I'm considering my first bespoke suit. But for the past year I've been about 15 pounds over my ideal weight, with consequent undesirable effects on my midsection. I fully intend to lose the blubber, but with increased responsibilities at work and lessened opportunity for exercise, it's been hard.
My dilemma, I'm sure, is obvious: Should I wait to get my suit made until I'm at the size I want to be, using the mental vision of a superb garment as an incentive to shape up? Or should I go ahead and visit my tailor in my present state, knowing that the suit can be altered when (not if!) I regain my svelte silhouette?
How difficult--or advisable--is it to alter bespoke suits to conform to the owner's bodily changes?
Regarding weight, to wait or not to wait
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Guest
Aim for your ideal weight - attain it, maintain it - and then go to your tailor . (You might mention your weight loss to him.) The new suit will give you an extra incentive to keep the weight off.
Best of luck.
Best of luck.
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Guest
Been there, done that.
I have heard that one loses an average of 1 inch in the waist for every 7 lbs.
I had a whole slew of bespoke clothes made by a visiting tailor before I lost 35 lbs. They became useless. The tailor was able to re-cut the suits, but the cost was very dear, something like 900 pounds for each four piece ensemble. (There were four of them.)
His re-cuts were excellent, much better than the originals. The cost was high because of the intense labor of taking apart, re-cutting, re-sewing, etc.
Therefore, you may want to discuss the tailor's alteration policies and costs before embarking on a bespoke voyage. From my experience, the tailor will not do major alterations for free. In my experience, my tailor would do minor alterations on his visit, such as shortening a sleeve. But if he had to take the garment back home, then you can expect a major job. Of course, the tailor did not charge for minor tweaking and alterations after delivery.
If do lose the desired weight, then wait a few months to make sure that your weight has stablized. A few pounds can creep back. I learned this from someone who deals with many bodies, my tailor!
I personally think that a 15 pound weight loss will not result in a full re-cut. But this is something to discuss with the tailor. Also, if you're going on an excercise program which might siginificantly change your figure, such as weight lifting and its effect on the arms and chest, then you may want to wait.
Good luck!
I have heard that one loses an average of 1 inch in the waist for every 7 lbs.
I had a whole slew of bespoke clothes made by a visiting tailor before I lost 35 lbs. They became useless. The tailor was able to re-cut the suits, but the cost was very dear, something like 900 pounds for each four piece ensemble. (There were four of them.)
His re-cuts were excellent, much better than the originals. The cost was high because of the intense labor of taking apart, re-cutting, re-sewing, etc.
Therefore, you may want to discuss the tailor's alteration policies and costs before embarking on a bespoke voyage. From my experience, the tailor will not do major alterations for free. In my experience, my tailor would do minor alterations on his visit, such as shortening a sleeve. But if he had to take the garment back home, then you can expect a major job. Of course, the tailor did not charge for minor tweaking and alterations after delivery.
If do lose the desired weight, then wait a few months to make sure that your weight has stablized. A few pounds can creep back. I learned this from someone who deals with many bodies, my tailor!
I personally think that a 15 pound weight loss will not result in a full re-cut. But this is something to discuss with the tailor. Also, if you're going on an excercise program which might siginificantly change your figure, such as weight lifting and its effect on the arms and chest, then you may want to wait.
Good luck!
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Guest
I think this is a bit of a catch 22: if you wait, there is no certainty you can reach your ideal weight, so it may take some time. Buying the suit would actually motivate you to maintain the weight, but you need to reach it first. A friend of mine has been rather successful keeping his weight constant over the years: the mere thought of altering or even replacing a hundred or so bespoke suits somehow puts him off food.
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Guest
Here's where I, as a tailor, start preaching. Something I often do when asked this same question by new clients or old clients who would like another suit but are over weight. Incidentally, if I had received a penny from every client who, upon seeing me pulling my tape measure from around my neck in preparation to measure, had said to me :I'm a bit over weight at the moment, but I'll definitely be losing it" I truly would be a rich man. And do you know what I do when cutting the suit ordered? I ignore the clients claims completely. In 34 years i could probably count on my fingers those clients who actually did lose weight.
So, you need to ask youself this question regarding you present wieght: Are you prepared to change your way of life, the way of life that has facilitated your weight gain, completely and for ever? If the answer is yes, then wait a bit to order your suit. If the answer is no, then you will only be fooling yourself if you wait. you will never lose the weight or, at best, will lose it temporarily, put it back on and then have to have your suit enlarged.
I do not mean to sound harsh, but in my 34 years, this truly has proved to be the reality I face daily.
I lost around 20 pounds a few years ago in order to help lower my cholesterol. I had to put my money where my mouth is and change my way of life. And it was really hard. Oh, how easy it would have been to slip back in to my old indulgent ways. But I focused onmy children. I have 6 at home. It upsets me that they will never meet my father who died at 56 from his 3rd heart attack because, back then, he did not have the ammunition about good health we have today and, even if he did, I wonder if he would have listened. So whenever I wanted to cheat, I thought of the life my children would have without me, as my cholesterol was WAY up there. Knowing that high cholesteral ran in my family (my brother had his first heart attack at 48, same as our father's first) my wife and family were used blatantly as my incentive to lose weight. Perhaps, if you are serious about losing weight you might find you simply have the will power. But if not, look for a reason to lose it other than vanity. It might help. and not just temporarily.
Leonard
So, you need to ask youself this question regarding you present wieght: Are you prepared to change your way of life, the way of life that has facilitated your weight gain, completely and for ever? If the answer is yes, then wait a bit to order your suit. If the answer is no, then you will only be fooling yourself if you wait. you will never lose the weight or, at best, will lose it temporarily, put it back on and then have to have your suit enlarged.
I do not mean to sound harsh, but in my 34 years, this truly has proved to be the reality I face daily.
I lost around 20 pounds a few years ago in order to help lower my cholesterol. I had to put my money where my mouth is and change my way of life. And it was really hard. Oh, how easy it would have been to slip back in to my old indulgent ways. But I focused onmy children. I have 6 at home. It upsets me that they will never meet my father who died at 56 from his 3rd heart attack because, back then, he did not have the ammunition about good health we have today and, even if he did, I wonder if he would have listened. So whenever I wanted to cheat, I thought of the life my children would have without me, as my cholesterol was WAY up there. Knowing that high cholesteral ran in my family (my brother had his first heart attack at 48, same as our father's first) my wife and family were used blatantly as my incentive to lose weight. Perhaps, if you are serious about losing weight you might find you simply have the will power. But if not, look for a reason to lose it other than vanity. It might help. and not just temporarily.
Leonard
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Guest
Good grief. And people talked about Imelda Marcos's shoes.Anonymous wrote: A friend of mine has been rather successful keeping his weight constant over the years: the mere thought of altering or even replacing a hundred or so bespoke suits somehow puts him off food.
Seriously, though . . . assuming that this gentleman is somewhat of an outlier, how many bespoke suits do forum members typically have in their closets at any one time?
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