The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[CorozoButton]

Lower back wrinkles will go away if the jacket is let out at the top of the vents. This can be done and not let out the waist. Wouldn't worry about anything else.
You have very square shoulders. Hard to alter for that properly.

Thanks so much!

Do you have any other input about what to change for my next order with this factory? I can change pretty much anything.
Are the wrinkles at the top of the back just something that will happen on a cloth like this?

Finally, this may sound weird, but to me it looks like the jacket is sitting fairly low on the back of my neck? I imagine it's just looking at my square shoulders from behind, but it seems like there's a lot of shirt collar showing to me?

 

[classicalthunde]

general question: Is the prevailing wisdom that if you are a rounder/heavy-set person that you should avoid shawl lapels on a dinner jacket?

 

[needsomeadvice2020]

Hi all,

This suit is from S&M (Medium Gray, Full Canvas, Neapolitan Cut, Slim Fit, 38S) and I'm debating if I should return the suit. The focus and advice I need would be the fitting of the jacket (I own trousers from S&M so I know the trousers would need alterations). The front seems to look decent, it's the back (the upper back / shoulder blades / middle back) and sleeves that concerns me as it doesn't seem to drape well on my body.

Any advice on possibly being able to "fix" the back would be greatly appreciated. I.e. Can a tailor alleviate a majority of the problem? If so, what kind if alteration would I request (take in / take out through the side seams or back seams)? Another size might be a better option? Etc.

Here are the pictures of the suit: S&M Suit - Medium Gray, Full Canvas, Neapolitan Cut, Slim Fit, 38S

Thanks in advance.

 

[Torzano]

I don’t know where else to say this so I’ll put it here. I’m worried once things open up my local tailors will stay closed. They are all elderly/high risk. I hope they do as all of my pants need to be let out after gaining the quarantine 15.

 

[Despos]

general question: Is the prevailing wisdom that if you are a rounder/heavy-set person that you should avoid shawl lapels on a dinner jacket?

Are you ordering directly online or working with someone? If the latter, ask how they would approach making a shawl lapel for you. If the proportions are good and balanced it can look fine regardless of your build.

 

[Despos]

Hi all,

This suit is from S&M (Medium Gray, Full Canvas, Neapolitan Cut, Slim Fit, 38S) and I'm debating if I should return the suit. The focus and advice I need would be the fitting of the jacket (I own trousers from S&M so I know the trousers would need alterations). The front seems to look decent, it's the back (the upper back / shoulder blades / middle back) and sleeves that concerns me as it doesn't seem to drape well on my body.

Any advice on possibly being able to "fix" the back would be greatly appreciated. I.e. Can a tailor alleviate a majority of the problem? If so, what kind if alteration would I request (take in / take out through the side seams or back seams)? Another size might be a better option? Etc.

Here are the pictures of the suit: S&M Suit - Medium Gray, Full Canvas, Neapolitan Cut, Slim Fit, 38S

Thanks in advance.

The jacket is collapsing in the back because your shoulders are sloped more than the line of the jacket's shoulder. Try the jacket on and place a folded wash cloth or a small sponge, something about .5" thick under the jacket on top of your shoulder. This will give you a better, clearer picture of what needs to be done on the back. The back blades need to be reduced but getting the shoulder picked up first will help to see how much. Reducing is best done on the side seams but requires opening the sleeves; this takes much more time for the tailor and will cost much more for you.
I don't think the fronts look good on the upper chest. Looks too narrow from the armhole upward to the shoulder. Looks like your chest is busting out of the jacket. The breakline of the lapel is bowing like ( ) instead of looking straight and making a V shape from the collar to the button.
If you can try on other makes and find something that is cut better for your shoulder/body type, you will need less alteration and be better off.

 

[Despos]

I don’t know where else to say this so I’ll put it here. I’m worried once things open up my local tailors will stay closed. They are all elderly/high risk. I hope they do as all of my pants need to be let out after gaining the quarantine 15.

Hope they will be ok too! 15 is a lot to gain so quickly.

 

[CorozoButton]

Hard to say by these pictures.
With the jacket on and arms relaxed, move your left arm backwards about 2” and see if it changes.
See some twisting in the shoulder but you didn’t mention that.

Managed to get some better pictures of this. Still have no idea what the issue is, it's only the left sleeve.

Pitch looks pretty clean from the side. If I move my arm backwards, I start getting the wrinkles on the back of the sleeve as if the pitch is off. It's a really weird one, the sleeve just sort diagonally folds over itself. It happens on other jackets/brands etc, so doesn't seem to be specific to this one pattern. It's not something I think I've ever seen when other people post pictures for advice?

 

[Despos]

Managed to get some better pictures of this. Still have no idea what the issue is, it's only the left sleeve.
View attachment 1392504
Pitch looks pretty clean from the side. If I move my arm backwards, I start getting the wrinkles on the back of the sleeve as if the pitch is off. It's a really weird one, the sleeve just sort diagonally folds over itself. It happens on other jackets/brands etc, so doesn't seem to be specific to this one pattern. It's not something I think I've ever seen when other people post pictures for advice?

Pitch doesn’t look clean from the side , it shows the wrinkling on the front sleeve over your bicep. That’s a pitch issue. Reading your comments it seems like you think pitch issue is only when the sleeve wrinkles on the back part. That’s not true.
Looks like your arm hangs forward and the sleeve is set too far to the back. Sleeve needs to be rotated forward to match the way your arm hangs. When you move your arm back the wrinkles on front should go away. You see the wrinkles form on the back because the sleeve is attached to the jacket. One picture from the front with both arms totally relaxed and falling naturally at your side would tell more. Could be more to it but this online by pictures doesn’t show everything a tailor could see in person.

 

[classicalthunde]

Are you ordering directly online or working with someone? If the latter, ask how they would approach making a shawl lapel for you. If the proportions are good and balanced it can look fine regardless of your build.

good to hear, I'd be working with my tailor (Joe and Divij Hemrajani) on this so i'd definitely seek their input. I have some images of idea shapes that I would show them since shawls seem to be so varied across the board. and I think I recall you commenting before that a low button stance close to the jetted pockets is important for shawl dinner jackets so I would bring that up as well...

 

[Despos]

good to hear, I'd be working with my tailor (Joe and Divij Hemrajani) on this so i'd definitely seek their input. I have some images of idea shapes that I would show them since shawls seem to be so varied across the board. and I think I recall you commenting before that a low button stance close to the jetted pockets is important for shawl dinner jackets so I would bring that up as well...

That’s what I do but I lower the besom pocket position from the normal point as well. Depends on the jacket length but anywhere from .5” to 1” lower than the regular pocket height

 

[Torzano]

Hope they will be ok too! 15 is a lot to gain so quickly.

It’s really 10. 15 just rhymes. A lot of people are gaining weight. Going from an active work environment to sitting and snacking around the house.

 

[Despos]

It’s really 10. 15 just rhymes. A lot of people are gaining weight. Going from an active work environment to sitting and snacking around the house.

I have lost a few pounds. Actually eating better and not buying sweets.

 

[CorozoButton]

Pitch doesn’t look clean from the side , it shows the wrinkling on the front sleeve over your bicep. That’s a pitch issue. Reading your comments it seems like you think pitch issue is only when the sleeve wrinkles on the back part. That’s not true.
Looks like your arm hangs forward and the sleeve is set too far to the back. Sleeve needs to be rotated forward to match the way your arm hangs. When you move your arm back the wrinkles on front should go away. You see the wrinkles form on the back because the sleeve is attached to the jacket. One picture from the front with both arms totally relaxed and falling naturally at your side would tell more. Could be more to it but this online by pictures doesn’t show everything a tailor could see in person.

Thank you so much for the knowledge! I understand pitch can be wrinkles forming at the front too, but I thought the wrinkles appearing on the back if I move my arm back meant that it was pitched too far back - I had no idea it was the sleeve still being attached to the jacket that did that, so thank you again. I'll get a picture from the front.

 

[Despos]

Thank you so much for the knowledge! I understand pitch can be wrinkles forming at the front too, but I thought the wrinkles appearing on the back if I move my arm back meant that it was pitched too far back - I had no idea it was the sleeve still being attached to the jacket that did that, so thank you again. I'll get a picture from the front.

Wrinkles on the back of the sleeve means the sleeve is set too far to the front/forward. You rotate the sleeve so it hangs more to the back.
Wrinkles on the front, like your jacket means the sleeve is set too far to the back and you rotate the sleeve to hang more to the front, move the pitch forward. The sleeve naturally wants to hang to the back but with your arm in the sleeve pushing the sleeve forward, it creates the wrinkles over your bicep on the front.