Having Trouble at the Tailor
I went to get a tailored suit recently, and I wanted something like the right 2 images, but its ending up a LOT more like image 1. The material is 70% merino wool and 30% polyester and the result is pretty stiff overall, as well as the material being a bit scratchy in feel rather than smooth. What are some of the major differences (besides color and leg length) between these 2 suits?
I would like to try and get another suit made more in the bright blue style, what can I tell the tailor besides showing him the picture? As someone pretty new to the world of tailored suits its hard to understand the differences, and get the desired result. If you had to guess what material do you think the one on the right is made of, and what are some of the major differences?
10 Replies
i think a distinction should be made between the weight of the fabric and its color or how it fits, in that one can get a suit that fits like both 1 and 2 in a variety of fabrics, which themselves can be offered in a number of colors
major differences solely from the pictures are the lapel (notch lapel in 1, peak lapel in 2) and the fit of both
i'd argue suit 2 is too tight on the person wearing it; some of that is due to the posing but the pulling at the button and the wrinkling at the arms suggest the jacket is pulling on his back
as far as what to tell the tailor, that does depend to some extent on what you want - i gather a different fabric color and different fabric and/or lining (depending on if the suit was lined/canvassed or not) is a nonnegotiable but the question of fit is up to you and your needs
what issues are you experiencing personally though (e.g. it feels too tight at [x], it feels too long/shorg at [y). front/side/back pictures of your wearing the suit and collared shirt would help a lot as well, like so-
Haven't taken pictures of in the suit yet because it is still being made, but its very similar to image 1. The main issue is that the suit is too tight. There isn't enough stretch, it's very stiff. It's a mix of lack of heft, volume, and stretch. I mainly think it comes down to the wrong fabric, weight of the material, thickness, etc. Atm it feels kind of like wearing cardboard and squatting down creates a pretty tight stretch, whereas the right side looks pretty flowy and comfortable in comparison. The lapels for example on mine look like they were heavily ironed, very flat, almost like they're glued on, whereas we can see with his there's a bit more weight and volume, and they don't sit so flatly.
But the main thing is I'm not sure what material/weave the images on the right are. I'm hoping someone can maybe tell from the image so I can request the correct material in my next suit, so that it has some heft, volume, and some stretch to it. I think his suit is 100% wool, but not sure.
To be honest, you shouldn't need the material to "stretch" unless you want something skintight – which isn't a good look for a suit in my opinion. A well-fitting suit should drape well and let you move your body comfortably rather than feel restricting. It's possible to accomplish that with 100% wool, whether you prefer worsted, tropical, tweed, etc. I also wouldn't call the right side of those images "flowly" really. There's very prominent pulling and a strong "x" at the buttoning point of the jacket – suggesting it's at least a size (or two) too small.
All that said, maybe you'd be able to ask for "stretch" or "technical" wool? I don't know what your tailor has access to. In any case, I think it's better to just have a suit tailored properly in a natural fiber like wool, but if you're after a stretchy techy suit, by all means seek that out. Not sure what you'd call it beyond stretch or technical wool.
@thumb yorke Yea I suppose I used the term stretch because the suit I'm having made atm could benefit from more flexible material since its too tight. Even though some might argue he's too big for the suit on the right, we can see at the bottom of the suit that it drapes his hips and hangs off, same with the torso area, whereas in the left image it almost looks like the suit could hold the shape on its own. I guess that's what I'm really noticing, a draping effect that is more prominent and desirable to me in the brighter suit. I did manage to find out where the suit on the right was made, was made by Aleks Musika/Musika Frère, but wasn't able to find the specifics.
i think you can get the draping effect you seek but you may need to be prepared for it to appear different than either 1 or 2
other things to consider are lining and what sort of structural components are in the suit - it may have shoulder pads or darts in the jacket, or pleats in the pants. while you could have these removed for a more "natural" draping, you may find a more desirable look with these included
what material is the suit being made out of at the moment?
@WieDelphine 80% merino wool and 20% synthetic fibers/polyester
do you know what the weight is? would be either expressed in ounces or gsm. Thats a thing that makes a big difference to how much it drapes. Or it might be 'super 100' or another number. Also do you know if it its a 'twill' weave or a 'worsted' or something else, that can make a difference
@WieDelphine Hmm no idea. I'm going back to the tailor in a few days, will ask him then.
@WieDelphine Okay, so the tailor responded with some more accurate information, as well as an image of the tag. The pants and jackets are both made from 70% merino wool and 30% polyester. The tag for the sample says "Ultrafine Merino Wool" 275gms
Thats a very lightweight cloth, so you should have a fair amount of drape. Its not a heavy cloth, so its going to come down to cut rather than swapping the cloth tbh