The London Lounge

Hi,
My tailor insists that he does not like to have the lapel covering the breast pocket. I have noticed on all expensive rtw suits..and rtw in general that the lapel usually does partly cover the pocket. He says he will do it for me if I want but clearly seems reluctant. Is this a point of correctness for bespoke? ...what are your views?
thanks...Rowly.

Rowly:

There is nothing wrong with the width of your lapels partially covering your breast pocket. It sounds like your tailor favors undernourished lapels, ie, anorexic afterthoughts that harken back to the late 1950s.
The width of the lapels depend upon the size of you, not the whims of the coatmaker. Good cutters and tailors strive to keep a balance that is suitable for each individual customer. That's virtually impossible if it's a ready-to-wear suit because if you don't fall within the precise stock sizes available, no amount of fiddling with alterations is going to be satisfactory; somewhere something is going to get shortchanged.

JMB

This will surely depend upon your physique as much as the cut of the coat. If you want narrow lapels it is less likely that the pocket will be covered, 1960s wide lapels more so. Anywhere in the middle depends upon cut.

In the past there have been so many different shapes of lapels from thin to wide and the outter edge can be many shapes, too. Why limit oneself to just a few? Wide lapels will most certainly cover some of the pocket. Narrow lapels might not. It depends on where the pocket goes and where the lapel begins.

Since tailoring is an art- don't limit oneself to few rules. Your body porortions and personality and coloring, like eye, hair, complexion can all contribute to the art of clothes from plain to outrageous. Some people look good with some ideas while others might look outrageous and with it, another could look plain. No doubt there will always be some clothes that look outrageous on everybody as other clothes will be plain. What I like about bespoke is that it is so individual. The approach is so different than mass market clothes. The styles and fashion you have a say in how it is done with bespoke. Mass market is somebody elses ideas that your supposed to try and fit into. While there is much that is better with bespoke there are a couple of bad sides to the coin; one is some tailors aren't that great, and the other side is that some customers really have bad taste. If you have bad taste it is a good idea to find a tailor that will help you achieve good taste the way you want it. If your taste are fine, then open the doors of creativity when you walk throught the doors of bespoke and you will get so much more out of your clothes.

Greger wrote:If you have bad taste it is a good idea to find a tailor that will help you achieve good taste the way you want it.

Nobody thinks of oneself as having bad taste...

Thanks for feedback.... I don't object to the pocket not being covered...but I did notice a few pics in the lounge where others had their pocket uncovered, and wondered if it was a bespoke feature like the hand sewn buttonholes etc....Surely it's bad taste to accuse someone of having bad taste...or is that observation in bad taste? ... thanks again !

The lapels are not 60's style narrow. In fact the button stance is the same as my expensive rtw jackets... and the lapels are around 3.5 inches. I haven't measured ... but perhaps he keeps the pocket a bit closer to the sleeve in order to not cover the pocket. I am happy with the finished result but it made me curious. Perhaps he is imposing his taste on me, which in this case, I don't mind as I'm happy with it. He clearly takes a pride in his work, but perhaps is a bit stuck in a time warp? I noticed some of Will's suitable wardrobe suits are done this way .. and wondered if others had considered this a desirable option? ...thanks again !

Clemens wrote:As I said its a matter of taste, I like both. Do you wear handkerchiefs?

Yes I do wear handkerchiefs. However, I am still getting used to wearing them and only wear them in the evening, to date. I'm also getting used to showing cuff. I have no problems with watches or cufflinks but I can't imagine being comfortable wearing a cravat or ascot even though they look so good, especially with tweeds ( and I am a tweedaholic ). That is why I find the support of the Lounge members invaluable in encouraging me to push through my comfort zone and further down the road towards the uninhibited pleasures of sartorial self expression. I'm sure others feel the same !...... thanks, Rowly

.

Clemens wrote:Remember never to match your handkerchief's pattern with your tie, mix and play with colours even! I sometimes wear a blue tie with a red handkerchief etc...

Yes, I like the hank to look like an afterthought and not too prissily co-ordinated. I also read somewhere that silk should be worn with tweeds, and linen with worsteds,...but I'm not sure I would restrict myself to that extent. Having said that, I enjoy these little rituals... I really miss being able to smoke the occasional Romeo y Julieta Exhibition No. 4 ! ... but that's for another discussion. I recently saw High Society on the big screen. There is a scene where Crosby takes a jacket out and puts it on a stand and then inserts a handkerchief. He does it in a way that shows his pleasure in dressing. You could almost imagine him reminiscing the fittings.
Indeed, you could almost imagine his character as being a LL member... it made me smile....

I think the best way to go is to choose your tailor carefully, then assume he knows his job. Lots of tailors have very powerful opinions about how a suit should look. They're also keen on cutting a suit that puts YOU in the best light. I would suppose he has calculated that this would be the most flattering look for you, or that wider lapels don't harmonize with the rest of the design.