Breaking it in

[Concordia]

This could be part of a broader topic on styles of tailoring, or reviews of "soft" tailors. But I'll stick to the specific case.

I've dealt a little in the last two years with Steven Hitchcock, mostly with good results. The first order of suits, with the inevitable fine tune needed to the pattern, and the realization that I don't care for his DB design as much as his father's at A&S. The fit is marvelous, but the shoulders are squarer and the lapels wider than I think necessary for someone of my build. Some good sport jackets, the most recent two being very fine indeed. The flaws of his DB cut (for me only-- his jackets look great on him!) are very much mitigated by the nature of SB, where a wide chest has more latitude to crumple under the arm and mold to the body.

So I decided to get a basic go-to suit from Lesser 13oz pindot. Safe, durable; everyone needs one. The fitting went well, as normal. I had brought back an excellent sport jacket from 12oz Alsport worsted for a small adjustment, so he had that for reference. Some weeks later, I get the suit in the post with the jacket. The jacket is now perfect, but the suit--- what was up with that? The shoulders were wider than I liked, the chest was stiff, the sides stuck out gracelessly, the sleeves seemed a bit too long. I wore it to a few meetings almost out of obligation, but I couldn't forget what I was wearing and just relax.

First up was an e-mail to Steven. Was there a different jacket maker? Had he adjusted the pattern since the last sport jacket? No to both. Hmmm.

Then a longish hiatus from work, when the thing lived on its hanger. Finally, I pulled it out for a night at the Symphony. Surprise, surprise. The chest fit closer to the body. The sides didn't stick out. The shoulders were less square on the ends. The sleeve began riding up to lock in under my arms, and the cuffs were now at about the right length. Bottom line-- it looked like what I'd paid for.

The only real difference between this suit and the previous sport jackets was the hard, stiff finish of Lesser's worsted. As long as that hardness was still fully present, the pattern didn't fit. A little wear, and it all snapped into focus.

Often people speak of a Savile Row suit's ability to age, and the corresponding desirability of knocking some of the newness out of a new suit. I'd always assumed that this referred primarily to the Dege/Kilgour type of jacket, where break-in means the de-fluffing of shoulder pads and the loosening of a firm chest piece.

It also applies, however, to "soft" suits, where the cloth is a full participant in the shape of the jacket. This is the sort of thing that one can accept in theory but won't always get to see in action.

Moral(s) of the story: don't always be quick to judge a new "soft" suit. And think carefully about the kind of cloth that goes into the next one. It's not just color, pattern, and weight that matter.

[Will]

It was heavy tweed that taught me the truth in Astaire's comment about the stiff newness of a new suit. New 22 ounce jackets feel like separate panels of armor joined together at the seams, but after time passes it all blends together exactly as you described.

[alden]

The more the garment is hand sewn, the more it will form to fit like a glove on the body of the lucky owner. If the garment is machine made it will adapt very little, if it is embumbered by machine sewn canvas it will give only a bit, it will never age like the hand sewn.

My mentor used to say "wear these new coats at home or to the office and break them in for an occasion that really matters!" Since then you will find Alden festooned in his suitcoats at home even if there are pyjamas underneath.

Newness is quite ugly in just about everything.

[Sator]

In the old days gentlemen would sometimes resort to getting one of the servants to wear a new coat to break it in.

http://www.cutterandtailor.com/forum

[Martin Stall]

Well, you gentlemen undoubtedly know the little anecdote about how the esteemed mr Charles Chaplin would be prone to break in his suits: (NOT those he would wear on-screen): He would roll them up into a ball and repeatedly throw them against the wall. Or so it is being said, one never knows...

[zegnamtl]

.....Charles Chaplin would be prone to break in his suits.....He would roll them up into a ball and repeatedly throw them against the wall.....

Mr. De Matteis of Kiton once told me he turns his jackets inside out and sleeps with them on during flights.

[Martin Stall]

Yes, but that must be undoubtedly to protect any spills on the fabric from the stewardessess. After all Kiton is supposed to make really soft jackets, right? Shouldn't need breaking in, I thought

[Guest]

My mentor used to say "wear these new coats at home or to the office and break them in for an occasion that really matters!" Since then you will find Alden festooned in his suitcoats at home even if there are pyjamas underneath.

Newness is quite ugly in just about everything.

For sure. New coats need to be broken in before you wear them in public. l often put on a coat with my pyjamas underneath too. Jackets need time to mould to the body.

New 22 ounce jackets .