What to do at Bespoke 1st 2nd 3rd fitting?

[raymond0912]

Hi everyone,

Would like to seek some advises. I have made a few bespoke suits in Hong Kong in the past years and in the higher price range (WW Chan), though I am really a novice in this area. And the fitting sessions seem always flawless to me and on one hand I guess it's matching the price standard but on the other I am afraid I may be missing something. Though mostly I then wear these suits day in day out without any problem spotted. But maybe I just don't know where to look..

Would do you do during the fittings (1st/2nd/3rd...)?

Would you swing your arms, walk a few steps, do a side kick, sit down, squat, twist your torso, with buttons on/off etc?
Or would you look if there is excessive fabric causing the ripple at back/hip/upper arm etc? Or tight armhole? Or what else?

Would appreciate if you can share your "routine checking" during these fittings!!

 

[Texasmade]

I like to sit down to see how the pants feel when sitting to make sure they don’t feel like they’re about to rip at the seams.

 

[dieworkwear]

1. Stand naturally. The tailor should tell you this, cause they may notice if you stand overly erect. But at the fittings, when you're standing in front of the mirror, it can sometimes be natural to straighten your posture. If you do this, the coat will end up fitting someone with a different posture.

2. IMO, first fitting is for the tailor. I feel like the garment is way too rough for a client to make meaningful comments.

The second fitting is a little further along. Here, I mostly pay attention to the length of the jacket, but ignore things like the shoulder width (which is usually cut wide on purpose) and lapels (again, hard to tell at this stage). Length of the jacket is kind of important though and something you can tell, as a client, at this stage.

Third fitting is basically everything else -- everything should look great. You may need to nip the waist or shorten/ lengthen the sleeves, but if you notice other major issues, it would be cause for concern.

An SR cutter once told me a story about a client who ordered a shooting jacket. In the middle of the fitting, right when the tailor was standing behind him, pinching the waist, the client violently threw his hands up like he was about to shoot a rifle. The tailor, startled, asked: "oh do you hunt, sir?" Client said: "no, I was just checking for movement."

That's the kind of strange thing, I think, you want to avoid doing. Fittings are pretty straightforward. One of the nice things about bespoke is that you don't really have to do much besides show up.

 

[raymond0912]

Thanks for your comment!

Just wonder, do people have and won't mind to show some bad example that require pointing out during the fitting (if missed by the tailor)?

Most websites suggests the length of jacket / sleeve / even shoulder pad, what else you have in mind?

 

[dieworkwear]

Thanks for your comment!

Just wonder, do people have and won't mind to show some bad example that require pointing out during the fitting (if missed by the tailor)?

Most websites suggests the length of jacket / sleeve / even shoulder pad, what else you have in mind?

I'd recommend not looking at the individual parts, but just whether or not you like how the jacket is coming along as a whole. And to not micromanage the process.

As a client, the main thing you're looking for is whether the silhouette is coming together to your liking. Issues of fit should be handled by the tailor -- collar gap, sleeve pitch, etc. I don't think any kind of micromanaging can make a bad tailor into a good one, so pointing those things out seem somewhat unproductive.

Not to make assumptions, but if you haven't worn tailored clothing for a while, it can take a while to train your eye for the silhouette of a suit or sport coat. But even then, you should stay pretty close to the tailor's house style.

IMO, you're better off just choosing a good tailor and leaving everything up to that person. I find that people's orders often turn out badly when they micromanage. Look more for silhouette and stylistic details and leave the technical aspects to the tailor. Give that person an idea of what you want to achieve and let them figure out how to technically get there.

 

[benjamin831]

Question: do you tell your tailor whether you want your balls to hang on the left or the right? Can I have them split down the middle?