassed suit definitely makes it look good but if it doesn't fit you well it would be such a waste of money.

 

[JTA]



Not to pick on you but I see variations of this argument all the time and I find it quite annoying. Yes, and? You might as well point out that a poorly-fitted suit with pants is better than a well-fitted suit without pants. I do not think this comes as much of a revelation.

It is particularly annoying here as one of the functions of canvassing is to make the suit fit better. A jacket that doesn't fit, doesn't fit. No amount of complicated internal construction will make it fit. Assuming, however, that the jacket fits -- using whatever tolerances you want to use to define that -- a fully canvassed jacket will look better than a fused jacket. Theoretically, a fully-canvassed jacket will also last longer than a fused jacket. Though modern fusibles are much better than they used to be and suiting fabric is somewhat less robust than it used to be, thereby making that particular advantage of canvassing largely moot.

If you aren't going to get a jacket that fits, why get it at all, with or without canvassing? I would be much more inclined to learn whether they can make up a decent jacket on someone else's dime rather than my own. Translation: get a look at what they have made for other people before you try them out. Ask a lot of questions. Where are they having their MTM done? Samuelsohn? (Not very likely) Some random factory in China? etc.

Chill out mate, each to their own. I've reached a point where I don't really care anymore whether my jacket is unstructured, fused, half canvassed or fully canvassed. If I like the fit, fabric, color and price then I will take it.

One of my fave jacket in the past was a fused RL Rugby jacket that fit me very well, made of a fabric that I adore, in a color that I am looking for and for a friendly price. That piece found time in my bespoke rotation.

 

[VinnyMac]

.... I've reached a point where I don't really care anymore whether my jacket is unstructured, fused, half canvassed or fully canvassed. If I like the fit, fabric, color and price then I will take it.

.....

Please start a thread, and teach the rest of us how to live