Front/Back balance

[iammatt]

Recently, I decided to scan my suits and jackets to try to determine what it was that the favorites had in common that the less favored did not have. The one thing that struck me was that all of my favorite jackets, no matter the tailor, had a significantly different front/back balance than all of the others. While the total measurements around the body (chest and waist) were approximately the same, my favorites all had significanly smaller measurements in the front panels, and a bit more through the sides and especially the back. It makes me think that such a pattern give a very clean look in the chest and waist, with a great deal of comfort due to the extra fabric over the blades and down.

I was wondering if such a set up is typical of one school of tailoring, or of one region of the world. Also, the next time I try out a new tailor, what is the appropriate term to describe this feature of a pattern?

Thank you for your help.

[Leonard Logsdail]

I;m not sure if I understand completely what you are describing, as I do not know how you can ascertain the back and front balance while scanning. I'd bet you are measuring the distant to the bottom of the coat, front and back, from the shoulder seam??!! In which case, this can easily change from coat to coat, without altering the balance, simply by moving it forward or backwards.

Leonard

[iammatt]

Thanks. I was actually measuring around the body and seeing that on the ones I preferred, the front panels were smaller in relation to the back and side panels than in my less favorite coats. In practical terms, you can see on these same coats that the front of the coat is very clean, with very little excess fabric, while the back does have more excess, and does not hug the curve of my back. On the other, less favored coats, the fit tends to be closer to the body through the back and down on the low back, while the front tens to be less shaped and allow for more room.

I am not sure that this is any better explanation than my first, but I sincerely thank you for trying to help me out.

Matt