The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[sebflynn]

Thank you for your quick reply!

My belly button falls about middle between the buttons closer to the top one. The trouser sits at my hip bone. The waist is pretty snug. I think this is an Indochino low waist fit thing I will try them on again.

Oh man does the seat need to be let out... it gives me a wedgie. I believe the sewing under there wasn't correct.

What measurement should the sleeves be taken back?

If your belly button is just below the top button then the issue is definitely in the trousers, it's either perspective or you have a really long torso, for this I'd say you need a longer rise in your trousers to balance things out, they look they have a drop crotch at the moment shirt sleeve length is entirely up to you, I like 3/4 to an inch of shirt cuff showing personally because I pretty much exclusively wear double cuff shirts, but most say 1/4-1/2 of an inch of cuff.

 

[Despos]

That's a really common misconception that the wrinkling under the collar is caused by tight shoulders, it's actually all about how your shoulders and neck naturally sit, I have a very upright posture the rippling bellow the collar is super common and seen on pretty much all jackets off the rack for me. The shoulder divots would be solved with a wider shoulder but would make the rest of the suit huge.

Sebflynn, you are entitled to your opinions but some of your statements aren't factual. It's hard to reduce a fitting issue to one cause because many things can contribute. The way your suit was altered has created other faults. Only mentioning this because you are losing the potential to have a better looking/fitting suit. The roll under the collar is from tension between your blades. Same as if you stretch a towel. When you make it taut you get horizontal folds. Your blades aren't so prominent but their shape requires more fullness and shaping to contour the cloth over the curves.
There are many online discussions about sleeve divots. (not shoulder divots) Won't do your homework for you but if you read up you will see the various causes. There are a few.
On your suit you can see a tension line straight across the back where the back seam of sleeve attaches to the back. That is the same place causing the divot. Relieve the stress and the divot will go away. You can see a photo, before and after if you find JeffreyD's explanation in the tailor tutorial on this site or on his blog, tuttofatoamano.com. You will discover that shoulder width is a non contributor to the cause or the fixing of divots.
You will get the most benefit visually if the jacket is reduced properly. You say you have an athletic build but the suit is not conveying this. The center back seam is a fixed line. Should only change/touch the center back seam to adjust for posture. The jacket should be reduced at the side seams. If you look you will see the side seams are curved )(. This is what is missing. Reshaping the sides will create a more athletic line to the torso. The jacket will contour in a flattering way to your natural waist. This will clean up the side seam under your arms to the waist. The jacket will follow your body shape and feel and look more natural/relaxed and at the same time show some waist suppression.
This jacket was taken in on a straight line down the center back and it pulls the jacket to the back. You can see how off it is by following the grain line.
Did this jacket originally have vents and if so were they removed? Do your jackets tend to flare out at the lower back/hemline?

 

[sebflynn]

Sebflynn, you are entitled to your opinions but some of your statements aren't factual. It's hard to reduce a fitting issue to one cause because many things can contribute. The way your suit was altered has created other faults. Only mentioning this because you are losing the potential to have a better looking/fitting suit. The roll under the collar is from tension between your blades. Same as if you stretch a towel. When you make it taut you get horizontal folds. Your blades aren't so prominent but their shape requires more fullness and shaping to contour the cloth over the curves.
There are many online discussions about sleeve divots. (not shoulder divots) Won't do your homework for you but if you read up you will see the various causes. There are a few.
On your suit you can see a tension line straight across the back where the back seam of sleeve attaches to the back. That is the same place causing the divot. Relieve the stress and the divot will go away. You can see a photo, before and after if you find JeffreyD's explanation in the tailor tutorial on this site or on his blog, tuttofatoamano.com. You will discover that shoulder width is a non contributor to the cause or the fixing of divots.
You will get the most benefit visually if the jacket is reduced properly. You say you have an athletic build but the suit is not conveying this. The center back seam is a fixed line. Should only change/touch the center back seam to adjust for posture. The jacket should be reduced at the side seams. If you look you will see the side seams are curved )(. This is what is missing. Reshaping the sides will create a more athletic line to the torso. The jacket will contour in a flattering way to your natural waist. This will clean up the side seam under your arms to the waist. The jacket will follow your body shape and feel and look more natural/relaxed and at the same time show some waist suppression.
This jacket was taken in on a straight line down the center back and it pulls the jacket to the back. You can see how off it is by following the grain line.
Did this jacket originally have vents and if so were they removed? Do your jackets tend to flare out at the lower back/hemline?

In order, while the center seam was taken in it wasn't taken in across the chest, so while it is a piss poor alteration it's not the cause of the role under the collar, the rolls disappear if i just move my neck down so I still think it's from my neck not from tightness across the back.
While I agree with the blog and you on what causes shoulder divots in general but i would like to add that while they were there in the side picture they're not really there in the front, sometimes they're there sometimes they're not sometimes on my right shoulder, sometimes on my left, most of the time they're not there at all, this seems to be more about how the suit is sitting on me and something i have seen in many bespoke suits.
I was going to have it taken in at the waist but when pinned up it ruined any and all drape of the jacket, but I would like something that doesn't make me look like a walking box and have some waist suppression so I will be sure to talk about this to my new tailor.
I'd hardly call it a straight line but I get your point.
As far as i'm aware this has always been a ventless jacket though as i said i got it off ebay and it's basically vintage it could have had all manner of alterations done to it and i would have no way to know, the original trousers had turn ups on them but i swiftly got rid of them and had them lengthened a bit.
I can't say i have noticed excess flair in the hem of any other suit jackets I've had but this is my first good suit and the only one where I've actually tried to nail the fit on, so far it's not going great. My new years resolution of not looking homeless is going quite well though.

 

[bdavro23]

In order, while the center seam was taken in it wasn't taken in across the chest, so while it is a piss poor alteration it's not the cause of the role under the collar, the rolls disappear if i just move my neck down so I still think it's from my neck not from tightness across the back.
While I agree with the blog and you on what causes shoulder divots in general but i would like to add that while they were there in the side picture they're not really there in the front, sometimes they're there sometimes they're not sometimes on my right shoulder, sometimes on my left, most of the time they're not there at all, this seems to be more about how the suit is sitting on me and something i have seen in many bespoke suits.
I was going to have it taken in at the waist but when pinned up it ruined any and all drape of the jacket, but I would like something that doesn't make me look like a walking box and have some waist suppression so I will be sure to talk about this to my new tailor.
I'd hardly call it a straight line but I get your point.
As far as i'm aware this has always been a ventless jacket though as i said i got it off ebay and it's basically vintage it could have had all manner of alterations done to it and i would have no way to know, the original trousers had turn ups on them but i swiftly got rid of them and had them lengthened a bit.
I can't say i have noticed excess flair in the hem of any other suit jackets I've had but this is my first good suit and the only one where I've actually tried to nail the fit on, so far it's not going great. My new years resolution of not looking homeless is going quite well though.

I wasnt going to get involved here, but here are a couple of quick points:
- Despos is one of the best suit makers you could hope to find. You should probably listen to his advice.
- Its probably not a great idea to be passing out advice as you do above in the Tailor's thread generally. Its especially not a good idea to do it if you dont know what you're talking about. No offense intended, but it isnt helpful.
- This Canali being your first good suit doesnt mean its going to be a good suit for you or fit you well. Its only a good deal if it fits well, and this doesnt. At some point, you may want to stop throwing good money after bad and cut your losses.

This post is intended to be helpful, rather than scolding, so I hope it is received that way. If not, feel free to ignore me.

 

[Aquafortis]

That's a really common misconception that the wrinkling under the collar is caused by tight shoulders, it's actually all about how your shoulders and neck naturally sit, I have a very upright posture the rippling bellow the collar is super common and seen on pretty much all jackets off the rack for me. The shoulder divots would be solved with a wider shoulder but would make the rest of the suit huge.

Well, the rippling may be caused by posture in your case, but I was primarily referencing cause of the shoulder crease being not enough fabric across the back.

I wasnt going to get involved here, but here are a couple of quick points:
- Despos is one of the best suit makers you could hope to find. You should probably listen to his advice.
- Its probably not a great idea to be passing out advice as you do above in the Tailor's thread generally. Its especially not a good idea to do it if you dont know what you're talking about. No offense intended, but it isnt helpful.
- This Canali being your first good suit doesnt mean its going to be a good suit for you or fit you well. Its only a good deal if it fits well, and this doesnt. At some point, you may want to stop throwing good money after bad and cut your losses.

This post is intended to be helpful, rather than scolding, so I hope it is received that way. If not, feel free to ignore me.

Well said.

 

[classicalthunde]

- Despos is one of the best suit makers you could hope to find. You should probably listen to his advice.

it honestly blows my mind that in this thread we can casually ask Despos freely for advice...and he responds with so much detail as often as he does

Seriously, listen to the guy above...if i won the lotto tomorrow, a Despos suit would be among my first purchases, if he still has room for new clients these days. Until then i'll have to dream...

 

[Despos]

Thank you for your quick reply!


This is an Indochino's MTM. I think the trouser sits right at above hip bones.

I didn't know about the hip thing... i have never seen that before...

What helps the trouser stay up is that the seam where the waistband attaches to the trouser sit on or just above your hip bones. If the top of the waistband is sitting at your hip bones then the rise is too low.
Let out the crotch not the seat to ease the wedgie

 

[Despos]

That's a really common misconception that the wrinkling under the collar is caused by tight shoulders, it's actually all about how your shoulders and neck naturally sit, I have a very upright posture the rippling bellow the collar is super common and seen on pretty much all jackets off the rack for me. The shoulder divots would be solved with a wider shoulder but would make the rest of the suit huge.

Your posture to my eye isn't all that upright/erect. When I say it is tight it means something different than what you might think. You look at the back picture and the shoulder seems wide so you might think it's not tight. At the base of your neck is the apex of the horizontal curve across your shoulder. When I say it is tight it is tight at that specific area.
If you see how the shoulder is constructed you find the back shoulder is cut wider than the front shoulder and when basted together the fullness on the back is worked in by shrinking. The extra cloth/fullness in the back shoulder needs to be distributed closer to the center of your shoulder to the neck. You are moving the extra cloth to cover the curve of your blades where it is needed. This creates more cloth at the point of covering your shoulder blades and the tension goes away and the wrinkle disappears. Doing this you can make the shoulder more narrow and at the same time create ease over the back.
Lowering the collar will create other issues. You don't want the collar to dip lower at the center back. The side view shows the collar sits just right at present.
Trying to help you identify your issues and what methods can correct them. This will help you in the long run to identify good tailors and get a better fit. Doesn't matter what suit you have or where you get it. If it fits you well it will make the best impression. Give you more confidence when you have to wear a suit.

 

[Despos]

Thank you guys for the kind words and support.

 

[Despos]

if i won the lotto tomorrow, a Despos suit would be among my first purchases

Have you bought any tickets?

 

[classicalthunde]

Have you bought any tickets?

I got one yesterday, I allow myself to splurge on a ticket when its over $100 million and I'm feeling lucky...I don't want to be medium rich, filthy rich or nothing!

But effectively, its like an imaginary daydream ticket for $2 where I get to think about how I'd treat myself...but until then its budget friendly MTM ballin' for me!

PS - If I win I'll shoot a DM to set up my appointment

 

[bdavro23]

I got one yesterday, I allow myself to splurge on a ticket when its over $100 million and I'm feeling lucky...I don't want to be medium rich, filthy rich or nothing!

But effectively, its like an imaginary daydream ticket for $2 where I get to think about how I'd treat myself...but until then its reasonable MTM ballin' for me!

PS - If I win I'll shoot a DM to set up my appointment

I believe I called dibs on the lotto winning time slot at Despos's place a few weeks ago...

 

[Patrick R]

Oh man, you guys have me thinking about my next Despos order...

 

[sebflynn]

Thank you Despos, I'll be visiting a new tailor tomorrow.

 

[bdavro23]

Oh man, you guys have me thinking about my next Despos order...

I've been really into birdseye lately. You dont have a birdseye, do you?