The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[othertravel]

Here’s an MTM I had done a few years back. It had some issues, but the back was almost perfect.

 

[stu len]

General question: can a tailor slim down lapels by roughly half an inch? I read in an old forum posting that a user had the lapels on a couple of suits takin in by having a tailor reduce the fabric from the inside of the jacket, thus having no changes made to the outside edge of the lapel/buttonhole area.

Would also like to know if this is a complicated and therefore costly endeavor. Thanks in advance!

 

[FLtheatretech]

Hi all, I just picked up a nice Samuelsohn suit from my tailor. Got home and noticed he sewed the collar back on through the lining. Am I right to be annoyed at this? Sure nobody will see it, but it just seems sloppy. I don’t mind paying whatever for alterations provided they’re done well. Isn’t the liner supposed hide stuff like this?

 

[Despos]

Hi all, I just picked up a nice Samuelsohn suit from my tailor. Got home and noticed he sewed the collar back on through the lining. Am I right to be annoyed at this? Sure nobody will see it, but it just seems sloppy. I don’t mind paying whatever for alterations provided they’re done well. Isn’t the liner supposed hide stuff like this?

I’ve sewn thru the lining like that when working on collars and always redo it so those stitches are hidden. Wouldn’t let it go out like that.

 

[FLtheatretech]

I’ve sewn thru the lining like that when working on collars and always redo it so those stitches are hidden. Wouldn’t let it go out like that.

Ugh, this is so annoying. I feel like he’s going to be annoyed if I ask him to redo it, but the lining is to hide things like this. I know this isn’t a Kiton or Isaia suit, but I’ve found Samuelsohn classic fits me well off the rack that, I’d like it to be well finished. Sigh. Tell me, is it an easy fix? He’s done several Samuelsohn jackets for me that have navy liners so it wasn’t noticeable. This one was noticeable because I had it out in the sun and the stitching stood out against the grey liner. Sure enough, they’ve all been finished like this…he’s not cheap. He allegedly recut the shoulder on this one to account for the fact that it’s lower than my other. $180 bucks! I say allegedly because while there was some improvement in the back panel, it was wasn’t perfect. Probably not worth the cost.

 

[Egdon Heath]

^
Curious, what are you having done to your jackets that requires the collars be totally or partially undone, then sewn back on?

 

[Despos]

@FLtheatretech
His response will be more about your attitude than your request.
“This may sound petty but I see these stitches thru the lining and I tried to let it be but it continues to bug me. Would it be too difficult to sew this again so it looks neater?
It may be his work or maybe he has a finisher doing hand work.

 

[Egdon Heath]

@FLtheatretech
His response will be more about your attitude than your request.

Advice that works well in other galaxies besides the one we're discussing now.

 

[FLtheatretech]

Curious, what are you having done to your jackets that requires the collars be totally or partially undone, then sewn back on?

So, my right shoulder sits a little lower than my left. On this jacket, I was having him do the shoulder recut to prevent the extra wrinkling I get due to the lower shoulder on the right side of my back. He makes bespoke suits that start at about three grand and stated it was hard alteration, but that he could do it. The Super 150s fabric is very unforgiving. The jackets are clean across my shoulders, and upper back, and they also don’t have a noticeable amount of material pooling under my arm on my front right side the way a lower than the other shoulder typically causes. Anyway, given that I’ve been able to score several Samuelsohn coats and suits on sale for 350-450 bucks, I’ll take the bit of wrinkling in my middle right back. It’s barely noticeable, and I think bespoke is the only way to fix it. Anyway, for the shoulder recut, I. An understand him removing the collar. On my other jackets, he’s had to take in the center seam on the back. I don’t really know what else. The other jackets have the same stitching. Could it be that he’s not removing the collars, but just accesses what he needs to from the top of the liner, then sews it back up this sloppy way?

 

[Egdon Heath]

So, my right shoulder sits a little lower than my left. On this jacket, I was having him do the shoulder recut to prevent the extra wrinkling I get due to the lower shoulder on the right side of my back. He makes bespoke suits that start at about three grand and stated it was hard alteration, but that he could do it. The Super 150s fabric is very unforgiving. The jackets are clean across my shoulders, and upper back, and they also don’t have a noticeable amount of material pooling under my arm on my front right side the way a lower than the other shoulder typically causes. Anyway, given that I’ve been able to score several Samuelsohn coats and suits on sale for 350-450 bucks, I’ll take the bit of wrinkling in my middle right back. It’s barely noticeable, and I think bespoke is the only way to fix it. Anyway, for the shoulder recut, I. An understand him removing the collar. On my other jackets, he’s had to take in the center seam on the back. I don’t really know what else. The other jackets have the same stitching. Could it be that he’s not removing the collars, but just accesses what he needs to from the top of the liner, then sews it back up this sloppy way?

Another reason for opening a collar is an operation, somewhat mistakenly called lowering the collar, sometimes done when there are horizontal ripples across the back at the top, and when the collar is opened the excess fabric causing those wrinkles is essentially stuffed up under the collar, the excess first being snipped off.

Thanks for your informative reply, was interesting. Glad you like your Samuelsohns, good jackets.

 

[FLtheatretech]

@FLtheatretech
His response will be more about your attitude than your request.

Advice that works well in other galaxies besides the one we're discussing now.

Oh yeah, I’m beyond patient and polite, and I’d even offer to pay a nominal charge to have the work redone. Is it a five minute job? A thirty minute job? I do think he might have someone else finishing things. He finished sleeves for me once only for me to get home and find the buttons sewn through the lining in the sleeves. I’m in Orlando FL and have had a problem finding a one stop tailoring shop. This guy does a good job on jacket body alterations, but I have someone else do the sleeves for me as she does very nice hand worked buttonholes. However, when it comes to anything jacket body, she either says she sees no problems, or her first impulse is to take in the back sides of the coat, like the excess material that allows your arms to move.

 

[Egdon Heath]

...she either says she sees no problems, or her first impulse is to take in the back sides of the coat, like the excess material that allows your arms to move.

Chuckle

 

[Parapraxis]

The jacket in the attached photos is from Spier & Mackay, in the Neapolitan cut, Contemporary fit, size 36. I'm planning to order a new MTM jacket from Spier & Mackay, and, thus, I wanted to get some input about what tweaks to consider. I think I see some slight collar roll; does that suggest that I'd benefit from a reduced shoulder slope (i.e., shoulders more squared)? Is the sleeve length and jacket length good? Any observations or suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you.

 

[FLtheatretech]

Chuckle

Yeah, needless to say, I shut that down. I see these perfectly smooth suit backs, no material behind the arms, and it looks very uncomfortable.

 

[Jamesbond1]

Here’s an MTM I had done a few years back. It had some issues, but the back was almost perfect.

View attachment 2245693

Looks clean from the back! What were the issues?? Does not Have a Harry Rosen tag?