Bespoke Shirt

[Guest]

Hey guys I am new to the world of custom made clothes. I just had a few shirts made and I cross-checked the details with some of the websites and posts on the net. I would like to be assisted on a few points.

I am based in India, Mumbai and we do not have a big market for custom made clothes. Therefore I feel that the tailors sometimes leave out certain details and they may need to be guided.

Also the cost for tailoring a shirt here is minimal ( 8$ for a shirt, 16$ for pants and 140$ for a suit + material charge ofcourse)and the extras can be added without a very high charge

The sleeves of my shirt have been double stitched along with the shoulder area. Should I ask for a single stitch for the next shirt ? Is a single stitch the same as hand stitched?

There is a creasing on the front and back of the shirt on the shoulder area. Is that acceptable?

What is a 2 piece collar?

The shirt has been constructed with a single yoke. When I asked for a split yoke I was told that it is only for design and it does not help in the fall of the shoulder. If it does can someone send me a diagram for the exact way to tailor it.

Is a butterfly gusset only a detail or does it also strengthen the shirt and give a better fall?

All suggestion and additions to better tailoring are welcome.
Thank You

[Guest]

Many men here can answer your questions better than I, and without photographs I'm unclear as to some of your concerns. But I'll essay a partial response lest you be left with none.

. . . . the cost for tailoring a shirt here is minimal ( 8$ for a shirt, 16$ for pants and 140$ for a suit + material charge ofcourse)and the extras can be added without a very high charge

Eight dollars for a shirt, $16 for a pair of trousers, or $140 for a suit: all very, very low, as you know, perhaps even by Indian standards. Nevertheless, if the garments aren't what you want, they're not worth a penny; so I hope that indeed you are successful in working with tailors and shirtmakers (any shoemakers?) to achieve what you have in mind.

The sleeves of my shirt have been double stitched along with the shoulder area. Should I ask for a single stitch for the next shirt ?

Double-stitching (if I correctly imagine what you have) is fine; it adds strength to a seam that is subjected to more stress than some others. If you prefer the aesthetic of a single stitch, do ask for that instead: clothing made for you should fit you aesthetically as well as physically.

Is a single stitch the same as hand stitched?

Noooo . . . . Well, stitching by hand is generally in a single line, but it certainly can be reinforced by a parallel stitch if appropriate. If your shirts are sewn together by machine, fine; if by hand, fine: what matters are appearance and fit, but the appearance should be as genuine as the fit: don't have a machine-sewn shirt made to look like a handsewn: it will be false, a pretense, won't fool the knowledgeable and will make you uncomfortable. Besides, what's the point?

There is a creasing on the front and back of the shirt on the shoulder area. Is that acceptable?

On the sleeve, at the sleeve head? Yes. More a matter of aesthetics than of need, I think, unless the tube of cloth that is the sleeve has a larger diameter than the scye (the armhole in the tunic, the body of the shirt). So the choice is yours.

The shirt has been constructed with a single yoke. When I asked for a split yoke I was told that it is only for design and it does not help in the fall of the shoulder.

So I've been told, too. If, however, your shoulders are markedly different in width or drop, a split yoke could be useful structurally. My shirtmakers use the split yoke either to aid in pattern matching or as an historical relic.

Is a butterfly gusset only a detail or does it also strengthen the shirt and give a better fall?

I doubt that it would give a better fall (a worse, if anything, I imagine), but I do think that it strengthens the construction. I generally prefer the butterfly.

Do let us know how you fare. If you're willing to divulge an on-screen identification, please consider posting photographs and details in the non-anonymous sections of the Lounge.

RWS

[Guest]

Thanks a lot for your time. The information has been very helpful and I will post a snap of the shirts as soon as possible.