Is there a problem with my suit jacket.

[waterboy100]

First of all, this is my first post. I'll have to look around for a welcome thread to post in, but onto my question. I was hoping that you guys could help me. I have a suit that is a little bit old that I need to wear in a week or so, so I went and tried it on. My question is about the jacket. When my arms are down it fits and feels fine. When i raise my arms even a little bit the front of the jacket seems to pop out. I don't know how to describe it exactly so I took a few pictures. Is this normal? Is there something a tailor can do? Should I look at something differently when I buy another suit? (it is off the rack with some alterations if that makes a difference) Thanks in advance Ben I attached the 3 pictures so you can see what i'm talking about. If this is called something i'd appreciate you letting me know. Arms Down Arms Up 1 Arms Up 2 edit: aaaaaand i just saw the '(Official?) Fit Critique Thread' thread. If this belongs there can a mod move it for me

 

[pvrhye]

It's just a low armhole. They make them like that so 300 pound guys who's version of entertainment is 8 hours of curls a day can fit into them so they don't miss a sale.

 

[waterboy100]

Originally Posted by pvrhye

It's just a low armhole. They make them like that so 300 pound guys who's version of entertainment is 8 hours of curls a day can fit into them so they don't miss a sale.

Wow, quick reply. I figured it came from being off the rack. From looking through the other threads you guys seem to spend more on clothes than I do thus you get a better fit; amazing how that works

Is this something a tailor can fix? (though it would seem to me that that is the one thing that cant really be altered)

 

[pvrhye]

Unlikely. There are off the rack suits that have higher armholes. Try on different stuff.

 

[waterboy100]

awesome. thanks pvrhye.

 

[pvrhye]

By the way. In fit pics, try wearing a proper shirt. It makes it much easier to give a good opinion.

 

[waterboy100]

i was thinking that. too bad it occured after i took the pics and posted them. lol

 

[greger]

The bottom of the armhole is really low, the way most rtw makes so many shirts and coats. The better companies don't do that, but they cost more. Custom (bespoke) tailors make a better fit. The words Custom and bespoke are used by mtm nowadays, but they are at best customized and not true custom. Average mtm is a pattern that is adapted and then run through the system as any rtw, which means the armhole will most likely be rather low. Most mtm will have an after the fact fitting, which is backwards thinking. Real tailors will have fittings as needed during the construction, so the details of fit are on a higher level. The process of bespoke is rather time consuming, instead of mark ups and cost of advertising and being pushed through a factory as fast as possible as rtw and mtm, details really matter to the best of bespoke. Bespoke is really personal as it is made to thoroughly fit one person. Mtm makes some guesses about changing a pattern and then after the garment is finished make a few changes, and some of these are guesses too, this is not a thorough fitting. It is possible that there maybe a real tailor in town and that does not charge lots and might have different price ranges depending on how much quality you are willing to pay for. Sometimes bespoke cost less, though, up front it cost more, because the garments last longer. Well fitting means less friction. Friction wears out cloth faster. Cheaper garments have cheap fuse, and at the dry cleaners it can become unfused, this shortens the life of the coat. Some tailors use good fuse. For what I'm not sure. In the old days bespoke, which never used fuse, the garments sometimes look new, even after years of use. The better tailors leave some room for horizontal growth, since most people do sometime in their life get bigger that way. By letting out as needed the customer can wear that garment for more years. Good cloth is durable. Some cloth is expensive but not durable. Anyway, the options are more with custom, and like anything some are better than others.

 

[waterboy100]

thanks for the explanation. 1 question: what does mtm and rtw mean?

 

[Cant kill da Rooster]

Wasn't there another Waterboy? Are you him?

Made To Measure and Ready To Wear.

 

[mic]

Almost any suit jacket will look like that when you raise your arms.

 

[waterboy100]

Originally Posted by Cant kill da Rooster

Wasn't there another Waterboy? Are you him?

Made To Measure and Ready To Wear.

awesome. thanks.

and i just registered two(?) days ago. previously id never heard of this forum

 

[mic]

Suit jackets are, with few exceptions, not made to accomodate such maneuvers. Why not? Because you will never, ever, ever be holding your arms like that while wearing the jacket. If you are asked to do some heavy lifting, you will take your jacket off.

Forget about how it looks with your arms in unnatural positions and think about how it fits generally. For example, in the 1st picture, the sleeves appear to be too long. Fixable by any alterationist for $20-$40.

 

[landshark]

Originally Posted by mic

Almost any suit jacket will look like that when you raise your arms.

Originally Posted by mic

Suit jackets are, with few exceptions, not made to accomodate such maneuvers. Why not? Because you will never, ever, ever be holding your arms like that while wearing the jacket. If you are asked to do some heavy lifting, you will take your jacket off.

Forget about how it looks with your arms in unnatural positions and think about how it fits generally. For example, in the 1st picture, the sleeves appear to be too long. Fixable by any alterationist for $20-$40.

I agree.

Jackets should look good while standing normally, sitting down, and shaking a man's hand.

 

[greger]

The lower the armpit of the coat or shirt is to the armpit of the person wearing the garment means there is a shortage of length from pit to the hem of both coat and sleeve. The further away from each other the pits are the sooner the coat shoulder lifts from the human shoulder when the arms are raised. Some cases are really bad, because you can't drive a car when wearing the coat. RTW loves deep armholes because they don't have to make so many models to fit the different varieties of human bodies. One fits all really doesn't. RTW would probably sell more garments if people found them more useful. Stores can liquidate one model faster than four when a new fashion replaces the old. It also takes less hanger space having one, which of course is less floor space. Colors also play a role; One model in five colors cost less for the store than five colors in 4 models. But the customer looses quality and then they go off and buys other garments instead. Garments need to be useful or people will pay for something else. Todays executive greed means the customer doesn't mean much, so rtw is really not a service anymore. Executive greed, nowadays, says, "Fill my pockets."