Post pictures of a *properly* fitting dress shirt!

naw, don't fault Brioni on that one-- I sent only a couple of measurement requirements in, and Brioni sent me the shirt thru a retailer. I didn't have all the measurements taken, as is normal at a store like Bergdorf or Barneys.

Originally Posted by mbc

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My amateur understanding of this is that it is an issue of shape. Taking a shirt in at the sides will do exactly that, take the sides in. In my experience this leads to a very narrow silhouette if viewed from the front, but still excess fabric in the back if viewed from the side. Darting in the lower back shapes the shirt to the contour of the person's lower back. I think it's really an issue of the curvature of your lower back and buttocks.

Mine are perfectly fitted 360 degrees around, since this is really no different than making a perfectly fitting shirt as it's the same seam. Is there a lower back fit that you are looking for that cannot be acheived without darts?

Originally Posted by Henry Boogers

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Mine are perfectly fitted 360 degrees around, since this is really no different than making a perfectly fitting shirt as it's the same seam. Is there a lower back fit that you are looking for that cannot be acheived without darts?
Only speaking from experience, I've been able to get shirts fitted the way I want with darts and not with having the side seams taken in. Could be that I need a better tailor, could be a lot of things. However, I think it's somewhat telling that more than one professional shirtmaker/tailor on this site repeatedly suggests to posters that the way to get the fit they want is to have their shirts darted in the back. Why would they do that if taking in the side seams would have exactly the same effect?

Originally Posted by mbc

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... I think it's somewhat telling that more than one professional shirtmaker/tailor on this site repeatedly suggests to posters that the way to get the fit they want is to have their shirts darted in the back. Why would they do that if taking in the side seams would have exactly the same effect?

I wonder what the price difference would be. Which is harder to do? Have the back darted or have the sides taken in?

does anyone have pictures of what the darting would look like? i've never really seen them and i just can't seem to conjure up any images in my head. thanks!

Originally Posted by zatarregaza

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I wonder what the price difference would be. Which is harder to do? Have the back darted or have the sides taken in?

My tailor charges either $8 or $12 to do side seams INCLUDING arms (can't remember if it's 8 or 12) and does a very nice job in my opinion. I should start a thread to get feedback and open the discussion of darts vs. side seams but I'm open to any pro-dart arguments people may have here and now.....

Originally Posted by stickonatree

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does anyone have pictures of what the darting would look like? i've never really seen them and i just can't seem to conjure up any images in my head. thanks!

I did a search after my post above. I found this one thread that explains it all pretty well. Here's one post from that thread that has a picture what darts look like:

http://styleforum.net/showpost.php?p...7&postcount=52

Well, I've been buying dress shirts now for 28 years, so I guess I've tried about every kind of fitting.

I have rather wide shouders, but a smaller torso. My torso is also on the shallow side, not too deep.

So my neck and shoulders fit a european cut 16.5 collared shirt, but my torso fits a 15.5 shirt.

I always buy a dress shirt to fit my neck, and hopefully shoulders, then the tailor takes in the sides. I believe I pay $10 for that. Sometimes a couple of inches each side, sometimes up to four inches, but there is a limit because of where the shirt meets the arm hole.

As to sleeve length, that is a question of personal comfort. I don't like my sleeves to pull up more than 1/2" above the wrist when I am seated at my desk writing or on the computer, and certainly never to pull with tension. I like my unbottoned sleeves to hang an inch from the nearest thumb joint, or from the other direction I like it to hang about 2" past the two wrist bones.

Tailoring shops seem to think this is sloppy. When I bought custom tailored shirts, they seemed to like to cut my sleeves about an inch shorter than I like. Actually they seemed to like everything a little too tight. But comfort and practicality trumps in this case so I buy Off the Shelf and have the tailor adjust every shirt.

"" Actually they seemed to like everything a little too tight. """[/quote]

So right. No one told me; I had to find out the hard way that you cannot gain weight with a closet full of custom shirts.

i recently bought a robert talbott dress shirt off ebay. Being my first purchase of that brand, i was suprised when i received the product and tried it on...the neck size is perfect and true to size 17.5.

but everything else is huge...i'm a big guy. I'm 5'10, 48" chest and a big waist with a belly. This shirt could've fit two of me....i'm kinda upset because now i have to spend extra money to get it tailored.

what can a tailor do and not do? The sleeves will need to be shortened, sides taken in. But can they make the arm holes smaller? Or the overall length of the shirt shorter? Its going down to my thighs....

Since the OP wanted pictures, I will contribute this shirt. It is a Hemrajani in a pinpoint cloth from their "Executive" collection. I believe it is a two ply 120 type fabric. The color is light gray.

I think the fit is quite good. It works for me in the neck, sleeve length, and in the body. The body might appear to some as if there is excess fabric. I requested a fitted yet comfortable shirt and this is what they produced.

It is extremely comforatable to wear and I think when I remove my jacket it has a nice appearance. I hope others agree. If you do not, please do not hestitate to make suggestions which I will use to tweak my next order:

Originally Posted by The_Foxx

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Here's my contribution; Brioni made to measure dress shirt





and with a necktie/ buttoned up (I think the left shirt cuff got caught on my jeans, just threw this on for a quick fit-photo)



Nice fit - this is my preferd fit for a shirt too as I am not thin

Originally Posted by doughboyr6

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i recently bought a robert talbott dress shirt off ebay. Being my first purchase of that brand, i was suprised when i received the product and tried it on...the neck size is perfect and true to size 17.5.

but everything else is huge...i'm a big guy. I'm 5'10, 48" chest and a big waist with a belly. This shirt could've fit two of me....i'm kinda upset because now i have to spend extra money to get it tailored.

what can a tailor do and not do? The sleeves will need to be shortened, sides taken in. But can they make the arm holes smaller? Or the overall length of the shirt shorter? Its going down to my thighs....


They can do just about anythign except fit the neck or change the cuff. A simple take in the sides and arms cost around $10 here.

Depending on your body type, darting may be necessary to get a 'fitted' look around the waist. I have a muscular upper back and a relatively small waist. If you look from a side view, my upper back protrudes out more then my lower back. Add that fact to the natural cuvature of the spine and you need the back of the shirt, at the mid-to-bottom area, to be smaller than the upper back or the front of the shirt.

If you just side-tailor and it looks fine, better for you since you will save yourself the hassle and cost of proper darting.

i'm curious how a tailor would shorten a shirt length....where would they take out the fabric? i just ordered some brooks brothers luxury and they are HUGE also...just like my Talbott one...the back of the shirt is going down past my butt cheeks