Unfunded Liabilities: a/k/a The Cloth Thread

[FlowableFill]

I have none. I just started building one. Assembling cloth, investigating possible tailors, learning. And I’m allowing myself to do beginners mistakes. Like, sure I would start with a blue suit and reuse the jacket as blazer. And that maybe even right but for me it wouldn’t fit my climate or workplace..it’s really for my own pleasure..

I got into tailoring about four years ago and immediately looked up the closest bespoke tailor and proceeded to order three suits within a year; navy worsted, charcoal flannel and brown worsted. I haven't worn any of those suits in more than a year. Whenever I wear them it feels like the suit is wearing me. I didn't fully understand silhouette, level of formality and, generally what kind of tailoring I'm comfortable wearing. I thought because a suit is bespoke it would just look good, which isn't the case. I took a step back and started to buy ready to wear. Keeping what I like and selling the things I didn't (you're not going to resale a suit that was made specifically for you).

I would recommend you hold off on bespoke and buy ready to wear so you can figure out color, how structured a shoulder you like, shirt fit, how to pair shoes, etc. Start slow and experiment. You can resell RTW if you don't like how it looks but you're stuck with bespoke. Custom clothing isn't cheap and having >$10k worth of suits sitting unworn in a closet isn't a good feeling.

 

[BPL Esq]

Aside from reading all 2000+ pages of this thread, any suggestions for where I might get a good primer on choosing cloth for various purposes, from whom to buy it, the quantity of fabric needed for various purposes, etc.? Does a particular SF thread or online article (or series of articles) come to mind? I'd like to learn more and down the road potentially choose my own cloth to take to a tailor for the purpose of making me a garment. Thanks.

 

[dieworkwear]

Aside from reading all 2000+ pages of this thread, any suggestions for where I might get a good primer on choosing cloth for various purposes, from whom to buy it, the quantity of fabric needed for various purposes, etc.? Does a particular SF thread or online article (or series of articles) come to mind? I'd like to learn more and down the road potentially choose my own cloth to take to a tailor for the purpose of making me a garment. Thanks.

This thread is basically

1. Recommendations to Fresco or Mock Leno
2. Bickering about London Lounge or Fox Brothers prices
3. Telling people they should consult their tailor.

That's literally it.

 

[ValidusLA]

This thread is basically

1. Recommendations to Fresco or Mock Leno
2. Bickering about London Lounge or Fox Brothers prices
3. Telling people they should consult their tailor.

That's literally it.

This thread helped me find HFW and Caccioppoli as direct sources.

 

[dieworkwear]

This thread helped me find HFW and Caccioppoli as direct sources.

There you go. It's, "have you looked at..."

- HFW
- Caccioppoli
- Fox or LL (bickering follows)
- Harrisons via Isles
- Some eBay jobber
- "Why don't you consult your tailor"

Every four years, someone asks about linen, and then someone names some of LL's sources. And there's the very occasional independent Scottish weaver.

 

[BPL Esq]

This thread is basically

1. Recommendations to Fresco or Mock Leno
2. Bickering about London Lounge or Fox Brothers prices
3. Telling people they should consult their tailor.

That's literally it.

 

[Bromley]

Right, but which fresco?

 

[losrockets]

Speaking of impractical, and of linen: I've yet to purchase / commission a cream jacket and keep thinking how nice it would be to have one in my wardrobe during the summer months. I'm thinking a Dugdale linen, possibly something on the cooler end of the spectrum such as oatmeal, and I'll probably get matching pants as well, think I am far more likely to wear this as an odd jacket (or trousers) than the full rig.

I'm considering making it up as a single button, single breasted peak lapel jacket. This is in part because all of my jackets are of the ~4" notch lapel, (mostly) 3-roll-2 variety. I realize its a formal configuration, but if I'm already wearing a a cream linen, peak lapel sportcoat with odd trousers, does it really matter whether the jacket has 1 button or 2-3? Would going 1 button but then patch hip pockets balance things out or just make it look weird? Are these changes the difference between wearing it to work (2-3 button, notch) or not? Saman Amel posted several cream jackets on their IG lately which give a sense of what I'm considering

 

[Sreezy36]

@dieworkwear and @Despos:

For a first time bespoke customer/client, which suit/jacket style or silhouette is the easiest to perfect in general. A double breasted or single breasted?... my initial thought is that a double breasted would be easier to get right on the first commission because the aesthetic has to “look right” or fit properly ONLY while the jacket is buttoned. In contrast, the single breasted aesthetic has to perfected BOTH while being buttoned and unbuttoned(open).

 

[dieworkwear]

Speaking of impractical, and of linen: I've yet to purchase / commission a cream jacket and keep thinking how nice it would be to have one in my wardrobe during the summer months. I'm thinking a Dugdale linen, possibly something on the cooler end of the spectrum such as oatmeal, and I'll probably get matching pants as well, think I am far more likely to wear this as an odd jacket (or trousers) than the full rig.

I'm considering making it up as a single button, single breasted peak lapel jacket. This is in part because all of my jackets are of the ~4" notch lapel, (mostly) 3-roll-2 variety. I realize its a formal configuration, but if I'm already wearing a a cream linen, peak lapel sportcoat with odd trousers, does it really matter whether the jacket has 1 button or 2-3? Would going 1 button but then patch hip pockets balance things out or just make it look weird? Are these changes the difference between wearing it to work (2-3 button, notch) or not? Saman Amel posted several cream jackets on their IG lately which give a sense of what I'm considering

Mark at The Armoury often posts photos of himself in a cream linen Liverano jacket. I think it looks good. No idea where the linen is from. Usual recs for linen are W. Bill and Solbiati.

Personally think SB peak lapel is risky. Sometimes the lapels come out looking like stubby turkey legs. I would do 3r2 with patch pockets and notch lapels. Would be easier to dress down with jeans or chinos.

@dieworkwear and @Despos:

For a first time bespoke customer/client, which suit/jacket style or silhouette is the easiest to perfect in general. A double breasted or single breasted?... my initial thought is that a double breasted would be easier to get right on the first commission because the aesthetic has to “look right” or fit properly ONLY while the jacket is buttoned. In contrast, the single breasted aesthetic has to perfected BOTH while being buttoned and unbuttoned(open).

I think if you have a good tailor, they can execute either. I wear DBs and SBs both open and closed, with or without a tie. If being discrete matters to you, I think DBs stand out more than SBs because they're less common. SB seems more versatile. For a first commission, I think nearly everyone can use a navy single-breasted sport coat.

 

[breakaway01]

@dieworkwear and @Despos:

For a first time bespoke customer/client, which suit/jacket style or silhouette is the easiest to perfect in general. A double breasted or single breasted?... my initial thought is that a double breasted would be easier to get right on the first commission because the aesthetic has to “look right” or fit properly ONLY while the jacket is buttoned. In contrast, the single breasted aesthetic has to perfected BOTH while being buttoned and unbuttoned(open).

I know you didn't ask me -- but I'd agree to go for SB first. Not just more versatile but also it is harder to get a DB jacket to fit just right. It has to have shape without being tight. Body length and buttoning point have to be just so.

 

[Sreezy36]

Mark at The Armoury often posts photos of himself in a cream linen Liverano jacket. I think it looks good. No idea where the linen is from. Usual recs for linen are W. Bill and Solbiati.

Personally think SB peak lapel is risky. Sometimes the lapels come out looking like stubby turkey legs. I would do 3r2 with patch pockets and notch lapels. Would be easier to dress down with jeans or chinos.





I think if you have a good tailor, they can execute either. I wear DBs and SBs both open and closed, with or without a tie. If being discrete matters to you, I think DBs stand out more than SBs because they're less common. SB seems more versatile. For a first commission, I think nearly everyone can use a navy single-breasted sport coat.

I definitely agree on the idea of the navy single breasted jacket being the basis of a first bespoke commission. However, for my first commission I am looking to work with a local tailor. Neither of the local tailors I’m interested in working with produces a “house” single breasted style that I like. I would much rather save my single breasted commissions for other traveling tailors that I prefer(house style). Although I could be wrong, I feel as though a double breasted silhouette is less dependent upon a house cut than in comparison to a single breasted. I also believe that there is more flexibility in regards to lapel width and butting position/overlap. But again, I could be very wrong.

 

[dieworkwear]

I definitely agree on the idea of the navy single breasted jacket being the basis of a first bespoke commission. However, for my first commission I am looking to work with a local tailor. Neither of the local tailors I’m interested in working with produces a “house” single breasted style that I like. I would much rather save my single breasted commissions for other traveling tailors that I prefer(house style). Although I could be wrong, I feel as though a double breasted silhouette is less dependent upon a house cut than in comparison to a single breasted. I also believe that there is more flexibility in regards to lapel width and butting position/overlap. But again, I could be very wrong.

I'm personally not against working with someone who doesn't have a specific house style, but I'm a little cautious of "do anything" tailors. I would want to work with someone who has a point of view. Whether SB or DB, I would want to see examples of the person's work on regular people (e.g. not just a model with wide shoulders and a narrow waist).

Personally very cautious of working with bespoke tailoring houses where it feels like the main sell is just that it's bespoke. Often feels like these customers think they can work with an affordable tailor and get what they want, but the main appeal is that they may be able to do most of the styling work and, in turn, get a cheaper coat. Have seen a lot of people go with bespoke tailors where I think the styling is a bit ho-hum and they would have been better going off-the-rack.

 

[losrockets]

I know you've been suggesting sportcoats w/ jeans more lately, DWW, and I'm usually like 2 years late to your things, but I'm gonna pass on on that. I don't even think I have what could be considered chinos, just a series of gray and cream to brown dress trousers in mostly wool, but some cotton and linen where appropriate. I'll be using Spier & Mackay, and their current SB peak lapel looks like this:

I wouldn't call that a stub! But I just re-read your post about the doubly-odd jacket (https://dieworkwear.com/2018/02/22/the-doubly-odd-jacket/) and I'm wondering if I'd be better off making this my first double-breasted jacket. I'm sure @Andy57 has a thing or two to say about cream jackets in these various configurations.

Also thanks everyone for their advice about Marling & Evans. Ordered a couple swatches and wasn't terribly impressed the netherton and other basketweave clothes were not as knit-like as I'd hoped. I ended up MTM-ing a navy seersucker suit w/ Minnis cotton instead

 

[Sreezy36]

@dieworkwear Unfortunately I’m one of those guys with an “unusual build”. 46/47 chest with a 33/34 inch waist. Rtw isn’t an option for me and I am terrified of mtm suits/jackets. It’s bad to the point where if I attempt to try rtw, jackets with un padded natural shoulders are the only passable option.