Tacky pick-stitching vs. fine detailing What's the difference?

[Doc4]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

That pick stitching looks done by Tommy gun.

The problem is that it's the first thing you notice about the coat.

when I saw the photo, the first thing that came to mind was the edge of a pie crust. (Not in a good way.) One wants the end result to be far more subtle and hard to see ... one notices the result of the pick stiching (that it's a good suit) rather than the stiching itself.

 

[Twotone]

Originally Posted by stylesmurf

Anyone have links to a thread or pics for reference on good versus bad?
Edit: found this pic below from this thread:
http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.p...8&postcount=19

What makes that pick stitching bad? (still learning) The ones above seem spaced too closely compared to what I remember of the Brioni I saw in the store.. but how would you tell if they had spaced it more appropriately?

This suit looks like it was punched out of perforated cardboard stock. Good pick stitching should be almost invisible from a few feet away.

Twotone

 

[GBR]

Pick stitching can be overrated and, if machine done, is dreadful - just look at 'twotones'' photograph.

If done sensitively hand it can enhance a coat, if done because someone thinks it should be done, then forget it.

The one analogy I can think of is those people than think they can enhance RTW by having an alterations tailor convert the cuff buttons of their coat from 'sham' to working to some unexplained benefit.

 

[voxsartoria]

Originally Posted by brittain

a bit off-topic, but does anyone know if WW Chan's pick stitching is done by hand or machine?

I hear from a very reliable source that Chan does have one of those expensive machines for simulating hand pick stitching...apparently they are the only one of the HK bespoke houses that does.

How Chan deploys that resource, or how often, I have not idea.


- B

 

[Despos]

Pic stitching on the edge, with finishing thread, is best when subtle. Should not be done so tight that it causes the cloth to pucker.
Sometimes I will use buttonhole twist, set in from the edge 3/8" or so, as a visible detail. Mainly on topcoats in a dense cloth, sometimes as a detail on an odd jacket.

 

[mossrockss]

Originally Posted by DocHolliday

That pick stitching looks done by Tommy gun.

The problem is that it's the first thing you notice about the coat.

Originally Posted by Doc4

when I saw the photo, the first thing that came to mind was the edge of a pie crust. (Not in a good way.) One wants the end result to be far more subtle and hard to see ... one notices the result of the pick stiching (that it's a good suit) rather than the stiching itself.

Originally Posted by Twotone

This suit looks like it was punched out of perforated cardboard stock. Good pick stitching should be almost invisible from a few feet away.

Twotone

I can assure you, you don't really notice the pick stitching on that suit from a few feet away. If you do, it's generally a point of interest for a few minutes and then you utterly forget about it. I do, anyway.

But I generally agree, it's a bit over the top. That suit cost me like $200 though, so I'm not one to complain.

 

[brittain]

Originally Posted by GBR

The one analogy I can think of is those people than think they can enhance RTW by having an alterations tailor convert the cuff buttons of their coat from 'sham' to working to some unexplained benefit.
I know what you're saying, but I cant read this without thinking that there really isnt a benefit to working buttonholes on a $4000 bespoke suit, either. They are there for nothing more than to set the suit apart from the OTR masses and to make the wearer feel good about the suit, perhaps to show other styleforum-types "hey, I know suits, and this one is nice"

Originally Posted by voxsartoria

I hear from a very reliable source that Chan does have one of those expensive machines for simulating hand pick stitching...apparently they are the only one of the HK bespoke houses that does.

How Chan deploys that resource, or how often, I have not idea.


- B

thanks for the info, Vox