mtm advice for a relatively large man

[jasonmarshalljazz]

I'm about the take make my first attempt at made-to-measure suiting and i need advice. please read the following list of details ( all confirmed possibilities with the tailor) and let as to whether or not they would be flattering to a man of my built (6', 230, thick/athletic build). fyi I'm a professional jazz musician and i would like to make a fairly dramatic impression on my next tour.

single breasted
high button stance
two button
peaked lapel
5 working button holes
pick stitching
flat front pants w/ 2" cuff
moderate waist suppression

what do you think?

 

[koolhistorian]

SB - yes
high button stance - yes
two button - yes
peaked lapel - maybe
5 working button holes - No, stick to 4 for a suit
pick stitching - yes, but in the same tone to the suit, not contrasting.
The rest is ok!

 

[dsmolken]

I'm no expert so you should take all this with a grain of salt but at least I'm not skinny...

What are you thinking about doing for the shoulders? If you have prominent upper traps then a softer shoulder can just end up looking very sloped, like in this photo of Curtis Martin (about your weight but a couple of inches shorter):

Waist suppression can be tricky if you have prominent glutes but a moderate amount should be OK. Are you getting single or double vents?

 

[Sterling Gillette]

Originally Posted by jasonmarshalljazz

single breasted
high button stance
two button
peaked lapel
5 working button holes
pick stitching
flat front pants w/ 2" cuff
moderate waist suppression

I wouldn't opt for a specifically high button stance. Go for a button stance which is in harmony with your body proportions. Nothing worse than a otherwise nice suit ruined by "trendy" button configurations.

 

[jasonmarshalljazz]

i was thinking a roped/ pagoda shoulder treatment

 

[jasonmarshalljazz]

what's wrong with 5 buttons on the cuff?

 

[dsmolken]

Originally Posted by jasonmarshalljazz

i was thinking a roped/ pagoda shoulder treatment
I would think that's a good idea, especially for the stage where looking somewhat dramatic is good; I wonder whether the experts agree.

 

[jasonmarshalljazz]

Originally Posted by dsmolken

I'm no expert so you should take all this with a grain of salt but at least I'm not skinny...

What are you thinking about doing for the shoulders? If you have prominent upper traps then a softer shoulder can just end up looking very sloped, like in this photo of Curtis Martin (about your weight but a couple of inches shorter):

Waist suppression can be tricky if you have prominent glutes but a moderate amount should be OK. Are you getting single or double vents?

double vents

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by jasonmarshalljazz

I'm about the take make my first attempt at made-to-measure suiting and i need advice. please read the following list of details ( all confirmed possibilities with the tailor) and let as to whether or not they would be flattering to a man of my built (6', 230, thick/athletic build). fyi I'm a professional jazz musician and i would like to make a fairly dramatic impression on my next tour.

single breasted
high button stance
two button
peaked lapel
5 working button holes
pick stitching
flat front pants w/ 2" cuff
moderate waist suppression

what do you think?

We have a similar build
SB? Ok
high button stance? no.
2 btn- Yes
PL? your pick; the width is more important than the type
5 sleeve buttons? NO.
Pick stitching- Only if you have other suits
FF pants? Just Say No. That's a skinny guy affectation, get pleats. Keep the cuffs under 2"
You'll need shape- you may need more suppression than what's common these days.

Just my 2c.

 

[jasonmarshalljazz]

Originally Posted by yachtie

We have a similar build
SB? Ok
high button stance? no.
2 btn- Yes
PL? your pick; the width is more important than the type
5 sleeve buttons? NO.
Pick stitching- Only if you have other suits
FF pants? Just Say No. That's a skinny guy affectation, get pleats. Keep the cuffs under 2"
You'll need shape- you may need more suppression than what's common these days.

Just my 2c.
i never liked the way pleats looked on me
what's wrong with 5 buttons?
what's wrong with 2" cuffs?
i have plenty of other suits (bb, hf,hsm,ps. 20 in all)
what's wrong with high button stance?
what's the correct width of PL?
i agree with what you say about waist suppression.
fyi, i'm not being hard-headed, i just want to know why you said what you did.

 

[yachtie]

Originally Posted by jasonmarshalljazz

i never liked the way pleats looked on me
what's wrong with 5 buttons?
what's wrong with 2" cuffs?
i have plenty of other suits (bb, hf,hsm,ps. 20 in all)
what's wrong with high button stance?
what's the correct width of PL?
i agree with what you say about waist suppression.
fyi, i'm not being hard-headed, i just want to know why you said what you did.

Two things: Cuffs and FF's seem odd to me and if you're sitting while playing they'll not hang as well. If you want FF's and a really clean look, I'd skip the cuffs altogether.

The problem I have with 5 buttons is that it'll be a single feature that will draw attention to itself and take away from the integrated look ( they'll look at your sleeves instead of looking at you)

2" cuffs look too big to me for someone who's 6'. 1-3/4 looks more balanced. As said, I try for a more integrated look where no one feature stands out.

Get the pick stitching then. No problems with that in itself as long as it goes with the fabric.

High button stance on a SB runs the risk of: 1 making you look like a stuffed sausage or; 2, making you look shorter and squatter. It shortens the lapel line which is not what a bigger guy wants.

I have broad shoulders and a pretty broad face so I get 4 3/4" peaks. On the DB's I'm going to 5" on some. Maybe a little narrower for a SB, but not much.

 

[ksuhwail]

I'm 6ft tall and 260lbs (48L-49L) so I feel your pain in being fit properly. I think everything you said should work just fine. Just stay away from DB suits unless you really like them. They sure make me look like a tank!

 

[AnGeLiCbOrIs]

I personally would not wear a five button cuff but I think it is fine for a performer- especially one who is tall.

Just be careful that the buttons are not too far apart from each other as this can be a problem with working buttonholes and will look bad with a five button sleeve.

 

[Strange]

I personally would not wear a five button cuff but I think it is fine for a performer- especially one who is tall.

+1

While I agree with you, Yachtie, concerning leaving the cuffs off a ff pant, I think a 2" would be fine. Really, I doubt that even most SFites would be able to point out the difference between 1 3/4 and 2". I'm a big dude (6'5, 275) so anything smaller looks laughable.

 

[mr monty]

The 2 inch cuff is fine. I'm 6'2" and the 2" cuff looks good on my trousers.
I hope this turns out good for you. I attend alot of jazz concerts and most of the guys today, dress bad and wear cheap looking shoes.

I see you play sax. Next time in NY, I'll try to check you out. There's a young sax player from Indianapolis playing gigs in NY. Have you heard Jason Curry?

Oh yes, get pleats!