The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[Despos]

It looks like someone altered the center back seam. Look at the vertical navy stripes where the collar meets the center back seam. The stripes on the back part are nearly .5” wider than the stripes on the collar. They should line up. The angle of the stripes from the neck to the waist are very odd. They should be more parallel and not V shaped. I’m looking at this because the collar is very tight and making dimples on the left shoulder. The collar is not set correctly and you can see the effect from the front view. It is suppressing the left shoulder. The lapels are not rolling to the button properly. See how much wider the lapel is on the right lapel and the left lapel is thinner just above the button? They should look the same.
The shoulders are not cut correctly and the jacket doesn’t sit on your shoulders very well. The collar rides up onto your shirt collar too much. You see this on the front view. This is when the shoulder is too crooked. It moves the collar up against your neck.
This sewing is not the best and the quality of workmanship is contributing to your shoulder issues.
Sleeve pitch is off. The jacket is tight on your hips.
Heavy cloth like this should be more forgiving and is not the cause as much as the poor sewing techniques.

 

[LuxLibertas]

The lapels are not rolling to the button properly. See how much wider the lapel is on the right lapel and the left lapel is thinner just above the button? They should look the same.
The shoulders are not cut correctly and the jacket doesn’t sit on your shoulders very well. The collar rides up onto your shirt collar too much. You see this on the front view. This is when the shoulder is too crooked. It moves the collar up against your neck.
This sewing is not the best and the quality of workmanship is contributing to your shoulder issues.
Sleeve pitch is off. The jacket is tight on your hips.
Heavy cloth like this should be more forgiving and is not the cause as much as the poor sewing techniques.

Thank you for your feedback. I had assumed that the heavier fabric would be more forgiving, but the same company previously made the jacket below, which seems much better in the shoulders, sleeves, and back, at least to me. I'm not sure what to make of this.

Spoiler: Fit pics

 

[Despos]

Thank you for your feedback. I had assumed that the heavier fabric would be more forgiving, but the same company previously made the jacket below, which seems much better in the shoulders, sleeves, and back, at least to me. I'm not sure what to make of this.

Spoiler: Fit pics

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This one is cut much better and doesn't have the issues the other jacket is having.
Very puzzling how careless or weird they cut the back. Look at the vertical stripe along the center back seam. The vertical stripe is closer to the seam on the left back panel than along the right panel. It is very weird and unexplainable the direction and splitting of the stripe at the top of the neck, just below the collar. Have not seen anything like this before. It's just odd. My guess is the cutter only watches the horizontal line of the stripe and doesn't align the vertical stripes when cutting.

 

[nevaeh]

Spoiler: Fit Pics

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My damn shoulders will be the death of me. Any idea what's going on with them? I think my shoulders are low and forward relative to the pattern, and I also think the rigidity and thickness of this tweed might be affecting the shoulders, since a very thin worsted wool on the same pattern looked fine.

I know that my right shoulder is lower than my left; I'm fine with that.

May I ask you and @Despos, for my edification, what is the shoulder issue? Is it that the shoulder is too big and has a divot?

 

[Despos]

May I ask you and @Despos, for my edification, what is the shoulder issue? Is it that the shoulder is too big and has a divot?

We’re talking about the windowpane jacket. The left shoulder on the front view is twisted. You can see the cloth of the shoulder rising above the collar. Compare the left side to the right side.
The back view shows the twisting on both shoulders. You see the shoulder line is wavy and not straight. The cloth is lifting off the shoulder when it should be lying flat on the shoulder.

 

[Despos]

This one is cut much better and doesn't have the issues the other jacket is having.
Very puzzling how careless or weird they cut the back. Look at the vertical stripe along the center back seam. The vertical stripe is closer to the seam on the left back panel than along the right panel. It is very weird and unexplainable the direction and splitting of the stripe at the top of the neck, just below the collar. Have not seen anything like this before. It's just odd. My guess is the cutter only watches the horizontal line of the stripe and doesn't align the vertical stripes when cutting.

The stripe of the plaid is off on the front as well. The dart on the left front completely takes in the darker stripe but more of the darker stripe is visible on the right front dart. The front edges of the patch pockets are different. One edge is a dark stripe the other pocket edge shows the lighter shade.
The edges of the lapels are different too. Dark stripe along one edge and lighter cloth on the other lapel edge. Really poor workmanship and careless cutting.
Very odd. Do you know in which country this is made?

 

[LuxLibertas]

The stripe of the plaid is off on the front as well. The dart on the left front completely takes in the darker stripe but more of the darker stripe is visible on the right front dart. The front edges of the patch pockets are different. One edge is a dark stripe the other pocket edge shows the lighter shade.
The edges of the lapels are different too. Dark stripe along one edge and lighter cloth on the other lapel edge. Really poor workmanship and careless cutting.
Very odd. Do you know in which country this is made?

India. I will say that although I know the workmanship is very poor by your standards, for what I paid I think the plaid jacket is good. (The windowpane is obviously another matter.)

I am still struggling to understand what causes the problem with my shoulders. The windowpane jacket is a very dramatic example, but most of my jackets—RTW as well as online MTM like Kent Wang—have the problem to some degree on one or both sides. It is like there is a ridge or a fold running from where my neck meets my back, diagonally over my shoulder. It gets worse if I slump my shoulders forward and disappears if I push my chest out, so I assume it has something to do with my shoulders being too forward relative to the jackets' patterns.

 

[Despos]

Have you shown the jacket to a tailor and asked to have it worked on? They might be able to explain this or give you some insight. A picture without a jacket would help to see what your shoulder pitch is.
Even if the jacket/shoulders were cut perfectly, poor workmanship will create the problem.
Looks like your results will be varied and hit or miss if you use this maker.

 

[LuxLibertas]

Have you shown the jacket to a tailor and asked to have it worked on? They might be able to explain this or give you some insight. A picture without a jacket would help to see what your shoulder pitch is.
Even if the jacket/shoulders were cut perfectly, poor workmanship will create the problem.
Looks like your results will be varied and hit or miss if you use this maker.

I've not yet, but I will. I'm not optimistic that it will be helpful—I live in a pretty small city and have struggled to find a decent tailor. I have some jacketless photos already, but the suspenders and my posture in the rear photo may make them useless. I can take more pictures if that would be helpful. (And thank you, by the way, for your responses. I really appreciate them.)

Spoiler: Jacketless

 

[nevaeh]

We’re talking about the windowpane jacket. The left shoulder on the front view is twisted. You can see the cloth of the shoulder rising above the collar. Compare the left side to the right side.
The back view shows the twisting on both shoulders. You see the shoulder line is wavy and not straight. The cloth is lifting off the shoulder when it should be lying flat on the shoulder.

Thank you. After reading your response and then looking at the photo, the issue is much more apparent.

 

[Despos]

I've not yet, but I will. I'm not optimistic that it will be helpful—I live in a pretty small city and have struggled to find a decent tailor. I have some jacketless photos already, but the suspenders and my posture in the rear photo may make them useless. I can take more pictures if that would be helpful. (And thank you, by the way, for your responses. I really appreciate them.)

Spoiler: Jacketless

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Nothing out of the ordinary here. Square shoulders and forward pitch.
Realistically, if this maker doesn’t observe pattern matching which is fundamental and not really something that requires a skill set but just common sense and caring enough to line up the stripes it will be unlikely they will be able to construct a proper shoulder. Every maker has limits to what they can do or are willing to do. The bar is pretty low here. Saying this because regardless of price, you have to receive some value for what you pay.

 

[NieeekV]

Despos,

Would appreciate your views on the below. Below are two suits I've had made - which I'm very happy with - but I'm wondering what, in your view, can/should be done to make the back cleaner (any other notes are welcome as well), without losing the ease I have in it. It's MTM. I'm also looking to have the armholes made smaller, but am worried I might lose fullness/range of motion in the sleeves. Would appreciate your views on that as well.

 

[nevaeh]

For jackets, is there a preferred distance between the edge of the sleeve and the first sleeve button? Perhaps a question for @Despos?



(This may not be the most appropriate thread for this—but I wasn’t sure where else to ask.)

 

[Baked Potato]

Received my new MtM hopsack jacket yesterday. This is my first time ordering a jacket from this specific store, so I do have the option to get things tailored for free if necessary and newly adjusted measurements for my next order. I think it looks pretty good, but I'm no expert. What do you guys say? Something around the sides of the back (close to the shoulder seam)? Thanks in advance!

Also, what do you think about the button stance? This is my first time going with a lower button stance (also, 2/3 button). You might see something lurking behind the second button, but it's just the label that I tried to hide.

Hope the picture quality is okay. Just need to say that my left shirt cuff is a bit too tight for my watch, so it doesn't slide down as easily as the right.

Spoiler: Jacket fit pics

 

[Despos]

Despos,

Would appreciate your views on the below. Below are two suits I've had made - which I'm very happy with - but I'm wondering what, in your view, can/should be done to make the back cleaner (any other notes are welcome as well), without losing the ease I have in it. It's MTM. I'm also looking to have the armholes made smaller, but am worried I might lose fullness/range of motion in the sleeves. Would appreciate your views on that as well.


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Can make out the issues on the lighter color jacket easier than the darker jacket. Looks like you are filling in the back by raising your shoulders and cleaning up the back on the last picture.
Those diagonal lines from armhole/sides to center back show
the issue is caused by the prominent shoulder blades and upper back. Needs more length over you blades and iron work to shrink and work short the back of the armhole. You may need to adjust shoulder slope but I can’t tell from these pictures.
Be careful asking to have armhole size reduced. Have been a few posts here attempting that but making things worse. They have to have someone experienced with resizing/ shaping the sleeve to fit the new armhole. That was the problem when others attempted this.