Repair/restoration of fairly ancient dinner jacket

[donkey]

I've recently discovered an old dinner jacket that belonged to a family member. I think it fits? Maybe a bit tight?

ignore horrible trousers and filthy mirror

However there are some problems:

1. It's missing trousers. And given that it looks like it was made in 1939 and the tailor is long gone I am not sure how to go about getting new ones which match the fabric

2. Damage. Quite a bit of it. It's not actually that noticeable when on but obviously would need to be fixed

So - is this fixable? And is it worth it? From a family/nostalgia perspective it would be lovely to fix this up. I'm also not averse to quite visible mends on clothes, I think they look nice. And I do need a black tie outfit - I was intending to get one MTM (Redmayne perhaps) later this year anyhow. But my budget isn't that high, and I'm aware maybe it would be quite a lot of effort for a jacket that might be quite fragile and perhaps doesn't fit that well...

If anyone has any experience or recommendations (I'm London-based) I would love to hear them.

 

[JohnnyLaw]

The fit looks decent from what I can see. If it feels tight, there may be some fabric allowance that can be let out a bit.

The torn lining should be fairly easy to fix. Getting the holes rewoven can be done, but I have no experience with that or with the silk lapels. The age of the jacket might make it trickier.

I think it's safe to assume that you will never be able to get matching trousers.

You may decide that it's worth repairing to be worn in non-traditional outfits, if that's to your taste.

 

[paxonus]

You may be able to pick up some trousers made around the same time at savvyrow.co.uk. He sells a lot of vintage formal attire. Email him and see he thinks.

 

[donkey]

The fit looks decent from what I can see. If it feels tight, there may be some fabric allowance that can be let out a bit.

The torn lining should be fairly easy to fix. Getting the holes rewoven can be done, but I have no experience with that or with the silk lapels. The age of the jacket might make it trickier.

I think it's safe to assume that you will never be able to get matching trousers.

You may decide that it's worth repairing to be worn in non-traditional outfits, if that's to your taste.

That's hugely useful thanks. I can maybe justify trews in my family tartan. And otherwise... cream? or would that look bizarre?

ooi why is it impossible to match cloth? very ignorant on this point, i sorta naively assumed "oh there must be like, 10 different types of black suit fabric tops" ha.

You may be able to pick up some trousers made around the same time at savvyrow.co.uk. He sells a lot of vintage formal attire. Email him and see he thinks.

Will drop him a line, cheers

 

[JohnnyLaw]

There are several reasons why it will be next to impossible to match the cloth.

The type of yarn used, the way it is dyed and the weaving method will all affect the appearance of the fabric.

The different variables involved mean that mills can create a practically unlimited number of different fabrics.

If you need convincing, go to the website of a fabric mill like Holland and Sherry and see how many black suiting fabrics there are from a single producer.

I'm no expert in the matter, but I'm quite certain that the suiting fabrics that are common today are substantially different than the ones that were popular 80+ years ago.

Lastly, the fabric in your dinner jacket has surely faded with time and cleaning. Even if you could miraculously find the exact same fabric, there would likely be a noticeable difference due to age and wear.

 

[donkey]

There are several reasons why it will be next to impossible to match the cloth.

The type of yarn used, the way it is dyed and the weaving method will all affect the appearance of the fabric.

The different variables involved mean that mills can create a practically unlimited number of different fabrics.

If you need convincing, go to the website of a fabric mill like Holland and Sherry and see how many black suiting fabrics there are from a single producer.

I'm no expert in the matter, but I'm quite certain that the suiting fabrics that are common today are substantially different than the ones that were popular 80+ years ago.

Lastly, the fabric in your dinner jacket has surely faded with time and cleaning. Even if you could miraculously find the exact same fabric, there would likely be a noticeable difference due to age and wear.

thats fascinating, thanks! I'm gonna brainstorm some non-trad trouser combos to wear with it and press ahead with repairing at a local alterations tailor

 

[JohnnyLaw]

A good alterations shop should be able to work on the lining, but repairing the holes by reweaving the fabric is a job for a specialist, for example: http://www.invisible-mending.co.uk/

 

[Andy57]

I've recently discovered an old dinner jacket that belonged to a family member. I think it fits? Maybe a bit tight?
View attachment 2221639
ignore horrible trousers and filthy mirror

However there are some problems:

1. It's missing trousers. And given that it looks like it was made in 1939 and the tailor is long gone I am not sure how to go about getting new ones which match the fabric

View attachment 2221669

2. Damage. Quite a bit of it. It's not actually that noticeable when on but obviously would need to be fixed

View attachment 2221671
View attachment 2221673 View attachment 2221675

So - is this fixable? And is it worth it? From a family/nostalgia perspective it would be lovely to fix this up. I'm also not averse to quite visible mends on clothes, I think they look nice. And I do need a black tie outfit - I was intending to get one MTM (Redmayne perhaps) later this year anyhow. But my budget isn't that high, and I'm aware maybe it would be quite a lot of effort for a jacket that might be quite fragile and perhaps doesn't fit that well...

If anyone has any experience or recommendations (I'm London-based) I would love to hear them.

As previous replies have noted, all the issues should be fixable. The reweaving due to moth damage might be the trickiest, but it can be done. A good alterations tailor should be able to handle most of it, and that's the place to start. If the jacket needs more specialized care, I would ask for recommendations from the alterations person.

As for trousers, I wouldn't sweat it. Most people worry too much about this. But there are two things to consider. First, virtually no one will notice if your black formal trousers don't quite match the jacket. Second, a dinner jacket and trousers is not a suit and was never meant to be. It's true that most people buy or commission a "tuxedo" as a suit, but it is not necessary to do so. Get a pair of black trousers that are close enough in weight and texture and no one will ever know. Or, sure, get your family tartan made up. And cream formal trousers are definitely a thing (a very advanced, and limited option, but I've done it). Here's an example:

I don't have a fully length still image from this set, but I wear ivory suede slippers with these trousers as I don't like the look of black shoes with ivory trousers. But it's a personal preference.

 

[TimothyF]

Number 1, where are the moth holes located? In a visible spot, or well hidden, say underside of the arm. If it's in a visible area, then you want the pricy re-weaver to work on it. If not, and you are decently skilled with a needle (and I presume you have black thread), then work slowly yourself and save the $

2, Andy took the words out of my mouth. You will never have 100% exact match, but you should be able to achieve close enough with some combination of money and legwork