First bespoke suit (LL Fox Flannel)

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

hectorm
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Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:50 pm

davidhuh wrote: I have two suits in this cloth, and it really takes some time to settle in.
Whitebeard- wear it two days in a row and sleep in it :D - well, not really. But wear it all day for a few more times, meet your tailor and do some adjustments.
David is on the money here.
I have one in that cloth myself (a DB in the chestnut color) and has quickly become my favorite winter suit. But after two seasons the jacket has formed around my collar and shoulders, and body and sleeves are a tad longer now.
It´s the kind of cloth that will crease a bit if worn all day long, but will recover beautifully after hanging.
WhiteBeard
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Tue Mar 15, 2016 7:52 pm

hectorm wrote: And it´s definitely a 3 piece affair. Worn unbuttoned and without the vest, the suit looks like it lost most of its character.
BTW, if you haven´t read them so far, I think you would much enjoy the posts at the LL by Frederick Leighton.
Hector,
yes, this is planned as a 3 piece suit. I agree that the cut of the suit needs a waistcoat to look complete.
I have indeed read most of the posts made by Federico and have had some very interesting discussions with him regarding the use of natural lining fabrics... and, like him, I am very interested in having a suit made with a belt-back. Next project...
couch wrote: I agree with David that braces would suit those trousers very well and keep the line of the pleat at its best. But since you have fitted them with loops, you might consider exchanging the harness leather belt with the roller buckle for a slightly thinner, slightly narrower, and more refined belt--one that allows just a small amount of the trouser waistband to remain visible above and below both the belt and the buckle. The current model seems better suited to more rugged trousers. In this setting it gives the (stylistic) impression of having to work too hard to secure the waist. If the trousers fit at the waist, a more elegant effect will be given by a mid-weight belt that appears to do the job effortlessly (though of course it is doing the job).

EDIT: No one has commented yet on the first picture which shows the jacket closed with the link button rather than the overlap in the lower picture. I think the line of the lapel with the link button is part of the reason that photo show off the suit so well as a three-piece. It's unusual to see these days in a lounge suit, but in this case I think it makes a better line than the overlap button—although that buttoning too may hang better when you stand naturally rather than with legs apart.
Couch,

I fully agree with you regarding the belt, on all points. It will be on top of my purchase list. Thank you.

As for the link button, this is something that I added to make the line of the lapels cleaner, while being fully within the intended style of the 1920s. I am glad to hear that the experiment might have worked! :D
Scot wrote:
You were obviously trying to achieve a particular effect but I tend to agree that both the arms and the coat itself are too short. In fact, you will find many examples of short coats on the LL because that seems to be "a thing". However, I do think it can look as though it was made for the wearer as a boy and they have now somewhat outgrown it.
Scot,
I do agree with your points here. As you say, this suit was made as an experiment within a very specific framework. But it is very good advice and something I will most definitely keep in mind when ordering the next suit. I also think that a longer jacket would work better with my tall figure.
davidhuh wrote: White Beard - wear it two days in a row and sleep in it :D - well, not really. But wear it all day for a few more times, meet your tailor and do some adjustments.

I final comment: I don't trust your shirt very much - is this RTW? If yes, you should fix it.
David,
I have a meeting planned with my tailor in about a month. During that time I will do my best to "break it in" as best as I can.
As for the shirt, it is not ideal. I will pick a better fitting shirt to wear for the next fitting.
Concordia wrote: Figure showing 1/4" to 1/2" cuff, unless you're a no-cuff sort of guy (Prince Philip), or inclined toward show biz (Artur Nikisch, Liberace). Obviously, that means having perfectly-placed shirt cuffs.
Concordia,
would the perfect placement of the shirt cuff be at the break of the wrist?
aston wrote:I would also,suggest you ask your tailor to tighten your collar on your neck; in one or two of the shots it looks as though it could stand off a touch.
Aston,
thank you. I will adress this when I meet him next time.
yialabis
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Thu Mar 17, 2016 12:03 pm

Whitebeard congratulations on your new suit .. I think you have had already some very good feedback about the fitting so I'm not going to repeat any of the above obviously . I think you should talk about those little changes with your tailor but at the same time you should enjoy wearing it as much as you can ! BTW when in a flannel suit with outside pockets I would wear a knitted tie and probably a sky oxford shirt ..paired with a nice brown suede belt you would be amazed how much it would give the suit a different optic balance that would probably do it a bit more justice !

Cheers
Vassilis
hectorm
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Thu Mar 17, 2016 5:20 pm

WhiteBeard wrote:
hectorm wrote: And it´s definitely a 3 piece affair. Worn unbuttoned and without the vest, the suit looks like it lost most of its character.
yes, this is planned as a 3 piece suit. I agree that the cut of the suit needs a waistcoat to look complete.
You may soon discover that 3 piece suits are at their best -in line and comfort- when the trousers are cut with long rise to stay in place around your waist and on top of your hips without the help of a belt or braces. Pieces of hard leather or metal under a well contoured vest are definitely not desirable. With well cut trousers (assuming a normal waist) side adjusters, or only one in the back, is all you need if anything.

One question if I may: did you decide that your first bespoke suit was going to be a "period" garment? or was it the other way around, meaning that you wanted a "period" piece and the only way to get it was going bespoke?
WhiteBeard
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Thu Mar 17, 2016 9:05 pm

hectorm wrote: One question if I may: did you decide that your first bespoke suit was going to be a "period" garment? or was it the other way around, meaning that you wanted a "period" piece and the only way to get it was going bespoke?
I would say the latter.
I have a hard time finding modern suits with a fit and style that I like. And don't get me started on the fabric, well, you all know what I'm talking about. That is why the Cloth Club exists.
Vintage (pre-1950s) suits are still available for a decent price, but suits that fit my 42L frame are more rare.
My reasoning for going bespoke was I can finally get a suit that fits me properly, with an old-school cloth of my choice, and with all the old school details as well.
uppercase
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Sat Mar 19, 2016 5:21 pm

Congratulations and I think that your suit is very successful, particularly for a first bespoke suit.

Future commissions will only get better if you continue to use the same tailor.

And I do very much like the design of your suit showing what bespoke can really do with your references to the past and a thoughtful collaboration between client and tailor.

Very nice.
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