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Encathol Epistemia

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Is there a way to make a waistcoat 'adjustable' other than a belt at the back?

I ask as I've been thinking of commissioning waistcoats to accompany the casual trousers that I had made a few months ago and my tailor has set fabric aside for just such purposes. I'd like to be able to loosen these for when I might be sitting back in a comfortable chair for a while or, if I'm frank, I eat too much, but I find back belts awkward and annoying as they can't easily be adjusted while wearing the waistcoat and always seem to come loose..

I had an idea of having them made with something almost like side adjusters using gusseted side vents with tabs on one edge of each that could attach to buttons on the other. thus allowing for them to be kept neatly closed at most times, but allowing me to open them up a little for extra 'play' in the gut without showing my shirt underneath. I haven't inquired to my tailor about this because it feels like it might be a nonsensical or impractical idea, enough so that I feel more than a little silly having asked. Still, I've got the idea in my head, so I figure that I'd go get it beat out of me, figuratively, and maybe find an alternative that I, in my ignorance, was unaware of.
 

Mr. Six

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Yes. On that subject, I`m working on a project to develop proper bespoke patterns from an algorithm. I`ve seen other companies attempt it but I think they only had techies and didn`t have a good patternmaker on board. We need some beta testers so we are offering MTM suits made in Europe at a deeply discounted price in order to help us refine the algorithm. More info here
Cool! Good luck with it. I thought this was an interesting write-up about the difficulty of trying to use tech as part of a bespoke process. https://bratheory.com/hiatus/

I think I see some familiar items.
 

jefferyd

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Cool! Good luck with it. I thought this was an interesting write-up about the difficulty of trying to use tech as part of a bespoke process. https://bratheory.com/hiatus/

That was an interesting read. I think the most important phrase of the whole article was this-

"Our biggest challenge was not the technology, but the underlying methodology.
We could not automate that which we did not know how to do by hand"

I read, recently, about a discipline called brafitting, developed in London, and perfected, of all places, in Poland. They have special and ingenious ways of measuring breasts that supposedly create the best-fitting bras anywhere. Perhaps had she gone and studied with these people and then trying to automate THAT, she would have succeeded. I think it's also what a lot of the other companies have done in their attempts to do this- had some techies join with people who had limited undertsanding of patternmaking and garment construction create these algorithms. Two of the four lead people on our team are bespoke tailors, and I also have 25 years of factory experience. We are trying to automate what we already do manually when we draft and fit. I hope it will work; maybe it won't, at least at first, but at least we are attempting it.
 

Despos

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That was an interesting read. I think the most important phrase of the whole article was this-

"Our biggest challenge was not the technology, but the underlying methodology.
We could not automate that which we did not know how to do by hand"
same statement jumped out to me. Focus on developing technology without knowing intimately how the product is made and the variables in making it. If you don't understand the variances of the making/fitting, how can you know if the technology is doing what it should be doing.
 

dresden

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Before and after pressing
9DD19159-9716-4D21-AD99-56B92E87CBDE.jpeg
EFF4F6C5-E55C-441F-9378-3B4E7CDB5710.jpeg
 

Mr. Six

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That was an interesting read. I think the most important phrase of the whole article was this-

"Our biggest challenge was not the technology, but the underlying methodology.
We could not automate that which we did not know how to do by hand"

I read, recently, about a discipline called brafitting, developed in London, and perfected, of all places, in Poland. They have special and ingenious ways of measuring breasts that supposedly create the best-fitting bras anywhere. Perhaps had she gone and studied with these people and then trying to automate THAT, she would have succeeded. I think it's also what a lot of the other companies have done in their attempts to do this- had some techies join with people who had limited undertsanding of patternmaking and garment construction create these algorithms. Two of the four lead people on our team are bespoke tailors, and I also have 25 years of factory experience. We are trying to automate what we already do manually when we draft and fit. I hope it will work; maybe it won't, at least at first, but at least we are attempting it.
Agreed. I appreciated the article because it was a rare admission in the tech sector that tech alone often can't replace the knowledge of legacy operators in the same space. I know I'm generalizing (and I'm not part of the industry), but that seems to be an almost deliberate blindspot for companies trying to apply technology to a lot of traditional crafts. I can't say I was surprised that they hadn't adequately learned about what people had spent generations figuring out how to do by hand. It sounds like your team is on a much better path.
 

Dannefalk

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Sports coat from The Anthology in heavy Lovat fabric. The fabric is quite stiff and has molded better on my body since the photos, these were taken directly when receiving the garment. The trousers are also The A but I have no good photos of them. Feels really good. We worked together on the pocket design (no rocket science) however I wanted it more rectangular and not as curved, also no double row pick stitching just a clean pocket.

IMG_1353.JPG


IMG_1355.JPG
 

Encathol Epistemia

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I had my second fitting for the dark green wool and cashmere suit that I commissioned from John Di Pietro and had a first fitting for last month. I'm quite pleased with how its coming out and look forward to doubling my winter wardrobe.

Dark Green Suit Second Fitting.JPG


The lapels will be in the cloverleaf style that Mr. Di Pietro used on a taupe sport coat. It has a besom, rather than welt, breast pocket, which I thought might prove to be an interesting variation. It also has a belted back. There is an accompanying double-breasted, shawl lapel vest and single-pleated trousers with suspender buttons and plain hems.

A couple were visiting the shop when I got there as the husband wanted some new shirts. The wife had been so taken with the feel of the cloth of this suit that she had decided to commission a jacket in a blue cloth of similar composition.
 

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