Is it possible to take in 5 inches for suit jacket waist suppression?

[rhb57]

Assuming it'd one through the side seams, seems most tailors would say 3-4 inches would be no problem, what if I need slightly more than that, say 4.5 inch or maybe 5 inches, would be that doable as long as the pockets still have enough space? Thanks.

 

[Andy57]

Eventually the balance of the jacket would be compromised, if you attempt to take it in too much. I would think that 4 1/2-5 inches is pretty extreme.

 

[rhb57]

Eventually the balance of the jacket would be compromised, if you attempt to take it in too much. I would think that 4 1/2-5 inches is pretty extreme.

what do you mean by the balance?

 

[Andy57]

what do you mean by the balance?

I mean, in this context, the overall proportions of the jacket. Especially if it is a ready-to-wear jacket, the armholes won't be cut very high. Which means that if you took in the sides too much there would be a considerable gradient from the bottom of the armhole to the smallest point of the waist. It won't look right. Balance also refers to how the jacket hangs, front to back and to either side.

 

[dieworkwear]

I'm not a tailor, so can't say about the technical possibility. But I would also be careful about taking in a jacket too much, if only for aesthetic reasons.

Someone in another thread posted this video. I thought it was a good discussion of silhouettes. There's a bit in here about why you might want to leave some extra room in the waist.







Somewhere in this video, the guys at The Armoury also show how much room they sometimes leave in the waist. Pay attention to how the jacket looks; not just whether you can take a suit in.

 

[FlyingHorker]

I'm not a tailor, so can't say about the technical possibility. But I would also be careful about taking in a jacket too much, if only for aesthetic reasons.

Someone in another thread posted this video. I thought it was a good discussion of silhouettes. There's a bit in here about why you might want to leave some extra room in the waist.







Somewhere in this video, the guys at The Armoury also show how much room they sometimes leave in the waist. Pay attention to how the jacket looks; not just whether you can take a suit in.

"The suit should only follow the contours of the body, if the contours are worth following"



Great video, that explains why I'm favouring less waist suppression in my shirts and sports coats lately.

 

[rhb57]

I'm not a tailor, so can't say about the technical possibility. But I would also be careful about taking in a jacket too much, if only for aesthetic reasons.

Someone in another thread posted this video. I thought it was a good discussion of silhouettes. There's a bit in here about why you might want to leave some extra room in the waist.







Somewhere in this video, the guys at The Armoury also show how much room they sometimes leave in the waist. Pay attention to how the jacket looks; not just whether you can take a suit in.

Thanks, those are great videos. So here is my dillima, I have a 40R Canali drop 8 slim fit suit jacket and 2 inches were already taken in when I first purchased it. Recently I've lost 12 lbs and when I tried to pull the top button, there was about 3.5 inches of room which is bigger than my fist.
How much waist room should you have when you pull the top button? I was thinking about having 1 - 1.5 inches which means a further reduction of 2-2.5 inches.

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks, those are great videos. So here is my dillima, I have 40R Canali drop 8 suit jacket and 2 inches were taken in when I first purchased it. Recently I've lost 12 lbs and when I tried to pull the top button, there was about 3.5 inches of room.
How much waist room would you have when you pull the top button? I was thinking about having 1 - 1.5 inches which means a further reduction of 2-2.5 inches.

I would go by what looks good, not a number. You could try pinning the jacket a little to see how you like the look.

 

[rhb57]

I would go by what looks good, not a number. You could try pinning the jacket a little to see how you like the look.

Yeah I've tried that by nipping 2 inches down the waistline and it looked pretty good, my only concern is whether reducing slightly more than 4 inches is doable since it's a full canvas suit, but there is at least 2 inches between the rear end of the pocket and the side seam on each side.

 

[Royal_Airforce]

I second Derek’s point above - When you have a larger drop, it’s worth paying attention if your drop is more than what a suit / jacket typically allows (in dylan’s video he says 6 inch), and hence whether it’s worth following the body contour.

I would add the higher end of the spectrum where the drop may be viable - let’s say drop 8, being usually the maximum threshold where ideally you’d want your jacket to be.

When I took my friend to the tailor, he was advised to skip gym from then on since he already had a drop 8 body shape, and a larger drop (if contour-following is desired) would result in the jacket cut completely differently - in a womenswear pattern.

See Ali The Greatest in his heyday, dressed in a stroller - Does he have a steep drop and reverse-triangular body shape? Hell yes. Did his jacket have a large drop? No, since his shoulders and chest are so prominent, and the waist had to be made larger (creating the hollow space you see a la in Dylan’s video)

Admittedly, the viable range of drop can vary a bit on bigger and smaller man (hence the ideal proportion). A drop 6 jacket with a 32” chest at 29” length looks much more steeply suppresses at waist than a drop 6 jacket with a 44” chest at 32” length.

 

[Despos]

What are your chest and waist measurements?

Measure the jacket waist from the front edge at the button or buttonhole straight across to the center back seam. What is the measurement?

How about posting a picture wearing the jacket?

 

[rhb57]

What are your chest and waist measurements?

How about posting a picture wearing the jacket?

I'll upload pics when I get my suit.
The 40R(drop 8) fits perfect on my shoulder and I think I used to have 39 chest. I really don't know my waist, but there is room of 3.5 inches when I pull the top button and 2 inches were already taken in since purchase.

 

[Despos]

I'll upload pics when I get my suit.
The 40R(drop 8) fits perfect on my shoulder and I think I used to have 39 chest. I really don't know my waist, but there is room of 3.5 inches when I pull the top button and 2 inches were already taken in since purchase.

Everything you have said and numbers you use are irrelevant.
What matters is your waist measure at the height the jacket buttons. This is not the same as your trouser waist.
A trim, close fitting jacket will be 4” to 4.5” larger than your waist measure. If your waist is 30” the jacket waist measure will be 34 - 34.5”. The half waist will be 17”-17.25”. This is a close fitting jacket. Regular fitting waist will be larger than this. If you go smaller than this you get pulling and wrinkling and the jacket fits tight not snug.
Your method or reasoning about the waist adjustment doesn’t relate to anything.
Doing the math with the numbers you give makes your waist size 27” which is a 13” drop.

 

[acapaca]

Interesting! I did not know about those guidelines. What would be a fuller fitting jacket, but still not yet 'too' big? Would that be six inches or so of clearance?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

I won’t comment on the technical aspects as I lack the knowledge, but it strikes me that if a jacket is so big as to need that much waist suppression, it needs adjusting elsewhere, such as the shoulders.