Bespoke Disasters...which can be fixed

[ay329]

Considering the jacket was recut and a new vest was made, I'm happy with the results

Mafoofan...what is a more open design? I'm set with a 3 button stance. Can you post an example of what you are talking about

I will make pics and upload per my simple better fitting suits...stay tuned

[mafoofan]

RIght now, your jacket and vest are buttoned up very high; the quarters of your jacket are very closed. All together, this makes you look a lot wider.

[ay329]

The jacket buttoning is the way I like it...through trial and error, my tailor and I agree this looks best. I will post pics of better examples from other suits

Likewise for vests, I don't like them buttoned higher up as it covers too much of the tie, and if its any lower, I noticed the vest does not feel comfortable to me

Comfort is the heart of why I do bespoke

I have 5 suits almost ready from a tailor I used in Athens, Greece. His vests are buttoned lower than my tailor in Los Angeles and his 3 button jacket is a bit lower too. I'll compare them side by side and let members give their feedback then.

[Manself]

I'm ready to step into the confession booth.

In my wardrobe I have a few bespoke disasters that cannot be fixed, and it's normally down to the cloth I chose in the days when I gave no serious thought to the weight of fabrics, and trusted what my tailor told me.

There's a pair of wonderful burnt orange cords in a weight of cloth that would make a good shirt and a pair of cream cotton trousers afflicted by exactly the same problem. Both lack the capacity to hold any shape, and look like hell as a result.

Then there's a green herringbone Harris tweed jacket (the cloth is okay, if a little spongy) that has a centre vent, which I can almost excuse on an odd tweed jacket, and three buttons, which I can't. The second of these two mistakes I repeated when I later ordered a blazer from the same tailor, although it's also rendered unwearable by being so heavily constructed that it's far too warm on all but the coolest of days. Annoyingly I did actually ask for three-buttons-rolled-to-two, but the idea was poo-pooed by my tailor as being American and I didn't then have the confidence to press the point.

Last year I spent a long time with a tailor finessing a pair of cream wool trousers that were lovingly crafted in the style of a pair once worn by Fred Astaire. Eventually the shape was right and the fit was perfect, but the cloth is so fine that the pockets and lining are visible through it. I'll probably never wear them, but may try again one day if I can find some appropriate cloth.

Of my shirts I've certainly got a couple in colours that weren't all that I hoped (did I think brown and green were going to flatter me?) and they'll never be worn again.

Was any of this avoidable? In theory, yes, but in reality each of these mistakes was a step closer to developing my taste, my understanding of the kind of fabrics and construction that I like and with this knowledge the confidence to tell a tailor what I want, and, if necessary, over rule him or her to get it.

[Scot]

Manself, I too was told by my tailor that the 3 roll 2 was "American". I wonder if it was the same tailor; was it on the row? The thing is I have come to the conclusion he was RIGHT. He can produce a two button coat with such beautifully rolled lapels that the 3 roll 2 looks contrived and ugly in comparison (in my view, of course). Conversely, a "near" disaster was an attempt at a 3 roll 2.5 (different tailor) which turned into a 3 roll 2 and looked awful - it WAS possible to fix this.

I agree that bespoke should be about working with a tailor to realise the garment you have in your mind's eye, and that this can require the confidence to persevere. But I also think that most tailors know what they do best and that is a serious factor to consider when commissioning.