Second opinion on lapel popping on MTM Beckett & Robb suit

[SoSuitMe]

I’ve only ever owned off-the-rack suits in the past (without a great fit) so I ordered an MTM suit from Beckett & Robb. I’m having issues with the lapel of the suit jacket puffing away from my chest. I can hunch a bit and roll my shoulders forward to make the lapels sit flatter, but when I stand up straight the lapels crease and sit away from my chest such that there’s a large gap between the lapel and my chest. When wearing a shirt without a collar, the issue is a bit worse.

The store manager said this is because the waist is a bit too tight, and also that it takes some time to break in (it’s full-canvassed). We already went through one round of alterations to let the waist out a bit (he says it helped but I didn’t notice any difference). Now he wants to let the waist out more. I’m losing confidence. There’s already a good bit of room at the waist (I can comfortably fit my palm sideways between my buttoned jacket and my belly), and I don’t want to end up with a jacket that doesn’t fit at the chest and is loose at the waist.

I’m pretty deep-chested compared to most men, so I’m concerned that the chest of the jacket needs to be altered to fit properly. It feels like the fabric is pulling at the lapels from the side of the arm holes (just above the armpits). However, the store manager says that the chest is fine, and that if I want a chest alteration done that I need to specify what exactly needs to be done and no do-overs (I’m not a tailor, so I’m not comfortable specifying alterations).

My questions are:

1. Will this jacket actually break in over time? Do I need to quit worrying and just wear it more?
2. Will letting the waist out more help with the lapel puffing out?
3. Does the chest need any alterations?
4. Does this issue need to be debugged in person? Should I take it to another tailor in town for a second opinion?

Thanks in advance!

 

[compuccesory]

1. No
2. No

The chest is not fine. Maybe it can be improved a bit with a lot of work but you should 100% ask for a remake. Did you try on a test suit before commissioning?

 

[breakaway01]

However, the store manager says that the chest is fine, and that if I want a chest alteration done that I need to specify what exactly needs to be done and no do-overs (I’m not a tailor, so I’m not comfortable specifying alterations).

No, this problem will not go away with "breaking in".

This is a huge red flag to me and indicates that they don't know what they're talking about and that their customer service is terrible. It is not your job to tell them how to fix the problem. It is their job to fix it.

The chest is obviously not fine: you're saying the chest feels tight and the photos also suggest that the chest is tight. I am not a tailor but I see two problems. I think the front balance is short (you need more length in the front of the jacket to get over your prominent chest). A clue to this is that the quarters are closing/'scissoring' below your button. This is why the problem gets better when you hunch your back (effectively shortening the front of your body). You also need more fulllness in the chest (e.g .by increasing the width of the front panels of the jacket and/or adding a lapel dart). None of these can be addressed by alteration.

However, if they refuse to acknowledge that the chest doesn't fit, they won't get it right in a remake. And there is no way for you to be able to specify what needs to be done since you're not a tailor and you don't know what kinds of adjustments their MTM system will accommodate.

At this point I would recommend requesting a refund. I would not go along with a remake since they cannot/will not recognize the root cause(s) of the problem. I think that the chance that you're going to get a properly fitting suit from them is low.

You can try posting to this thread though not all posts get professional responses.'

Edit: see this post and the following responses (here and here) that address your problem.

 

[TN001]

The BS "breaking in" response reminds me of the old British comedy "Are You Being Served", where the salespeople would tell the customers the sleeves would ride up or down "with wear" depending on what was needed. As people pointed out, it will not break in. This level of service is similar to what I experienced with my one ill fated attempt at using Beckett & Robb. Good luck resolving it.

 

[butterflystyle]

Suit looks awful - I own 3 B&R suits and...they don't look like this at all.

Have you tried reaching out above the managers head?

 

[SoSuitMe]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Compuccesory, I did try on a test piece/template before ordering. The issue didn't arise during that fitting probably due to a few reasons:

• The store manager advised to shorter the jacket quite a bit. Having a long torso, I thought it best to keep it on the longer side. He talked me into a middle ground, but the jacket was shortened compared to the template.
• I was wearing a waistcoat during the fitting. The lapel issue isn't as bad when wearing a waistcoat underneath the jacket.
• The template jacket had some extra material in the width of the back, so that change may also have contributed.

A few things have happened since my original post.

1. With the confidence that I'm not crazy, I asked the store manager (I should clarify that the "manager" was the only person employed at this location) to arrange an appointment with the tailor, and he obliged. At the appointment, the tailor recommended taking the waist back in (ha!) and putting in some stitching/threading on the inside of the lapel to tighten it vertically (I'm not sure of the technical name for this).
2. I received the jacket back from those alterations. The work did not fix the lapel issue, although it may have helped (hard to tell). At the same time, the lapel stitching had introduced a barely noticeable ripple in the edge of the lapel. The store manager told me (paraphrasing) that this was the best that could be done, and that everyone with my body type has to choose between lapel popping and a trim silhouette.
3. I called their corporate office to ask what could be done. A man named Derek called me back a couple days later and told me he would be in Seattle a couple weeks later and could look at the jacket in person. That day was today.

I met Derek at the store this afternoon. It turns out he's a cofounder, and I also learned the store manager no longer works there. Derek had great customer service (go figure). He immediately recognized the jacket didn't fit well and going back to the template jacket, he suggested a remake with the following differences from the first jacket:

• Instead of shortening the jacket, maintain the template length
• Lower the button stance compared to the template
• Add a lapel dart
• Add a centimeter to the sleeve length (unrelated to the lapel issue)

Based on breakaway01's comment and my own observations, I gently hinted at the notion of widening the chest panels, but Derek didn't see that as prudent (or maybe their MTM system doesn't accommodate that change). In any case, I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

[papado]

Thanks for the advice, everyone!

Compuccesory, I did try on a test piece/template before ordering. The issue didn't arise during that fitting probably due to a few reasons:

• The store manager advised to shorter the jacket quite a bit. Having a long torso, I thought it best to keep it on the longer side. He talked me into a middle ground, but the jacket was shortened compared to the template.
• I was wearing a waistcoat during the fitting. The lapel issue isn't as bad when wearing a waistcoat underneath the jacket.
• The template jacket had some extra material in the width of the back, so that change may also have contributed.

A few things have happened since my original post.

1. With the confidence that I'm not crazy, I asked the store manager (I should clarify that the "manager" was the only person employed at this location) to arrange an appointment with the tailor, and he obliged. At the appointment, the tailor recommended taking the waist back in (ha!) and putting in some stitching/threading on the inside of the lapel to tighten it vertically (I'm not sure of the technical name for this).
2. I received the jacket back from those alterations. The work did not fix the lapel issue, although it may have helped (hard to tell). At the same time, the lapel stitching had introduced a barely noticeable ripple in the edge of the lapel. The store manager told me (paraphrasing) that this was the best that could be done, and that everyone with my body type has to choose between lapel popping and a trim silhouette.
3. I called their corporate office to ask what could be done. A man named Derek called me back a couple days later and told me he would be in Seattle a couple weeks later and could look at the jacket in person. That day was today.

I met Derek at the store this afternoon. It turns out he's a cofounder, and I also learned the store manager no longer works there. Derek had great customer service (go figure). He immediately recognized the jacket didn't fit well and going back to the template jacket, he suggested a remake with the following differences from the first jacket:

• Instead of shortening the jacket, maintain the template length
• Lower the button stance compared to the template
• Add a lapel dart
• Add a centimeter to the sleeve length (unrelated to the lapel issue)

Based on breakaway01's comment and my own observations, I gently hinted at the notion of widening the chest panels, but Derek didn't see that as prudent (or maybe their MTM system doesn't accommodate that change). In any case, I'm cautiously optimistic.

I'm not sure what a 'lapel dart' is; did he give any more information?

I definitely see in some of the original photos that the waist is snug/too suppressed which exacerbates your problem. I can't see your whole torso but (based on my hunch) you likely also have a prominent chest (not sure official term) which will also cause this issue with most fits. You probably need a little more room in the chest as well/possibly need it let out in the sides. I guess we'll see on the redo if it is still an issue,

 

[TN001]

I’m amazed that they offered a remake, although I suppose when an owner gets involved, right?

My suit was ill fitting, had construction issues, and many of the details I asked for were missing. They sort of fixed the construction issues, but that was about it. No mention of a redo or making me happy.

 

[Alexography]

Hi,

That's definitely not right. Wearing in a full canvas will not bring the lapels closer to your body, you need to get a re-make.

Good luck bud

 

[dauster]

Oh boy, I just discovered B&R and was excited because it’s close to my office and thought the Instagram looked pretty good but not going to dry another MTM disaster. Oh boy what’s the point of these stores if they can’t make at least a decent fitting suit?

 

[Phileas Fogg]

The store manager said this is because the waist is a bit too tight, and also that it takes some time to break in (it’s full-canvassed).

what a crock!