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Lapel roll: flat vs. belly for 2-button suit

sfaith

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Folks,

On a 2-button suit, what would you prefer for the lapels? Lapels with belly or pressed completely flat against the chest?


Originally Posted by Manton
I disagree with J, a little. Â "Roll" is usually used to refer to the length of a lapel. Â Remember that a lapel is simply part of the front of a coat, turned back and as it were "doubled up" over the chest. Â But the whole front is not turned back, only the top part. Â That top part is the lapel. Â It begins at the collar, and extends down to the middle of the coat. Â It is said to be "rolled" to wherever it ends. Â Thus on a standard two-button suit, the lapels are rolled to the top or waist button. Â On a barbarshop quartet-style 3-button suit, they are rolled higher, above the third button.

The phenomenon J describes -- a graceful flare away from the body that curves gently back toward the chest of the coat at the lapel's edge, resulting in a kind of bulbousness and spring -- is more properly termed "belly". Â Lapels with no belly at all, that are pressed completely flat against the chest, are easy to make, but unattractive, in my opinion.



Originally Posted by j
Very simply put, it's the transition between the top of the lapel which is flat against the top of your chest and the lower part which is buttoned up over your stomach. Some jackets have no roll, i.e. a flat smushed crease at the bottom of the lapel front, whereas some have a long roll, transitioning from flat to perpendicular to flat again.

I am contemplating to tailor my second suit, probably ash gray color. I already have a charcoal color suit, and although I requested for a nice "roll" for the lapel, it's more or less pressed flat. Maybe I didn't request it properly or my tailor thought it's alright. What do you suggest I request to the tailor?

Gshen, if you read this thread, please chime in! I am in Singapore and tempted to try Iris. My current tailor is Anthony at Mode et Creation.

-- sfaith
 

Parker

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I think you are conflating roll and belly. Belly is the shape of the outer edges of the lapel. They can either be straight or curved. A convex curve is "belly". Roll is the length of the lapel as well as how much it protrudes from the chest. A flat lapel means the roll is flat. You could conceivably have a flat lapel cut with some belly.

At least, that's how I understand it.
 

binge

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The OP has to win some sort of necrothread award.
 

TheFoo

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I'm very confused. I thought "belly" referred to the curvature of the lapel's outer line. No?
 

sfaith

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Originally Posted by binge
The OP has to win some sort of necrothread award.

Yaaaa... I know I am gonna be famous for that!
biggrin.gif


I did a few searches here, but can't help popping the question myself! Sorry if this contributed to thread pollution ^^
 

sfaith

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
I'm very confused. I thought "belly" referred to the curvature of the lapel's outer line. No?

J's and Manton's explanations of what a "belly" is doesn't seem to be talking about that. I might be having wrong interpretation though.
 

Parker

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Originally Posted by mafoofan
I'm very confused. I thought "belly" referred to the curvature of the lapel's outer line. No?

Yes. That's what I thought, too.

"Roll" (if that's even the right tailoring term) is what the OP is looking for.
 

sfaith

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Originally Posted by Parker
I think you are conflating roll and belly. Belly is the shape of the outer edges of the lapel. They can either be straight or curved. A convex curve is "belly". Roll is the length of the lapel as well as how much it protrudes from the chest. A flat lapel means the roll is flat. You could conceivably have a flat lapel cut with some belly.

At least, that's how I understand it.


I must admit that I am confused between that two actually. I am just thinking how I should request to my tailor for that!
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by sfaith
J's and Manton's explanations of what a "belly" is doesn't seem to be talking about that. I might be having wrong interpretation though.

That's what I mean. Both descriptions sound nothing like what I've heard before.
 

sfaith

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Originally Posted by Parker
Yes. That's what I thought, too.

"Roll" (if that's even the right tailoring term) is what the OP is looking for.


I am also not sure if this is right tailoring term. Some sites use "belly" and some refers to it as "roll".
 

TheFoo

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Originally Posted by sfaith
I must admit that I am confused between that two actually. I am just thinking how I should request to my tailor for that!

"Roll" refers to how the lapels may roll away from the buttoning point. No roll means the lapels look like they've been folded and pressed flat.
 

landshark

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I have both flat and rolled lapels on my different jackets. I prefer the look of a flat lapel from a side angle, but I like the way the roll looks from the front.
 

sfaith

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Originally Posted by landshark
I have both flat and rolled lapels on my different jackets. I prefer the look of a flat lapel from a side angle, but I like the way the roll looks from the front.

For some reason, I am digging the look of rolled lapels. They look better in terms of aesthetics, at least for me
biggrin.gif
 

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