Larger guy, nice sport coat advice

[Andrew Beck]

Over the nine months, I have finally managed to lose a lot of weight. I'm back to the size I was a decade ago and am about to transition into a maintance mode rather than trying to keep shedding a pound a week.

Luckily I didn't get rid of all the stuff that became too small, so I have a few good pieces through a combination of pulling things out of storage and getting a few things altered.

Something I don't really have though are good sport coats. I have never invested in a really nice sport coat. I have a decent enough navy suit that fits again, but I much prefer a sport coat and trousers to wearing a suit. Over the years I've thrifted quite a few sub $100 coats and had minimal alterations done to make them passable. I've also resorted to Indochino when I was at my biggest just to have something I could wear to an event. I would just put them back on eBay or Poshmark if I outgrew them and look for another one in my size as I fluctuated weight.

I'd like to treat myself to one nice jacket to start, and probably a second assuming the first is something with a fit that I like. My issue is that even after shedding pounds I'm still a large man (6'1" and around 255). I still have a bit of a gut, and I know I'm never going to be slender. I generally wear a 48R jacket. I'd like to start with a navy jacket either in hopsack or some sort of wool/linen blend. I'd prefer to spend less than $1500, but could stretch to $2000 for the right piece. I'd be open to either MTM (though I would only do this if I had a store to go to for my measurements to be taken) or buying something OTR and having it tailored. My biggest problem is that most OTR stuff buttons too high, has a coat that's too short, or a cut that's too trim to fit me well. Sometimes all three. If I do go for the OTR/tailored option, I will need to find a tailor. I currently use a nice Korean woman near my house. She does a great job at hemming, shortening sleeves, taking in and letting out waists, etc; but I don't know that I would use her for anything complicated.

I'm in Seattle, so it's not the easiest city to shop for and tailored clothing and get it tailored. I believe Hartmanns Continental Tailoring in Bellevue offers MTM. We do have a Suit Supply store, though based on their models I'm not sure I'd fit into anything there. I don't know that Mario's still does Samuelsohn MTM (they did when I inquired a decade ago), but I'm guessing that would be an option as well.

If anyone has any advice on OTR brands I should be looking at, MTM that I don't know about, or Seattle area tailors, I would welcome it.

 

[Bankers_Stripes]

If you want something nice and are willing to spend up to $2000, I’d visit a Neiman Marcus or Saks near you and try on stuff from makers like Canali, Isaia, Zegna etc. $2000 might not get you anything from Isaia but Canali and Zegna (not Z Zegna garbage but the good stuff from Zegna mainline) should be possible.

 

[notdos]

You’d be better off buying several $500-$600 jackets from SuSu and wear in rotation. Last longer, with more variety.

 

[Bythenumbers]

I think it’s likely, since you’ve just had a big change, that your weight will fluctuate for some time. What would you think of getting a less expensive jacket or two now, and waiting for the good one until you see your weight holding steady?

Congratulations! It’s hard work to take off weight.

 

[Oswald Cornelius]

Jack Jerome near U Village used to do Samuelsohn but it's not showing on their current website. I've not been in since pre-Covid. Good guys there, came out of Marios.

 

[Testudo_Aubreii]

I wouldn't limit myself to MTM-only shops. These days, most bespoke cutters and tailors do alterations to survive. For most, the demand's just not there to refuse alterations work, except for those shops that for whatever reason are the darlings of iGents or the global super-elite. Even if you get MTM, you're going to need good alterations sometime. The best folks to do alterations are cutters and tailors who do bespoke work, because they and their colleagues have actual experience making garments from the ground up and fitting them on clients. So they know the most about how much you can get a garment altered to fit. That's why I'd check out some of the bespoke custom tailors in the area. A few I found in a quick search:

-The Bespoke Clothier
-Hartmann's Tailoring (also MTM)
-Sew Generously Bespoke (also MTM)

(I left out MTM-only shops like Trillium.) I'd have these three or some other custom tailor (i.e., a tailor who makes the pattern and cuts the cloth there on the premises) do an alteration, and then when you have your nose in the door, you can see what you think of their bespoke. It might be cheaper than people assume. And if they also offer MTM, they'll be able to do more to get it to fit well than an MTM-only shop/haberdasher can do. Shirts are a low-cost way to test a custom tailor's stuff.

 

[misterlovemenswear]

I am sure I've seen a few online MTM sites if you search. The top one listed is.

https://www.hockerty.com/en-au/men/...0LFu1yQRlf_YuqBp3awedti9TQoQ22IBoCKZYQAvD_BwE

But there are others. You might need someone to take your measurements though like your usual dressmaker.

Nat

 

[Bankers_Stripes]

You’d be better off buying several $500-$600 jackets from SuSu and wear in rotation. Last longer, with more variety.

I’d disagree with this.

$2000 could potentially get you 2 beautiful Isaia or Zegna mainline sport coats on sale. Quality over quantity.