Vest Later, or No Vest?

[ImTheGroom]

I'm being fitted for a new suit on Thursday. I'm planning to order just jacket and trousers. I want the vest, but don't need it, and shouldn't spend the extra right now, with lots of other things coming up in the next while. I can have the vest made later on, from the same fabric. I would probably do this early in the new year.

This presents the potential problem of slight variations in the suiting. It's a patterned material (grey sharkskin) if anyone thinks that makes a difference. So, the fabric would be the same weave/pattern/colour but from different bolts. It would also be a few months newer, so the jacket and pants would have a few more wears (8-10) without the vest.

Would fading, or the different bolts, present enough of a problem that I should skip the vest entirely? Or, are we just talking about ideal vs. good?

Thoughts, please.

 

[Renault78law]

I don't think different bolts makes any difference, but because I am anal-retentive, I would insist on the same bolt. You can set aside the extra fabric until you decide to make the vest. The fading is literally a non-issue, a jacket is going to wear different from pants which are going to or different from a vest. Not enough to make a difference in appearance.

 

[Despos]

The percentages of ordering cloth successfully later for a vest are not in your favor and for many reasons. The shading from another piece can be off significantly enough it may appear it isn't the same cloth. The shading of color rarely, almost never, will match from different pieces. There can be slight variation from the beginning of a bolt to the end of the same piece.

You risk the cloth being completely sold out. Have had this happen within a week of ordering cloth.

Your tailor will have to buy double the amount cloth needed if you order later. He may need to add up to 1/2 yard to the original order to cut a vest if he lays it out with the original cutting but will need a full yard if he orders the cloth after. Not an efficient use of cloth. He can hold the vest material until you want it made up.

Especially on sharkskin, all the pattern pieces should be cut in one direction. Better to insure this is done by laying out the vest when you cut the suit. If the vest is cut later and not in the same direction you will have two different colors of cloth even if it from the same piece. Learned this one the hard way. Pocket was made on a jacket with the cloth for the pocket turned upside down. The pocket looked three shades darker and visibly stood out from the rest of the jacket. Had to remove and remake the pocket. If you order cloth later make sure the cutter knows the direction the pattern was laid on the cloth.

Very bad idea to wait to order cloth for a vest.

 

[ter1413]

Agree that either buying the vest or material now is the way to go. Don't wait.