Three Bespoke DBs, Three Different Countries

[~ Monsieur Xu ~]

Honourable Members,

This being my first post on this esteemed forum, allow me to solicit your learned opinions on which double-breasted suit's silhouette looks best. I have posted only the frontal pictures of the three suits, for more pictures, as well as four other SBs, please refer to this thread on SF - http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=166464

Thanks in advance for all comments, and I look forward to playing an active part in discussions!

Ben

[Greger]

B looks better because the button stance looks better, because it is also lower.

[couch]

I agree that the button point in B, which in the picture appears nearer the natural waist, is most flattering for you (and its tighter button grouping works better on a person who is not so tall). This coat also, in my view, has the best balance of lapel width, lapel length (because of slightly lower button stance) and gorge height (C appears exaggeratedly high). B also appears to have less built-up shoulders, which, coupled with the good gorge height and high collar, helps reduce horizontal emphasis (a good thing here). B also appears to have slightly more waist suppression and cupping of the skirt, which I think is also flattering for you--and the coat does not appear too tight in the waist. However, the upper chest in front of/just below the arm scye does look a little snug--if this is because you are holding your arms back, it may not be significant. If your arms are hanging naturally, the coat might benefit from just a bit more ease or drape allowance in front of the scye. C appears most comfortably fitted at that area to me, but as it's not finished in the picture it's hard to know for sure.

It may just be different postures, but A and B both appear to have compression wrinkles at the rear of the upper sleeve, and B seems to be pulling a little at the front of the upper sleeve. C does not show this effect. It may be that the sleeve pitch in A and B needs to be adjusted--or you may simply have been holding your shoulders and arms back more than usual.

So on balance, for my taste, B is superior for shoulder slope, torso/waist modulation, sleeve head setting, button height and placement, lapel and gorge proportions, and jacket length. Elements from C (sleeve pitch and upper chest ease/swell) might usefully be incorporated into the basic model of B, if the photos are all taken with comparable posture.

OK, now I've looked at the SF thread, and I see I agree with Foo on most points except that I wouldn't widen the shoulders unless necessary to release the compression wrinkles behind the upper arm and at the top of the sleeve cap. But the side-view photo makes me suspect those more likely to be issues of posture/pitch, and possibly a little skimpiness of cloth just under the top of the sleeve cap. Don't much care for suit A on you. Not surprised to see John Hitchcock's eye at work on the proportions in B. Well done. It's just fit refinements needed now.

I do think a slightly less cutaway collar would also help. One thing the Zhongshan Zhuang suit has going for it is the vertical emphasis of the standing collar opening.

[WGD]

The wearer of suit B appears the most comfortable and natural of the three.

[kolecho]

Just curious, are the jackets all the same length when measured along the back from base of collar to jacket hem?

[~ Monsieur Xu ~]

Honourable colleagues in style,

Firstly, thank you all for your invaluable commentary thus far. To couch, yes indeed the A&S evidences substantial bunching and puckering around the arm scye, especially at the back which is not seen in the photo. I instructed the tailor responsible for the unfinished suit to adopt a number of A&S features - subtle curvatures in pocket seams, vents, more bellied lapels and a lower gorge, but chose to omit the A&S sleeve puckering which I feel adds little substantive comfort while making the armholes far messier in appearance.

Couch, out of curiosity, what do you not care for in Suit A? Is it its relative boxiness?

Kolecho, the coats are indeed of the same length, but the A&S is noticeably shorter when worn, but even so only by approximately two inches.

I attach two pictures of the finished Suit C in deployment. The only issue which I have asked the tailor to rectify is the pulling at the shoulders. The trousers are full cut, and the jacket is buggy-lined and completely unpadded save for some wadding, factors which combine to make the suit superlatively comfortable while dining in the tropics. Next up is a camel linen safari suit in a Norfolk configuration...