Suit Tailoring Effects

[HitMan009]

Gentlemen,

We have talked about certain elements in a suit in varying topics posted here. Now it's time to centralized the findings. I hope the absolutely brilliant minds on this board to chime in and chime in much. We know that higher gorge makes for the illusion of height. 2 buttons also achieve this effect too as does stripes. But let's break it down feature by feature. I know I will miss areas of importance but that is where everyone can add their thoughts.

For my perspective, I need a silhouette that is both elongating(height) while also widens(width). Since I am a thin and on the short side.


Shoulders-Different shoulders produce what kind of silhouettes.
Lapel-Gorge height and width of lapel
Chest- Should the chest be built up?
Breast Pocket-How high and should it be angled?
Button Stance-where should the buttons be located.
No. of Buttons-2 may elongate but does a true 3 button create width?
Belly of Lapel - Should the edge of the lapel be straight or have a slight curve?
Waist Supression-More of less?
Waist Height-Where should it be?
Skirt-Flared or not?
Front Quarters - Should be open more or less?
Vents-Side vents elongate or not?
Armhole-High Armholes of course.... circle or oval with the long part of the parallel to the ground??

I am sure I missed many aspects but I hope this starts it off a great thread.

 

[Styleman]

Slim lapel makes you look slimmer and taller

Longer jacket gives the same effect

 

[dah328]

Slim lapel makes you look slimmer and taller

Longer jacket gives the same effect

At least on a shorter guy, a longer jacket cuts off the legs and makes one look shorter.

dan

 

[Renault78law]

Open quarters
Short coat length
Angled breast pocket
No ticket pocket
High gorge
Wide (straight?) lapels
High waist

 

[Styleman]

Quote:

(Styleman @ Feb. 17 2005,12:41) Slim lapel makes you look slimmer and taller Longer jacket gives the same effect
At least on a shorter guy, a longer jacket cuts off the legs and makes one look shorter. dan
Yes, it depends on the person as well.

 

[HitMan009]

Wide (straight?) lapels

If you flip over the lapel and look at the shape of the edge, is there a slight curve or is it totally straight.

 

[boston]

I think it's all about brining you back into proportion.

If you have short legs, a shorter coat will elongate your legs with respect to your torso. If you have long legs, a longer coat will shorten your legs with respect to your torso. Do what you have to do to get back into balance.

Likewise, a high gorge will lengthen your torso and make your chest narrower, while a lower gorge will shorten your torso and make your chest wider. A short, slim man may look most in proportion with a shorter suit (to lengthen the legs) and a slightly lower gorge to broaden the chest, or a slightly higher gorge to elongate the torso, depending on what he needs.

Similarly with shoulders -- if you have a wide head, then wider shoulders will help to put you back in proportion. If you have a narrow head, then narrower shoulders will help you look right. Wider shoulders need a wider lapel.

Waist suppression, and button stance, define the center of the coat. The center of the coat should be about 1/2 inch down from your natural waist, or just above your navel. If you lower the center, you elongate your torso at the expense of your legs. If you raise the center, you shorten your torso.

I actually think the proportions are more important than whether you go for single breasted, double breasted, 3B, 2B etc.

-boston

 

[HitMan009]

Thanks for the post, Boston.

I was comparing my suits in the mirror the other day. Although, the fit was excellent, somehow I feel something is off. It's funny because everything that I can use to my disposal to heighten my look, it's semi-compromises the widening aspects of the suit.

On a different note, after a recent post on AAAC where member Scott posted pictures of his suits, I couldn't help but notice how different the Anderson and Sheppard lapel looks compared to the others. Does anyone notice that from where the lapel starts(where the top button is), it appears more trianglar then any other suit I have seen to date. How is this accomplished?

 

[Manton]

This topic is potentially endless.  I wrote about it at some length on the silhouette thread.

I will say this here: Hitman, if you are on the short side, you do not need to be "widened" unless you are toothpick thin.  Widening detracts from height.  I would concentrate on elongating elements and skip the width.

 

[Manton]

On a different note, after a recent post on AAAC where member Scott posted pictures of his suits, I couldn't help but notice how different the Anderson and Sheppard lapel looks compared to the others.  Does anyone notice that from where the lapel starts(where the top button is), it appears more trianglar then any other suit I have seen to date.  How is this accomplished?

It's not that hard, really.  It's cutting: the paper pattern is drawn so that when the lapel is padded, faced and rolled, it will look that way.  Cut it in a different shape, and it will look different (e.g., more rounded, or even concave).

 

[LA Guy]

Agree with Manton as usual.  And we have discussed this ad naseum, but here are my recommendations.

Shoulders-Different shoulders produce what kind of silhouettes.

Depends more on slope and posture than anything else.   If you have sloped and/or narrow shoulders, some roping might be recommended, but you really want to choose a suit that follows the natural line of your shoulder in any case.  You'll want high arm holes either way to make the most of your torso. Of course, no huge shoulder pads.  They'll make you look like you borrowed Shaq's suit.

Lapel-Gorge height and width of lapel

High gorge.  Lengthens the torso, and accentuates the shoulders.

Chest- Should the chest be built up?

 
Remember Manton's advice.  Better to err on the side of a nice, fitted chest with moderate structure.

Breast Pocket-How high and should it be angled?

Slightly angled, about midchest.  You don't want to look like a cartoon.

Button Stance-where should the buttons be located.
No. of Buttons-2 may elongate but does a true 3 button create width?

Shorter guys *generally* look better with a high 2 button than with a three button.  The 2 roll 1 is another option.  I would generally advocate a lower stance with a sharper V for shorter guys to lengthen the torso, but this assumes that your legs and torso have normal (just smaller) proportions. If you have short legs, the effect might be somewhat different than what you'd hoped for.

Belly of Lapel - Should the edge of the lapel be straight or have a slight curve?

I would opt for straight, although a bit of curve might widen your chest out somewhat.

Waist Supression-More of less?

IMO, less. Too pronounced a skirt will decrease your preceived height.   Make sure that the coat is trim all along the torso though.

Waist Height-Where should it be?

Your waist is your waist.  Men's natural waist sits about halfway between your navel and your hipbone.

Skirt-Flared or not?

See above.

Front Quarters - Should be open more or less?

I would say to be a moderate here.  

Vents-Side vents elongate or not?

Deep side vents.

Armhole-High Armholes of course.... circle or oval with the long part of the parallel to the ground??

I would suggest oval.  Personal preference.  As boston previously stated, the proportions are more important than anything else.  Avoid double breasted suits though.

 

[Hoya Saxa]

Vents-Side vents elongate or not?

Deep side vents.


Not trying to hijack the thread, but I have a related question -- just came back from the tailor this evening (Field's, in Washington, DC) where I had the 2d fitting for a suit. It's a SB navy blue pinstripe, 2 roll 1 with a ticket pocket.

My question is this -- the vents were deep, maybe 2 inches above the top of the front pockets, hitting close to my natural waist. What's the rule of thumb here in deciding how deep to go? Frankly, I liked the look and was quite pleased with the outcome. But I'm 5'7" (average build, 40 short typically) and looking for all the added height I can get.

Along those same lines, I also have large feet -- size 11.5 US -- and am curious if I should go for a fuller leg in order to make my feet appear smaller. The suit jacket is quite fitted, so I'm wondering how that will affect the balance of the suit.

Any thoughts here?

Cheers,

Hoya