New Member, seeking enlightenment

[Tucker Peterson]

Dear Sirs,

Mr. Alden has graciously allowed me to join the Lounge, after a period of being a "lurker". I have greatly enjoyed the knowledge I have discovered here, particularly Etudee's stunning Apparel Arts posts.

I am coming from a position of ignorance, though I have read the Flusser books, Manton's The Suit, and a few others.

Recently I decided that I am desirous of dressing more elegantly. While my means are rather modest, I have decided to pursue my sartorial aims as best I can. I will be bespeaking some shirts from a local tailor, and hopefully, having MTM or fine RTW suits tailored, with the ultimate goal of a bespoken suit, or two, or ten!

No doubt you will soon be bemoaning the date of my admission, as I pester with silly questions the learned members! But I promise never to ask the same question twice and I hope that I can provide a modicum of wit for the members' enjoyment.

Thank you

Tucker

[Cufflink79]

Welcome to the London Lounge Tucker. This is a wonderful place to relax and chat with gentlemen and a few ladies are around as well.

The information one can find here is unlike anything I've ever encountered in my lifetime. The knowledge and wisdom that the fellow members of LL have taken the time share is like a bespoke suit, timeless and elegant.

Make yourself at home, and again welcome to the London Lounge.

Best Regards,

Cufflink79

[OldBill]

Welcome. I only recently joined but I must say I have been made most welcome by the members.

I, like you, am of fairly modest means but am determined to use what I have to make sure I dress as well as is possible.

You say that you are about to bespeak some shirts, my tailor said to me that he would always advise spending as much as possible on your suit and shoes but would not spend unduly on shirts.

Now I am sure that there are members here who would disagree with this but we are talking about the allocation of available funds, and I must say I would tend to follow his advice and buy decent shirts at lower cost and spend more on shoes and suits.

What do others think?

[Costi]

I join others in welcoming you to the Lounge, Tucker. Good questions are most welcome here and I'm sure yours can't be silly
As for shirts, I think they are just as important as suits, even though not everyone (always) gets to see them. A poorly cut shirt CAN make a good suit look bad:
- if the armholes are too low (very frequent), a well-cut coat will pull the sleeves up, make the cloth gather under the arms (uncomfortable) and the shirt cuff disappear up the coat sleeve. Also, when we try to move, a low armhole will pull the shirt out of the trousers, causing it to belly out;
- most often our bodies don't match the RTW producer's idea of the right proportion between collar size, sleeve length and body girth. RTW shirts that fit well at the collar for slender and sporty men will have huge bodies that wrinkle under the coat and make the back look bad. Or, viceversa, a shirt body that fits well a not so slender person comes with a collar is 3 cms. larger than necessary.
- If the cuff is not tight enough it will slip over the thumb knuckle, showing way too much from under a well cut coat's sleeve.
These are just a few issues and we have not yet touched the subject of the shirt's intrinsic comfort and beauty. Not an item to be underestimated, in my opinion.

[Tucker Peterson]

My main reason for bespeaking shirts is that I am not able to wear RTW. I have a very thin neck, an averagely thin torso, and arms that are a smidgen longer than average. I commissioned some MTM shirts this past year, but frankly, out of the 5 shirts, I only am satisfied with one, as the...craftsmanship and details are not to my liking. Like the saying goes, you get what you pay for.

I also do not often wear coats, as my place of work is very casual (it is an art college, after all!) but I feel like I work better when I am "dressed for work". So, in effect, my shirt is my suit at this time. Later I will buy odd jackets and suits, but for now I am wearing a shirt and tie, and as the weather gets colder, I add a sweater.

I've inherited a couple suits and odd jackets from my father, that I'm hoping to have tailored. Not sure of how successful that will be, as he was a "sack suit" type, and I'm more English in my own taste.

[Jordan Marc]

Hello, David, and welcome:

Since shirts are of interest to you, there is a book that might make a fine reference source for you. SHIRTMAKING: DEVELOPING SKILLS FOR FINE SEWING by David Page Coffin. It's available from Amazon. Even if you don't intend to cut and sew your own shirts, there's a wealth of knowledge about shirtmaking in this book that will come in handy when speaking to the makers of shirts. The more conversant you are with these men and women, the better for all concerned. Shirts are as good a subject as any with which to begin developing tastes and preferences for your wardrobe. Go where knowledge leads you. It's an adventure. Enjoy it!

JMB