cdo, thanks for elaborating on your initial comment. I spent some time contemplating your criticisms and started to consider the implications of posture. It's my opinion that my inconsistent posture has partially played into your comments. When "at attention" I find that I fill the jacket in a way that makes the jacket feel like a leaner cut. It pulls ever so slightly at the front button and creates more shape in the chest and lapels. I've tried to capture this in the following pictures.cdo wrote:Having thought more about my original comment regarding the coat's fit and cut, the ease in the cut is fine (even if I think that a closer fit would compliment your physique better) but it could do with more three dimensional shaping in the chest and upper back especially around the shoulder blades. This isn't necessarily achieved by having garments skintight but with judicious use of the iron to help the cloth wrap gracefully around one's frame rather than draping straight down. When I asked my (then prospective) cutter about his ironwork, he simply replied, "The iron is as important as the needle."
- C
I've noticed that I have two distinct postures and I change between them almost unconsciously:
A) This is my "at attention" pose. It's what I typically find myself using in front of a mirror and consequently the same pose I use at the tailor.
B) This is the byproduct of poor posture from endless hours in front of my computer. My shoulders pull forward and down, while my whole body hunches over a tad. This is the pose I typically adopt in front of the camera when there is no mirror.
I remember reading, on the forums, that some tailors say they cut a jacket for how their client stands normally, others cut for how their client should stand. The latter is an anecdote I read in regards to a Savile Row tailor (not sure who).
Posture "A" is how I should stand, while posture "B" is how I find myself standing when I'm not paying attention to posture. In the context of the jacket, I wouldn't call one "right" or "wrong". That said, I think it's obvious that each pose creates a completely different look. "A" is more stout and has more of a chest depending how "at attention" I am. "B" falls off the shoulders and drapes down across my chest. A lot airier, but also cooler to wear.
Both are comfortable poses to keep while wearing the jacket. However, I thought it'd be interesting to share the implications of posture, picking the "right" one and keeping it consistent.