New Europe bespoke - a chance to comment

"The brute covers himself, the rich man and the fop adorn themselves, the elegant man dresses!"

-Honore de Balzac

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Gruto

Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:09 am

I have just picked up a suit and an tweed jacket + corduroys from a tailor that I haven't used before. I think the finish is excellent. I like the fit and the silhuet too, but I might go for some small changes on a new order. The relationship between the coat length and the buttoning point should be changed, I think. Maybe the next coat should be an 1/2 inch or 1 inch shorter? Maybe the buttoning point should be lowered a tad? What do you think?

Image

Image

The cloths are 13 oz from Minnis and Hardy.

(I know, I could show some more cuff ...)
alden
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:44 am

The overly long coat makes the button point appear high when in reality it is fine. A good inch off the length should give you a better look overall.

M Alden
mek
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 3:52 pm

Will the jacket cover the back site of you if you shorten it for an inch?
Concordia
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:41 pm

There's some funny optics going on here. The suit jacket does look about 1/2" too long, but the sport jacket looks fine-- and there's no objective evidence that it is any different in cut.
RWS
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 5:17 pm

Perhaps its my American-influenced sensibility (I am an American, after all), but the buttoning points do look a bit high to me. That on the sportcoat in particular seems a centimeter or two too high. (I should add that neither my monitor nor my eyesight is the best, so bring out your salt.)
le.gentleman
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:18 pm

Hi Gruto! Thanks for the pictures.

I would shorten the sleeve length by at least 1/2 " or maybe 3/4 ". Other than that I would agree with what has been said about the length of the sportcoat - it looks right whereas it looks different in the first picture.
I think that has to do with the angle and the height of the camera when the pictures were taken.
The sleeves, especially your left sleeve doesn't look very lean but I think that has to do with the fact that you were standing in front of the camera.

How much shoulder padding do the coats have?

And just one more thing, I'd change the shoes ;).
Gruto

Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:20 pm

Thank you very much. From what you say I incline to view that the coat should be 2 cm shorter, and that the buttoning point should be lowered one cm. Would it be a mistake to lower the buttoning point 1/2 inch? As RWS says, it looks high now.
Gruto

Sun Feb 03, 2008 6:29 pm

le.gentleman wrote: And just one more thing, I'd change the shoes ;).
You don't like Jacoform? I think they work with corduroys!
manton
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Sun Feb 03, 2008 10:42 pm

I would also open up the quarters considerably.
Costi
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Mon Feb 04, 2008 7:41 pm

Gruto, as far as I can see and unless it is not an illusion created by the different photographing angles, the tweed jacket appears at least 1 cm longer than your suit coat (I take the tip of your thumbs as a reference point) and its front quarters are more open. Which is as it should be according to the tailoring school to which my own tailor belongs - so the coat and the jacket are not identical.
I agree with Mr. Alden that the height of the buttoning point looks right: I have a couple of coats where I set it lower during fittings and I regret it. I think the perception of length here has to do with manton's observation: if you open up the quarters, you may not even need to shorten the coat much. If you prefer them more closed (which I don't think is necessarily wrong, particularly on a dark suit), then you do need to shorten the coat more: that's exactly what I did on a recent SB dark blue suit (of which I plan to post some pictures this week) because I wanted more closed front quarters.
The fit looks pretty good, but personally I would like to see more shape / drape in the chest.
The trousers' front view looks fine. I haven't seen a side picture, but I think I would like them more full, while maintaining the taper. That bit of break could be eliminated, if you wanted, by having the bottom hem cut on a slant.
I think you have a good tailor to work with, and that's what you need to do: work with him on perfecting the cut: it needs a bit more life.
What does the suit look like in the back?
Gruto

Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:42 am

manton wrote:I would also open up the quarters considerably.
Costi wrote:I agree with Mr. Alden that the height of the buttoning point looks right: I have a couple of coats where I set it lower during fittings and I regret it. I think the perception of length here has to do with manton's observation: if you open up the quarters, you may not even need to shorten the coat much. If you prefer them more closed (which I don't think is necessarily wrong, particularly on a dark suit), then you do need to shorten the coat more: that's exactly what I did on a recent SB dark blue suit (of which I plan to post some pictures this week) because I wanted more closed front quarters.
Good observation. Surely, the quarters influence the balance of the front. I'll let the tailor recut the buttom of the coats.
The Doctor
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Thu Feb 07, 2008 3:07 pm

Gruto wrote:I have just picked up a suit and an tweed jacket + corduroys from a tailor that I haven't used before. I think the finish is excellent. I like the fit and the silhuet too, but I might go for some small changes on a new order. The relationship between the coat length and the buttoning point should be changed, I think. Maybe the next coat should be an 1/2 inch or 1 inch shorter? Maybe the buttoning point should be lowered a tad? What do you think?

Image

Image

The cloths are 13 oz from Minnis and Hardy.

(I know, I could show some more cuff ...)
1/2" - 3/4" off Sleeves and coat and I would lower the button position.

Wear the suit coat and get someone to put a pin where if finishes and the try the sports coat on, that will tell you immediately if one is longer. :idea:
the tailor
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Sat Feb 09, 2008 7:56 am

I like the length of the coat, it suits your height to my eye.

But then again I like to cut a slightly longer coat.

I would have dropped the lapel break and the flap pockets 3/4" ( the flaps to compensate for the longer lapel ), and opened the quarters, but only slightly.
Gruto

Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:52 am

I've had a tailor to take an inch or so off the suit coat, and to open the quarters a bit. It looks more harmonious now, I think, although I feel a tad closer to Thom Browne :shock:


Image

Image
alden
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Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:50 pm

Looks much better. You were lucky to have had the pockets high enough to allow a 1" trimming. This is the correct length for you. Now I would raise the button point just a fraction on the next one.
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