The London Lounge

What is the general opinion?

Should the pinstripes from the front and back panels of the jacket match across the shoulder or does it matter if they don't align? I have seen some well made suits constructed both ways.

Matt

with bespoke, from what I understand, you may get a match or you may not get a match - it all depends on geometry which is dependent on the shape of your shoulder. i have discussed with my tailor (who is a cutter and hence has a good feel for geometry) and I have seen this explained by Mr Thomas Mahon (who is a cutter and hence has a good feel for geometry) on his site www.englishcut.com.

my view is that you should aim for symmetry on either side but not necessarily a match. if you sacrifice a good fit to achieve a good match you have lost more than you have gained.

sometimes you could see a match because I assume that makers of off-the-rack would want aesthetic for sale rather than performance for use ie. a good match rather than a good fit.

Mr JRM wrote: my view is that you should aim for symmetry on either side but not necessarily a match. if you sacrifice a good fit to achieve a good match you have lost more than you have gained.

Nicely put.

Forget about matching stripes over the shoulder. I may work out that way sometimes, depending on the pattern of the stripes AND the angle of the shoulder seam. As Thomas Mahon explains on his blog, the easing in of the fabric on the backside, means the stripes could not match even if you'd want to make them.
The shoulders should usually be symmetrical, though.