Shirt Fitting Q&A

[SouthPender]

Thanks, Alex; it's the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle at work. However, I think I now know what can and what cannot be known and done.

[alden]

Dear Alex,

A few months ago the LL organized a live chat/interview with LL Certified Artisan Tony Gaziano. It was a lot of fun and we all learned a great deal. I would very much like to invite you to join us for a live shirt chatcast. We normally organize the chats on Fridays. Is there a Friday about lunchtime on your calendar that would work?

To the members: please prepare your questions for Alex in advance and email them to me at alden@thelondonlounge.net The questions will be scripted and given to Alex in advance so the interview can proceed smoothly.

Alex, you raise so many fundamental points in your posts. One of the things I notice about men who wish to dress well is a relative lack of understanding of the shirtmaker's craft. Some men will spend thousands on a suit, only to have its appearance ruined by an ill fitting shirt. Its a bit of a waste.

Many men simply forget that the same talent that tamed the uneven shoulders, mountainlike shoulder blades or Alps like stoop in their jackets has to be applied to their shirts in order for the overall apperance to be balanced and aesthetically pleasing.

One of the most common examples of this is the bunching up and wrinkling in the back of the suit at the collar due to a shirt that lacks sufficient back balance. A client with Himalaya shoulder blades wears a shirt that does not have enough fabric up top to get over the blades so that the fabric drapes and follows the contours of the back. The unsightly wrinkles occur on the jacket even if the tailor has done his job well because the shirtmaker has not. Your comments?

Aside: So you have been drawing Manton over to the clean sleeve camp, have you? Hmm

Cheers

[AlexanderKabbaz]

Dear Michael,

Thank you for the invitation. It would be my honor and pleasure to host such a chat. Friday, January 27th is my first without prior committments and would be fine if it is good for you and any others who wish to participate. If that is not good, then March 10th or virtually any Friday thereafter will be fine. It might be an idea if I were to prepare a diagram of a shirt pattern in advance which members could print out and have nearby for reference. I find most members to be more familiar with the intricacies of a suit pattern than they are with the parts of a shirt. As so much is visual, this aid will probably be helpful. I shall do so and post it in a distinct thread in order that it might be easily printable.

One of the most common examples of this is the bunching up and wrinkling in the back of the suit at the collar due to a shirt that lacks sufficient back balance. A client with Himalaya shoulder blades wears a shirt that does not have enough fabric up top to get over the blades so that the fabric drapes and follows the contours of the back. The unsightly wrinkles occur on the jacket even if the tailor has done his job well because the shirtmaker has not. Your comments?

The two important 'balancing acts' in any upper torso garment are the vertical/horizontal balance of the fronts (in other words, when unbuttoned, do the center fronts hang parallel to each other) and the front/rear balance. More often than not, front balance is the only balance which is paid any attention (if any attention is paid, at all, to balance).

Front/rear balance can be most simply understood, as side seams cannot be unbuttoned, if one pictures that seam in an un-sewn state. When such, does the bottom of each armhole (scye) hang at the exact same distance from the floor? If, for example, the rear scye bottom naturally hangs 1" higher, then the amount of fabric existing from the rear of the shoulders to the scye bottom is 1" too little**. When sewn together, the forces will pull down on the shirt back in an attempt to level it with the front. In response, the shirt back will pull rearwards on the yoke ... and the yoke will pull rearwards on the collar. This will create not only the situation you describe but, as well, will pull the front of the collar rearward against the Adam's apple. Thus, a collar which may be correct in size - or even a bit large - may still feel uncomfortable to the wearer.

Aside: So you have been drawing Manton over to the clean sleeve camp, have you? Hmm

Kicking and screaming to the altar, perhaps ... and always with micrometer in hand. One out of the cited three isn't bad for starters.

Until the 27th, then, or whatever later date works better for all.

** It should be noted that the converse could also be true ... the fronts being 1" too long. However, this would usually just create a sloppy front and not a too taut back.

[pchong]

very interesting and informative, Alex. Thanks.

[alden]

Alex,

January 27 th 12:00 EST works fine.

Gentlemen,

Please take note of this date and prepare your questions for Alex now. Send them to me at alden@thelondonlounge.net

You are all also advised to read and reread the previous posts offered to us by Alex Kabbaz. The technical information contained in the posts will serve you well for shirts crafting, jacket crafting and improve your overall understanding of the bespoke process. Needless to say this valuable information.

You are also encouraged to ask questions in the context of this thread. Take full advantage of Mr. Kabbaz's generous availability to the LL.

Michael Alden