During the What is Drape discussion, Manton mentioned his performance tests for a jacket:
and Concordia addedmanton wrote:Fred Astaire famously used to test his A&S commissions by pirouetting around 32 Savile Row and stopping in improbable poses to see if clothes were laying correctly on his body.
I have my own, less poetic test. First is the "cab test". Can I raise to extend my arm to hail a cab easily? Does the collar lift from the neck when I do? Do I feel the coat pull across the back? Second is the "steak test." I sit down and mimic the action of eating: cutting, reaching for a glass, etc. Same principle applies. This also basically covers normal, everyday activity such as writing and using the phone. Finally, the car test. Can I manipulate the wheel easily? Shift, etc.?
I have found that a lot of coats that look good when you are standing, arms down, pass few or none of these tests.
I think this photo from tiger02 illustrates a jacket that moves very well:Concordia wrote: Can one tie a pair of shoes without wrenching the jacket apart?
What specifically contributes to that sort of freedom of movement?
high armhole? extended shoulder? fullness in the back (from either the shoulder or back seam)?
Why is it such a hard thing to achieve?