The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[Megakurth]

Hi all,

Inquiry about bespoke trousers and trouser recuttings - if money is no object, is there any limit to what a tailor can do with sizing down pants? Brooks Brothers currently offers a line of beautiful flannel trousers with fabric by VBC, but my size (34) is unavailable in all the hard to find colors like olive and dusty blue.

If I were to buy these trousers in sizes ranging from 35-40 and bring them to a highly competent tailor in my area, is it possible to make them just like a 34? I understand that the sizes closer to 40 may need belt loops to be moved, etc. and it could be highly costly, but $125 clearance price per pair for the pants with a $100ish recut for a few pairs, for $250 max each pair, is preferable to the $500ish per pair bespoke trousers from a high-end tailor that carries VBC.

Many thanks in advance!

If you can identify the fabric #, you may be able to look into made to order, made to measure, semi-bespoke, or even cheaper bespoke for around $250 a pair in that fabric or perhaps something similar. Check out some of the affiliate threads.

 

[GeneralEmployer]

Have you ever heard the story of Syd Barrett showing up at Abbey Road studios during the recording of Wish You Were Here? Having more or less lost his marbles, Barrett held a toothbrush and attempted to brush his teeth by holding the brush still and jumping up and down. That's still a more logical idea than what you're proposing.

I believe this is more along the lines of 'Have You Got It Yet?'

Was this threak always like this, or did I open the troll gates?

 

[Nobilis Animus]

That John Cleese photo ought to be the CM background. Fitting in more ways than one.

 

[plyonsla]

Relatively new SF member here. I got two suits from an outfit in D.C. called Brimble & Clark. The suit is made with a VBC Super 110s in charcoal, it is fully canvassed, and has no shoulder pads. Do people have any feedback on the fit or build quality? I may have it taken out a little bit at the waist because the fabric appears to be bunching in the rear. I also was considering having a tailor add very light padding to the shoulders to give the suit a tad bit more structure (as I want it to be more formal). Any thoughts, advice, or feedback is appreciated! Thank you.

 

[Despos]

Thank you for the information, @Despos . Attached are several images of the suit. Do you have any feedback on the fit? I think I need to have it let out in the waist since the fabric is pulling in the back. The sleeve buttons are also very high up (odd quirk of the MTM place I got this from) and the sleeve is a bit long, so I may want to shorten the sleeve. This MTM shop is called Brimble & Clark (based out of D.C.).

@plyonsla
You cannot add shoulder pads if there isn't ample space between your shoulder and the shoulder of the jacket. You say to add a soft pad but that won't create a more structured effect. If you read my other post about this, the canvass needs to be reworked with the appropriate weight/firmness of haircloth in the shoulder with an ample "spring" in the shoulder canvass. This will do more to give a real effect. If you add a pad you risk creating a roll under the collar, the lapels popping up and away from your chest and the collar pulling away from your neck. A very thin pad could go undetected but it won't create the appearance of a more structured shoulder line.

The jacket has a short front balance. This is causing the fronts to cross over a bit below the buttons on the edge. Tailor's refer to this as scissoring.
The chest is borderline too small. You can see the beginning of a bowing of the lapel as the lapel line over your chest is this () instead of V.
Could also be from your "taking a picture" posture.

The blades are too full on the back and the shaping of the waist line is off. The jacket back needs more fullness in the back shoulder worked in. The collar sits very low on your neck but you have a higher than normal collar band on your shirt.
May be pulling on the inside seams from too wide of an outlet for the severity of the curve.
The left sleeve is the proper length. Right sleeve could be made longer .25" to 3/8".
If you do add shoulder pads, which I don't recommend, do this before any sleeve adjustment. Pads will raise the shoulder and sleeve length will change.

 

[Despos]

I bought a pair of Ted Bakers grey virgin wool trousers from eBay which normally retails for £150/$200. They came unhemmed and in a straight fit with 10 inch opening. They are very baggy and long.

Is it normal for certain brand trousers to come in like a one size fits all so that you take them to the tailors for alteration ?

Am a slim guy that wears a 7 inch opening.

Trouser silhouettes are changing to a fuller fit with wider knee and bottom. This is what you purchased, not a one size to accommodate everyone and adjust to your liking.
7" is very tapered unless you are referring to jeans. Hard to balance this narrow opening and not make the shoe look enormous.

 

[Despos]

@Despos Is it typical that during first fitting shoulder blades are marked and to accommodate them cloth is stretched/ironed out?
During first fitting I got jacket which seemed quite good apart bit folding between shoulder blades. In my mind these folds should have been cleaned by pulling excess material up, no?
View attachment 1499601
What I understand, my fitter marked shoulder blades to stretch cloth out and since then back has some nasty fold under left shoulder blade, also back still has some folding/creasing even after attempt to clean (I guess between green lines he took cloth in, but this created to issues between red lines).
What's going on, why my tailor is not able to fix those things?
View attachment 1499616 View attachment 1499619

The hashtag # chalk mark next to the center seam between the blades means to let out the back. That is a mistake to do.
Stretching is the more common answer but I never do that. It distorts the back. Cloth has memory and wants to return to its natural state. Looks like they stretched along the center back seam and that's another no-no. There is a hollow between the blades and you want to shrink that area. Make it "short" between the blades.
Two pictures below are how I prep the back for a client with more prominent blades than you. The fullness covers the blades and takes the tension away. The scye and center back are shrunk to clean up those areas. I didn't stretch anything. I shrink the center back and the scye. Prefer this to stretching because you can "stay" these areas and they won't change. It doesn't distort any pattern in the cloth or create waviness form stretching. The back in your after altering picture appears wavy between the blades.
This is how I do it. If this was made MTM in a factory, it's unlikely they could do this.
Every tailor has their way of working. Misconception that all tailors work the same way.
Tailors have disagreed with me or didn't comprehend this method but I like the outcome. It has worked for me.

 

[Despos]

I have an Isaia cardigan I purchased for over 90% off: fits great, feels great, but has a design oddity. It has both buttons and a zipper. Either would be fine, but having both make the cardigan look way too fussy. Also, the weight of the zipper makes it drape a bit oddly when I have it open which I did not anticipate (basically how I want to wear it).

1) Can I remove the zipper off the cardigan without ruining its structural integrity? Would there by an cosmetic downside to this?

2) How would it look if I removed the buttons and sewed up the holes? Would this be obvious I did this?

Do I need to embrace this cardigan as is and just wear it closed? This is what the universe seems to be telling from my failed google searches.

Cardigan be found on the khakis of carmel website.

Isaia Cashmere Loafed Alpaca & Wool Cardigan in Charcoal

khakisofcarmel.com

Pics below:

View attachment 1497773

View attachment 1497774

View attachment 1497775

You want a cardigan with a deep shawl collar but bought a sweater with a zip that goes to the very top of a stand up collar and has no lapel.
Trying to alter this won't make it the style you want and you risk damaging this sweater by trying to remodel it to something it is not. This has to worked on by someone with a knitting machine. That is difficult to impossible to find.
Personally, I would buy this style and wear it as in a minute.

 

[plyonsla]

@plyonsla
You cannot add shoulder pads if there isn't ample space between your shoulder and the shoulder of the jacket. You say to add a soft pad but that won't create a more structured effect. If you read my other post about this, the canvass needs to be reworked with the appropriate weight/firmness of haircloth in the shoulder with an ample "spring" in the shoulder canvass. This will do more to give a real effect. If you add a pad you risk creating a roll under the collar, the lapels popping up and away from your chest and the collar pulling away from your neck. A very thin pad could go undetected but it won't create the appearance of a more structured shoulder line.

The jacket has a short front balance. This is causing the fronts to cross over a bit below the buttons on the edge. Tailor's refer to this as scissoring.
The chest is borderline too small. You can see the beginning of a bowing of the lapel as the lapel line over your chest is this () instead of V.
Could also be from your "taking a picture" posture.

The blades are too full on the back and the shaping of the waist line is off. The jacket back needs more fullness in the back shoulder worked in. The collar sits very low on your neck but you have a higher than normal collar band on your shirt.
May be pulling on the inside seams from too wide of an outlet for the severity of the curve.
The left sleeve is the proper length. Right sleeve could be made longer .25" to 3/8".
If you do add shoulder pads, which I don't recommend, do this before any sleeve adjustment. Pads will raise the shoulder and sleeve length will change.

@Despos
Thank you very much. Can the problems you describe be fixed by a tailor? I will forego adding pads as you recommend.

 

[Despos]

@Despos
Thank you very much. Can the problems you describe be fixed by a tailor? I will forego adding pads as you recommend.

Yes , doubt anything can be done to make the fronts longer or increase the chest. To do it well, the entire back would be removed, reshaped and then remade. That means opening completely the side seams, the sleeves and the shoulder. Best to just focus on cleaning up the sides/blades on the back. If you have a tailor who knows how to construct a canvass they might rework the shoulder. If they only know simple alterations, don't ask them to do it.
Regardless, it's a lot of work

 

[Despos]

@Despos
Thank you very much. Can the problems you describe be fixed by a tailor? I will forego adding pads as you recommend.

@plyonsla
When you are at the tailor they can slip a pad under the shoulder with you wearing the jacket. You can see how it looks and effects the fit without any effort. If it helps and you think it improves the look you want, have them add the pad.
If it creates side effects then you know not to add the pad

 

[monkk]

The hashtag # chalk mark next to the center seam between the blades means to let out the back. That is a mistake to do.
Stretching is the more common answer but I never do that. It distorts the back. Cloth has memory and wants to return to its natural state. Looks like they stretched along the center back seam and that's another no-no. There is a hollow between the blades and you want to shrink that area. Make it "short" between the blades.
Two pictures below are how I prep the back for a client with more prominent blades than you. The fullness covers the blades and takes the tension away. The scye and center back are shrunk to clean up those areas. I didn't stretch anything. I shrink the center back and the scye. Prefer this to stretching because you can "stay" these areas and they won't change. It doesn't distort any pattern in the cloth or create waviness form stretching. The back in your after altering picture appears wavy between the blades.
This is how I do it. If this was made MTM in a factory, it's unlikely they could do this.
Every tailor has their way of working. Misconception that all tailors work the same way.
Tailors have disagreed with me or didn't comprehend this method but I like the outcome. It has worked for me.

@Despos Thank you sir, much appreciated! This will help me in ongoing dispute for my first bespoke order. Sadly I choose young tailor/fitter who is not house trained and and seems is doing a lot of mistakes (full story in Ongoing bespoke thread if ever bored).

 

[lsdandmusic]

Fit check on these 3 suits. I start a finance job soon and required to wear suits on the job. Never purchased a suit before but would like any feedback on the fit and what I can do better.

 

[dauster]

Fit check on these 3 suits. I start a finance job soon and required to wear suits on the job. Never purchased a suit before but would like any feedback on the fit and what I can do better.

looks pretty good from the front. I would try them on with dress shoes, so we can see how the pants fit with shoes. all suits need some cleaning up in the back - both pants and jacket.

 

[lsdandmusic]

looks pretty good from the front. I would try them on with dress shoes, so we can see how the pants fit with shoes. all suits need some cleaning up in the back - both pants and jacket.

Very pleased to hear, what exactly in the back? I want to go to the tailor tomorrow but want to know what to ask for in particular.