Relationship between shoulder width and lapel width

[Alias]

If there's one important lesson to learn in the LL, it's to have the dimensions of your clothes mesh with the dimensions of your own person.

There are some who look at examples of high-end RTW suits and are so overcome by their beauty that they desire a bespoke suit made just like it. I'm not immune to this by any means (I like the Attolini RTW cut ) but the truth is this is not how one should go about getting a bespoke suit. The suit is almost always modeled on a mannequin and pinned at the waist. Now if you have the dimensions of a mannequin, the suit will probably look great on you. But most people do not.

One way to refine a bespoke design to conform more to your own physical features is by considering your own shoulder width. I have narrow shoulders and a slim build, and as much as I adore large, sweeping lapels (especially on DB suits), having those on my body would look, as Jan put it, as if I had put large slabs of meat on my chest. It would be completely out of proportion, and as Mr. Alden's essays on elegance makes clear, one thing or feature should not detract from the whole.

So while I'll stick to narrow lapels myself, those of you with meatier shoulders can have the luxury of getting those wonderful bellied lapels. What works for one person might not necessarily work for another.

Any thoughts/comments?

[manton]

Very true.

However, I might make a suggestion. If you want to try a wider lapel, think about a 3-button SB coat. (With lapels rolled between the top and middle button; I say that out of my personal animus for true 3-button coats.) Because the lapels would be so short, you could risk making them a bit wider. I recall a few pics from the 30s and 40s of not exactly overtall, overwide guys wearing such coats and they looked superb.

On the other hand, for your build wide lapels look worse the longer the lapel. A low button point SB or long roll DB with wide lapels would be too much.

[Alias]

Thanks for the tips, manton.

Jan told me that lapels like the one shown on the suit at the top of Mahon's blog (the one from Steed) would look great, a bit thinner of course to complement my build. I think my next suit will have a three rolled to two-and-a-half. The buttons will be a bit lower of course to keep them from crowding upwards.

I'm paying attention to the thread in Dressing about vests. I'm going to get a double-breasted vest with this. Mr. Min seems eager to cut one!