Third fitting with Desmond Merrion

[dopey]

I saw Desmond Merrion this morning to have a look at my nearly finished first suit and for a fitting on my second. (Here are links to the reports on my first and second fittings with Des.)

We started with the first fitting on my second suit, a lightweight gray pinstripe, that is to be buggy lined. I placed the order after the first two fittings on my first suit, having been fairly pleased with the progress I had seen. Not much to say about the trousers, other than they needed a bit done here and there. These were made for braces, but without the high fishtail. They were also made in a softer style without a waistband in the rear at all. This is in contrast with the first, heavier weight cloth, suit trouser that have a high fishtail, which is its own piece (more below). I am certainly coming to like the look of the single pleat style; this is the first time I have tried them.

Next came the suitcoat. This was really superb. The fit was pretty good, though it, not unexpectedly, still needs a tweak here and there. It also looked great. I liked the neck and shoulder line very much as well as the overall shape (the sleeveheads were too crowned, but that was partly because they were basted on and will, in any event, be fixed). Des was quite pleased, commenting on how much better the second suit usually comes out than the first one. He said that, in particular, based on the first suit, he cut and sewed more shaping into the chest piece (though it is, if anything, slightly softer than in the first one) and made some other changes to the original pattern based on experience fitting the first suit. I am sure he is correct, but I think I liked the second suit so much more because of some of the stylistic differences rather than fitting differences. The second suit is a true two button (rather than three), with more open quarters. A less significant change is also the size, shape and placement of the breast pocket on the second suit. Whatever the reasons, I really liked the look of this one.

Next, we tried on the first suit that I ordered. The coat and trousers were basically in the finished state, ready to take with me. The trousers, as I mentioned before, are high backed with a fishtail. The fishtail is constructed as a large added piece that is like an overgrown waistband in the back (this is different than the way Dege and Raphael make theirs (which are also different from each other)). It has a very stiff lining, which I was told will soften a bit and whose purpose is to make the high back look very clean. It does that, and even without softening it is perfectly comfortable, and because of where it sits, it is not noticeable when worn. The trouser length was a bit long in the front, and the front of the cuffs are being shortened. The suitcoat was finished except for the buttonholes on the sleeves. I will wear the jacket for a few times and Des can then cut and sew them when he is here next. Overall, the suitcoat fit very well. We tried a few changes to the shape based on the fit of the second coat. Those too, will hopefully be done today so I can take the suit with me this evening or tomorrow. Being able to make changes like these on the fly, even to the finished suit, is one of the advantages of having a cut and sew tailor like Des. With these changes, the suit should look and fit very nicely, though I still greatly prefer the styling of the second one. Three roll two with a more closed front just isn't as nice too me as the more open two button. This was my first try in 3 roll 2, and I don't think I will bother with another. The look is just too serious and formal for me.

The one piece of the first suit remaining to be done is the waistcoat. As I mentioned in a prior post, the waistcoat is a stage behind because it had to be recut from scratch. It may be more than a stage behind, actually, as it was still fairly raw today. On the other hand, having the rest of the suit pretty much completed made cutting the length and shape of the waistcoat easier. We knew exactly where the trousers were sitting so I could choose the length of the back and the shape and length of the points in front with a bit more certainty. I don't know if the waistcoat will be completed and sent on or whether Des will want another fitting. We didn't discuss it.

In sum, the first suit looks like it will have turned out very well. If I have any complaints, it is with my choice of style. The second suit, on the other hand, is looking very good. I am less convinced then Des that it is because the cut and fit are much better rather than mostly the styling, but I certainly like it.

Since I haven't really worn either suit yet, these are still preliminary impressions. But so far, so good.

Addendum: As expected, Des dropped off the coat and trousers for the first suit the next day. Des decided to bring the vest in a skeleton state again on his next visit to make sure he has the pattern right and to agree on the flap shapes rather than completing it and sending it on in advance.

I tried on the suit again in my office, this time with the luxury of a longer trial. I also wanted to check the changes that he made overnight.

I like the styling more than I thought I did. The suit looks good.

I did, however, notice one fit issue that is serious, though it is of the kind that may work itself out - the coat is tight by the armhole at the front chest on my right side. Apart from the discomfort, it also makes the sleeve pucker a bit near where my shoulder joins my chest. Perhaps this appeared as a result of the changes that were made overnight since I don't know how Des or I would have missed it before. I won't try to diagnose the problem myself, though it seems like the sort that might go away if the stitching in the armhole loosens. If it doesn't, I assume Des can fix it on his next visit. The buttonholes were left uncut on the sleeve pending final adjustments on the suit to accommodate just this kind of contingency. Folllow up: I spoke with Des, who thinks it might be that the lining was caught. Whatever it is, he will be able to fix it and cut finish the buttonholes on the sleeves on his next visit.

[Chris Rimby]

Thanks a lot for the report dopey. My second fitting with Des is scheduled for Thursday. I can't wait!

[luk-cha]

dopey great repot i hope that you will post pic for us too!

[melia]

will you guys just send him back to England, i'm waiting for me 1st fitting...



can't wait to see the finished results.....

[edhayes]

just picked up my suit as well, he does a very good job, much longer lapel then I am used to(two button and long vs three button)but I like it and his shoulders, front chest and drape are exceptional
he also makes very comforable pants

[luk-cha]

are you gonna post some pic'd Ed?

[dopey]

This makes perfect sense. The guy who likes three button suits orders a two button (Ed) and the guy who like two button suits orders a three button (me).

[Chris Rimby]

Had my second fitting today. Everything is coming together nicely and I should have the finished garment in my hands by mid August. I'll be sure to post pics.

[edhayes]

its a winter suit and the pics may take a while,

[HappyStroller]

Thanks for the highly interesting details, Dopey, though I would have appreciated a fuller description of the supporting fabrics and materials used and which only a customer who has a fitting has a chance to see.

How is it there are so many chaps here all using the same tailor? Is he an LL certfied artisan? Is he associated with a particular Savile Row establishment? If so, which one?

[HappyStroller]

Sorry, Dopey, please accept my apologies for demanding more details and information, which I did not realize were already made available by you in your first and second fittings reports. The reason was that I had overlooked the presence of those two earlier reports as mentioned at the beginning of your post because your post itself was quite long and I had such a wonderful time reading it!

[dopey]

I am glad you enjoyed the reports. I have made the links easier to see.

[MTM]

Thank you so much for taking the time to describe your experiences. As a grad student hoping to be done soon, I have found them to be very helpful.

Mark

[dopey]

Desmond Merrion recently posted some pictures on his blog on preparing trousers for finishing. The pictures are of the trousers for my suit discussed above.

I have worn the trousers a few times since I wrote that review, and really like them. They are very comfortable and the fit is excellent (except that I let Des convince me to try them longer than I liked). While I am not qualified to compare them stitch for stitch with other makers, they appear to be really well made. Their interior construction is much different from that of my Dege or Raphael trousers (which are similar) or from the ones from Ambrosi. I had expected Ambrosi's trousers to seem quirky compared to what I was used to, but Des's are equally different. His waistband is different from what I was used to. The fishtail back is done differently, and the fastenings are also laid out differently. But it all comes together in what seems to be a really well made pair of trousers. I would put the construction on a par with Ambrosi, though it is solid and sedate where Ambrosi's is exuberant.

Someone else will have to make a more technical assessment (and there are lots of photos to do it from), but based on my limited experience, these are my favorite suit trousers.

[masterfred]

Dopey, I'd like to thank you for your detailed accounts of your fittings. Postings like this are what make the Lounge a valuable resource.

The fishtail riser on the trousers seen in Merrion's blog look rather lower than I've seen. Is that his default make or your preference?