Advice wanted: re-building a wardrobe

[Concordia]

Very nice success. A handful of things I'd want different, even for OP, but that's why bespoke tailors have customers. The total look is excellent.

Thanks Concordia - it's been a great learning process. I would definitely love to hear your thoughts on what you would do differently!

Thanks,
Mariano

I'm not a fan of pagoda shoulders, although yours are the least obnoxious I have ever seen. And it would take a little more info for me to decide if another 1/4 or 1/2" should be added to the coat length. But this is all at the margin, and is shoved aside by the basically good cut and excellent fit.

[old henry]

Michael, I agree with you %100. As I said before , if done right, simply right, just do his suit simple and right ,Mariano will look more regal than most. I have done nothing magical here. I just did it right. I just made it fit Mariano's structure with splays and darts. This goes for all suits. Just do it right. Just make it fit. That's it. My old pattern drafts provide the line. Mariano is Mariano and I just made him his suit. His shoulders are right there. No extra. His silhouette is different than all others. As is everyones. That is it. It is a very simple suit. I used old patterns lines and I follow them. Mariano makes the lines nice. Regal.
And to Concordia...great call. I have already given 1/2" to the pattern should he order again. And uppercase was very gracious also. i am very happy you like his cap.
Also, notice how the trouser continues the line of the coat. No interruption. Very important to the eye. Elegant. Silent
And I just want to say that this type conversation is what the LL used to be. So nice to see it coming back. Thanks to Mariano.

[belimad]

I'm not a fan of pagoda shoulders, although yours are the least obnoxious I have ever seen. And it would take a little more info for me to decide if another 1/4 or 1/2" should be added to the coat length.

I did not know the first thing about pagoda shoulders. I always thought given my natural "strong" back, the less padding/structure I had, the better. But Frank asked me to trust him, and given he is a seasoned artisan and I'm merely a newbie, I decided to do so. I think the outcome is remarkable. So who am I to say if pagoda shoulders are obnoxious?

As for the length - as Frank mentioned, already in the making!

Thanks!

[belimad]

Saludos Mariano !

Saludos to you!

- Frank talks about the need for a classic, easy, high rise trouser for your physique. In some photos your trouser look too blousy, too full here and there, to me. I assume that you have muscular thighs, etc So your tailor needs to work with this. I would suggest that you review what is optimal for your trouser design when you meet with Frank. ...something to consider.

I'll leave this one to Frank. I thought so too. Frank taught me that it's better to be comfortable than to have "chorizo legs"

- the cap Frank made for you is a fabulous whimsy and you wear it so well and naturally and Frank knew you would ! This cap and the natural, nonchalant insouciance with which you wear it opens up a whole new aspect of your online persona and so, many new style choices open to you. I would have some more caps made by Frank, and also walk down to Bates and Lock to see what they have as well. Seriously. Do it. It is a new dimension and layer of style for you.

- apart from walking over to Bates, I would also drop in to Drakes tomorrow. Or E. Marinella over on Maddox Street. And there I would pick up a few quality ties which “pop” and contrast with your otherwise sober clothes and tie choices we have seen to date. . To express aspects of your innate style which the Frank Cap exposed. Orange perhaps ?? I would also pick up 2 or 3 modal/linen Summer weight scarves from Drakes. Perfecto!!

You give me little credit, UC. In the pictured I did not want to add any accessories to the pictures, as I wanted to just highlight Frank's work. I own about 20 caps and other hats, and I wear one every day! I also own roughly 50 ties, most of them Charvet, Marinella or Drake's. As a matter of fact, the one I am wearing for these pictures is a least favorite one - but it's what I had at hand! And I'm not a fan of orange, or yellow, to be honest!

- lose the tan colored shoes with this suit. The color diminishes the serious elegance of your new suit. (I am not familiar with your shoe needs and choices. But just an uninformed suggestion here: I love Clark’s suede chukkas: wide, low, comfortable, crepe sole, practical . Optimally, you need nice shoes to complement your suit, but ofcourse, comfort and your needs rule; but a dark brown Clark’s suede, or other comfortable suede chukkas, may be something for you to consider with your suit; but maybe not ....)

Again, you give me little credit. It's what I had at hand, and as you can see, not the type of shoe I usually wear. The good news is that I already have two shoemakers working on barefoot-like shoes that I will hopefully get to wear (and share) in the coming weeks.

- your cloth choices to date are somber and sober. Perhaps too much so. I don’t know what you need for your business needs. But I think that you could wear really well more adventurous , lighter colored cloths, patterns , etc. etc. I gather you travel to hot humid South America. Linen? Cotton? Plus certainly a Blazer is needed as a priority!! I don’t know. But something for you to think about. You need sports coats as well. Also a safari jacket, and indeed, a haori jacket could be interesting for you.. Alden can advise you on these more arcane subjects....

Unfortunately I work in a corner of financial services where somber and sober is still the rule. That leaves me for the "fun stuff" only for the weekends and travel time, where I tend to go a bit more "daring" with colors and patterns. I haven't shown much of that yet. Also, a lot of my recent wardrobe, including blazers and sport coats and jackets, come, per the forum's suggestion, from eBay + an amazing alterations tailor. None of that has been shown in the forum yet.

Plus a cool pair of sunglasses.

Yup, own those as well Don't assume if it's not in the picture I don't own it. I needed help re-building a wardrobe, not my entire appearance!!

Seriously... I am not exaggerating : a beautiful tie, scarf, cap/hat, sunglasses are equally important to your bespoke suits. You are moving on from constructing suits to expressing your swagger and Style. A few small thoughful investments are now needed. A suit is foundational. But accessories add a new subtle dimension to your style. And don’t forget a few colorful pocket squares as well. Ha !!

Again, got the ties, the scarves, the hats, the sunglasses, the pocket squares. Those are not shown. I wanted to focus on the beautiful suits. Why focus on the small details?

Thanks again for all your comments!

[belimad]

I think that the coat Frank Shattuck has designed and made for you is transformative. 

It is “transformative” in the sense that it is a stark change from the look we have seen previously. The suit, if it has transformed anything, has transformed “our” idea of Mariano assembled pell-mell from a few poor internet photos.

But the suit did not transform Mariano. The suit revealed Mariano. It did not make him a new man, it just revealed what manner of man he truly is. It did not give him new swagger, it merely put into view the innate self confidence of Mariano and “his” swagger.

Clothes cannot transform, but they certainly can reveal and illuminate the essence of a man.

And it can be a magical and wonderful thing, this release of our individual genie otherwise trapped in an impassable bottle of our own making.

Cheers

One more time, thanks Michael. I agree 100%. I think Frank put together a suit that mimics my personality and lets it through, unfiltered (or perhaps more unfiltered than other suits). The beauty of Frank's suit is that, through our skype, chat and phone conversations, he managed to understand more about my personality than others have in person.

[uppercase]

Mariano.
Noted.
Perhaps we are on crossed signals.
That can happen easily on the nets.
In any case, I wish you good luck and all the best.
Over and out.

[dfoverdx2]

This is definitely the best looking suit that you showed us so far Mariano. Frank understood your body and the result is there. The picture before the last one shows the balance that is achieved and I know it’s not an easy job for a tailor. Great work.

[belimad]

This is definitely the best looking suit that you showed us so far Mariano. Frank understood your body and the result is there. The picture before the last one shows the balance that is achieved and I know it’s not an easy job for a tailor. Great work.

Thanks! I am very happy with it. There's more to come - I am (hopefully) picking up my Kent suit on Tuesday!

[Jimmy9lives]

https://imgur.com/d7s2XH0
Shoulder line on Caraceni Rome.

[culverwood]

Love the coat but to me although the trousers look good from the front, to me the side view and I suspect the back view look "baggy" at the rear.

I do not know your shape in that area and it may be a choice you and Frank have made but perhaps when you meet it is something to consider.

[old henry]

Culverwood, thank you for the constructive conversation. I would suggest to Mariano that on trousers he orders orders in the future he asks for this style. But I want 1-1/4" more rise. I didn't want to scare him away with too high of a classic rise right away. It is unheard of today. Shame. I want his trousers to look elegant and comfortable and handsome and at ease with his coat off. There's a lot of engineering in that pant pattern. The volume is functional. I demand comfort of my pattern so that when Mariano walks he gets no pulling on the thighs and when he sits there is no pulling. Stride. Stride. Stride. Mariano is Maui Thai champion. Which means they fight with their legs like a boxer fights with his hands. He needs room. What if someone tries to steal the cap I made him off his head and he can't remedy things because his pants have no stride. Not good.
also, the style of today is ridiculous skinny low rise nonsense. It especially does not work for big fellas. So when folks see a classic, elegant, practical cut it may appear to have too much volume. But it is practical, functional, elegant and manly. Trousers should also continue the line of the coat. This pant does have one one inch pleat which if eliminated would reduce volume, but we like it. It gives line and even more ease. This is great conversation, culverwood. Reminds me of the old LL days. And thank you for liking the coat. Thank you.
Frank
ps. I learned all from Raphael. No one cut pants like Raphael.

[culverwood]

Culverwood, thank you for the constructive conversation. I would suggest to Mariano that on trousers he orders orders in the future he asks for this style. But I want 1-1/4" more rise. I didn't want to scare him away with too high of a classic rise right away. It is unheard of today. Shame. I want his trousers to look elegant and comfortable and handsome and at ease with his coat off. There's a lot of engineering in that pant pattern. The volume is functional. I demand comfort of my pattern so that when Mariano walks he gets no pulling on the thighs and when he sits there is no pulling. Stride. Stride. Stride. Mariano is Maui Thai champion. Which means they fight with their legs like a boxer fights with his hands. He needs room. What if someone tries to steal the cap I made him off his head and he can't remedy things because his pants have no stride. Not good.
also, the style of today is ridiculous skinny low rise nonsense. It especially does not work for big fellas. So when folks see a classic, elegant, practical cut it may appear to have too much volume. But it is practical, functional, elegant and manly. Trousers should also continue the line of the coat. This pant does have one one inch pleat which if eliminated would reduce volume, but we like it. It gives line and even more ease. This is great conversation, culverwood. Reminds me of the old LL days. And thank you for liking the coat. Thank you.
Frank
ps. I learned all from Raphael. No one cut pants like Raphael.

I take your point.

[old henry]

One more thing.... Mariano has "gravitas". I looked up that word just to make sure. And yes. , gravitas is the word I was looking for. I saw it when he first appeared on the LL. He is solid , Serious and grounded. And he feels that way in the trousers I cut him. I can tell to look at him. And he looks that way in the trousers I cut him.

[Jimmy9lives]

This is definitely the best looking suit that you showed us so far Mariano. Frank understood your body and the result is there. The picture before the last one shows the balance that is achieved and I know it’s not an easy job for a tailor. Great work.

Thanks! I am very happy with it. There's more to come - I am (hopefully) picking up my Kent suit on Tuesday!

The shoulder line is great, trousers seem a bit baggy on the sides ?

[flyingred]

Waiting patiently to find out more about Mariano's Kent suit!