Suit came in the mail today, fit critique...

[pg600rr]

Originally Posted by Douglas

Listen to Despos. He is a professional bespoke tailor. He knows what he is talking about. You came on here looking for advice; he is one of the most qualified SF members to tell you what is wrong with the fit.

Not trying to be snarky here... just letting you know who Despos is in case you are weighing his opinion, in its relative anonymity, equally with some of the other (wrong) advice in this thread.

no worries about snarkyness, this is the exact info I want. I had no clue of what a sleeve head was so that is helpful to know. None of my other jackets have a 'sleevehead' like this (from any brand), any padding in that area has been much more subtle, this just feels like it is out of place, and the right 'sleevehead' is much more pronounced than the left. I will prob. just return it and see what they say at the store...still waiting for the other one to arrive to see if it is the same.

 

[Reborn]

Seems like another case of the forum being in love with RLBL that does not fit. Most people wouldn't nit pick about this stuff and would think the suit is great. It's up to you as to who you are looking to impress.

 

[pg600rr]

^well the problem is that my other 2 RLBL suits fit perfect, they are my best fitting suits by far (i have only owned RTW), they are all the same model ('Anthony') and needed very little alterations. Then this one comes in the mail, same model as my other two, and the shoulders feel and look all fucked up, doesnt make any sense to me. I am not in love with RLBL it is jsut what fits me best (this suit is not the norm in my case).

 

[Shirtmaven]

this suit needs a bit of work.
maybe more then is worth putting into.
the jacket also seems short.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by JFKJean

I object. I think his sleeves are totally fine but from the looks of it, take in the waist just a smidge. Everything else looks tip top.
Agreed re the sleeves. Definitely don't need to be longer.

Originally Posted by Douglas

Listen to Despos. He is a professional bespoke tailor. He knows what he is talking about. You came on here looking for advice; he is one of the most qualified SF members to tell you what is wrong with the fit.

Not trying to be snarky here... just letting you know who Despos is in case you are weighing his opinion, in its relative anonymity, equally with some of the other (wrong) advice in this thread.

Well, when the entire comment consists of "wrong", I don't think it's overly defensive or disrespectful for him to request a bit of elaboration.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by Despos

I would take the center back seam in 3/8" double at the neck and shorten the collar. The upper body will feel and fit better, then look at what else is needed. Shoulder is wide and the taking in will help that some. You are a bit low on the left shoulder.

Originally Posted by Despos

The padding you refer to is called the sleevehead and it is just the way it should be. The shoulder is too extended and the sleeve cap is too narrow and or too long to fit into the armhole and your problem is as much about RTW construction methods as anything else which makes the problem innate. It can all be improved but I would start with what I first mentioned. If the fit is too far from your other jackets by RL, send it back and try another model. Not worth removing the sleeves for what you paid.
Yes, listen to Chris Despos. You should always listen to him. He and JeffreyD are the two most knowledgeable posters you will regularly encounter on SF when it comes to tailored clothing. That said, Shirtmaven clearly knows a thing or two about coatmaking too. The thing that struck me about the coat were the marked diagonal creases at the back of the armscye. This is a very difficult problem to solve. This is one fix suggested by Thickett in A.A. Whife:

It is only applicable to solving the problem during the fitting of a bespoke coat, and would involve a massive recut if you tried it with a RTW coat. I suspect that this problem occurs more in people with forward set shoulders - to give one solution to one potential cause of the problem (it may not be relevant to this case). This tends to make the back balance short, as described above. If this occurs on all RTW coats, then the only solution is bespoke.

 

[Despos]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Well, when the entire comment consists of "wrong", I don't think it's overly defensive or disrespectful for him to request a bit of elaboration.

Fair enough. Sorry, I did not take the time to explain myself. If you search posts from jeffreyd, you will find very concise explanations regarding the fit of the sleeve into the armhole, padding etc. This has been a frequent topic lately and his explanations cover it pretty well.

He also has a blog.

http://tuttofattoamano.blogspot.com

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Well, when the entire comment consists of "wrong", I don't think it's overly defensive or disrespectful for him to request a bit of elaboration.

Normally, that is true. However, when Despos speaks you should simply bow and humbly state: "yes, Maestro":

Then go off and silently contemplate the meaning of his utterance.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by Sator

Normally, that is true. However, when Despos speaks you should simply bow and humbly state: "yes, Maestro":

Then go off and silently contemplate the meaning of his utterance.

Are you saving up for a trip to Chicago?


- B

 

[Despos]

Sator,
I have a bunch of Vox's discounts he is not using. They could easily be transfered to your name before they expire. It would be an honor to dress you in a Despos suit.

 

[Despos]

I have trouble with Thickett's analysis and solution. His answer is too simplistic and unfocused. You want to discern where a jacket is "short" and where a jacket is "long". If these diagonal lines appear and the center back is not flaring out at the bottom, the back is not too short, the overshoulder is too long. His assumption that the back is short is misguided. Shortening the front as he does, will not correct these diagonal wrinkles as he states. It may help but it won't fix the issue. My 2 cents.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

Are you saving up for a trip to Chicago?


- B

I was but - alack - the bottom has fallen out of the AUD and I am being forced to learn to make my own coats.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by Despos

I have trouble with Thickett's analysis and solution. His answer is too simplistic and unfocused. You want to discern where a jacket is "short" and where a jacket is "long". If these diagonal lines appear and the center back is not flaring out at the bottom, the back is not too short, the overshoulder is too long. His assumption that the back is short is misguided. Shortening the front as he does, will not correct these diagonal wrinkles as he states. It may help but it won't fix the issue. My 2 cents.

I agree. Those diagonal creases are a very difficult problem. W.D.F. Vincent thought so too:

I still don't have an algorithm that you could work through to diagnose and solve the problem in all cases. JeffreyD says that modern cutting systems have eliminated the problem, but without elaborating further. In my own case, I do have forward set shoulders and I suspect what Thickett says is a contributing factor. However, the severity of the problem in the OP's coat, makes me think the problem is more complex.

 

[apropos]

Um, if one had forward-set shoulders, wouldn't it tend to stretch out the back of the jacket, thus removing any vertical/diagonal creases? It seems to this layperson that the creases in the back would in fact be horizontal, reflecting the taut fit over the thoracic vertebrae, if one had forward set shoulders. Would appreciate any insight - I am here to learn.

 

[Sator]

Originally Posted by apropos

Um, if one had forward-set shoulders, wouldn't it tend to stretch out the back of the jacket, thus removing any vertical/diagonal creases?

NO!

Now go away and think about it. If you are still unsure cut yourself a coat that is short in the back balance in this area.