Letting out the waist of a jacket?

[chorse123]

I have a new suit, the jacket of which has the dreaded pulling "x". Is it possible to let out the waist on a jacket a little? This a three piece "signature" blue label suit, which I think is gorgeous and otherwise wonderful. I bought it on eBay for a very good price. But I can't wear it like this. And I'd rather not carry it all the way to my tailor if this alteration isn't done. It's something I've never worried about. Oddly enough, I'm in good shape and have lost about half an inch to my waist in the last month.

Actually, looking at the picture now, it could be my hips are pulling it open. Can jackets be let out there?

 

[j]

Yes, it can be done. Looking at one of my half lined jackets, there is about 2-1/2" (maybe more) of allowance built into the three back seams at that point. Nice looking jacket BTW.

 

[chorse123]

Thanks, J. I think I'll bring it with me when I pick up from the tailor on Wednesday. Should be fun.

 

[a tailor]

yes it can be done but only to the extent that there is enough outlet cloth inside. ask your tailor if there is enough in there.

 

[Despos]

Looks to me like you have a low right shoulder the way the jacket is breaking.

Post a pic with the jacket unbuttoned to see how the buttons line up. My quess is the button on the right side hangs lower than the buttonhole on the left front. If this is so, it is a combination of the alignment from the shoulder and maybe a bit tight. If needed, ask your tailor to let the front out only.
Need more pics to be certain. A back view would also confirm if the shoulder is low.

Internet Tailor Diagnostics, at your service.

 

[chorse123]

Now that's what a real tailor can do for you. Shocking.

I do indeed have a lower right shoulder. Will try to post a picture later today.

 

[Luc-Emmanuel]

chorse, it's really not that bad. I would live with such a small imperfection on an otherwise great looking jacket. Red pants are cool.

!luc

 

[chorse123]

Further illustration. First picture is the jacket hanging open. As Despos pegged it, my right shoulder is lower. Perhaps I should wait until I visit family in Chicago for my alterations! Second is of my uneven shoulders.

Now here's the waist of the jacket after I added some padding to my right shoulder (a tie wrapped around it):

Looks better to me. I imagine that if the tailor can slightly build up the right shoulder and let out a tiny bit in the waist, I'd be good to go. That and shorten the sleeves, add working buttonholes, and cuff the trousers. Also I'm pleasantly surprised that the jacket doesn't look bad as a sportcoat. Don't plan on wearing it as such, but just in case the pants wear it.

 

[Edward Appleby]

Very nice. That's a suprisingly suppressed waist for RLBL.

 

[AlanC]

Originally Posted by chorse123

Further illustration. First picture is the jacket hanging open. As Despos pegged it, my right shoulder is lower. Perhaps I should wait until I visit family in Chicago for my alterations! Second is of my uneven shoulders....

Now here's the waist of the jacket after I added some padding to my right shoulder (a tie wrapped around it)...

No need to do that. Just wear it with a tie wrapped around your shoulder--problem solved!

I suffer from a lower right shoulder as well. I just exaggerate it, walk by dragging one foot and work as a lab assistant...

 

[edmorel]

JS,

be done with it and sell it to me already, you know that is where you'll end up anyway

 

[Wanderer]

I have the same problem and found that just building up the right shoulder pushed out the chest, preventing it from laying flat on the right side. A better but more complicated (and more expensive) alteration is to have your tailor pull the shoulder upwards. I'm not sure how he does this but it works. Dspos can maybe weigh in with the details.

Handsome suit though and, IMO, worth spending the money to get it right and not have it niggle you every time you wear it.

 

[Augusto86]

Originally Posted by chorse123

Further illustration. First picture is the jacket hanging open. As Despos pegged it, my right shoulder is lower. Perhaps I should wait until I visit family in Chicago for my alterations! Second is of my uneven shoulders.

Now here's the waist of the jacket after I added some padding to my right shoulder (a tie wrapped around it):

Looks better to me. I imagine that if the tailor can slightly build up the right shoulder and let out a tiny bit in the waist, I'd be good to go. That and shorten the sleeves, add working buttonholes, and cuff the trousers. Also I'm pleasantly surprised that the jacket doesn't look bad as a sportcoat. Don't plan on wearing it as such, but just in case the pants wear it.

Well, if all you need is shoulder padding, surely all you need is to strap on your trusty sidearm and you're good to go!

 

[billiebob]

What model suit is that? Is it the Polo II silhouette? It sure looks slimmer than my Polo IIs.

 

[Garbz]

Hello everyone,

My first post on styleforum, hope you guys'll like it.

That's a lovely coat you have there. I agree that the shoulder could do with some work and that would sort half of your problems. But it seems to me that the balance in the foreparts could do with some adjusting as well. You see how the front edges form an 'A' shape. I'd personally like to have that fixed, so that the edges will run parallel a bit more, but for that the collar has to come off and the shoulders will have to be altered. The good thing is that you could, in the same run, get your shoulder-problem corrected. The coat itself certainly looks worth the trouble.