CM combinations and silhouettes constructive improvement thread

[othertravel]

OK. Here are some pics of me at the SF 10th Anniversary Party 10 years ago.
At the time I weighed 170-175. I am wearing a Belvest cashmere blazer from
Wilkes-Bashford size 54 with (ugh !) extended shoulders. My trousers are
bespoke from a now-retired no name tailor in San Francisco. On my left is SF member
"archivist" Mark. I have no photos handy of the one 56R I own. It is also Belvest from
Berdorf about12 years ago.
View attachment 1875125

You don’t dress like a communist!
Actually never mind. Your sartorial tastes are consistent with politburo membership.

 

[comrade]

Thanks. Definitely helpful to be able to see instead of just hearing numbers thrown together. With the silhouette - I think it would be super interesting to hear what you were after with the decisions on sizing, cut, details etc and why/how they work with your body etc.

If I recall you also had gone bespoke with Rubi? Did you notice the fit being a significant departure from your RTW stuff given it’s a departure from their house style? Or did you steer them down a similar path?

Full disclosure: It is bespoke from Rubi, but not my bespoke.
I purchased it from Sartoriale in 2019 I think. For some reason
it fits very well with minor alterations. The shoulders have
virtually no padding except at the sleeve head. But it is not
rollino. I happen to have highsquare broad shoulders, so
little or no padding works, aside from, my personal taste.
When I win the lottery, I'll fly to London for A &S or Steed.
Then on to Naples for the fabulous food- I almost wept when
I was having a seafood stew there. And then to Rubi, Panico,
Ciardi, or Zizolfi after a private consultation with simon Crompton, of course.

 

[comrade]

You don’t dress like a communist!
Actually never mind. Your sartorial tastes are consistent with politburo membership.

Exactly. Many members of the Nomenklatura had decadent cosmopolitan tastes
which prepared them well to become Oligarchs after the fall of the Workers Paradise.

 

[Veremund]

Chan
View attachment 1874249

This is wonderful. Is the jacket black?

 

[emptym]

^Thanks! No, it's dark brown, what a friend would call "charcoal" brown. It was a Minnis 10 oz/2-ply fresco, but that color is no longer made, unfortunately.

I think @patrickBOOTH has had a black fresco(-like?) jacket made though.

 

[JohnMRobie]

This thread deserves to be rebooted again.

Have been moving my summer clothes back into the rotation and yesterday grabbed an old sport coat for the day.

After posting the pics in the WAYWT thread the jacket felt a little off. It seemed fine but not ideal and not as flattering as it could be. So when I got home I tossed on a different navy summer jacket to see differences but thought it provided a decent side by side visual of how two jackets that aren’t all that dissimilar can provide a different look/silhouette/etc.

Both Neapolitan. Both very light and unlined. Both have a fabric that prioritizes being light and breathable over drape (sub 250 gms blends - cashmere/silk and WSL.) One has a hand padded chest and lapel. One has a machine padded chest and lapel. One has more shape through the chest. Shoulders on one are slightly more extended. Button stance is slightly lower. Lapels a bit wider.

Now to decide if I should keep the first jacket or send it off to be consigned or given to a friend.

 

[classicalthunde]

This thread deserves to be rebooted again.

Have been moving my summer clothes back into the rotation and yesterday grabbed an old sport coat for the day.
View attachment 1955283
After posting the pics in the WAYWT thread the jacket felt a little off. It seemed fine but not ideal and not as flattering as it could be. So when I got home I tossed on a different navy summer jacket to see differences but thought it provided a decent side by side visual of how two jackets that aren’t all that dissimilar can provide a different look/silhouette/etc.
View attachment 1955285
Both Neapolitan. Both very light and unlined. Both have a fabric that prioritizes being light and breathable over drape (sub 250 gms blends - cashmere/silk and WSL.) One has a hand padded chest and lapel. One has a machine padded chest and lapel. One has more shape through the chest. Shoulders on one are slightly more extended. Button stance is slightly lower. Lapels a bit wider.
View attachment 1955287
Now to decide if I should keep the first jacket or send it off to be consigned or given to a friend.

I prefer the second (darker) jacket...particularly think the lapels and slightly extended shoulders bring a bit more balance to the overall silhouette.

 

[othertravel]

I prefer the second (darker) jacket...particularly think the lapels and slightly extended shoulders bring a bit more balance to the overall silhouette.

I agree. The second one is more flattering.

Who is the maker on the first one?

 

[JohnMRobie]

I prefer the second (darker) jacket...particularly think the lapels and slightly extended shoulders bring a bit more balance to the overall silhouette.

Agreed if that didn’t come through in the post.

I agree. The second one is more flattering.

Who is the maker on the first one?

In trying to keep with @breakaway01 ground rules from when he started this thread, first one is a high end Neapolitan RTW, 2nd is Neapolitan bespoke.

 

[breakaway01]

Both Neapolitan. Both very light and unlined. Both have a fabric that prioritizes being light and breathable over drape (sub 250 gms blends - cashmere/silk and WSL.) One has a hand padded chest and lapel. One has a machine padded chest and lapel. One has more shape through the chest. Shoulders on one are slightly more extended. Button stance is slightly lower. Lapels a bit wider.

Now to decide if I should keep the first jacket or send it off to be consigned or given to a friend.

We talk about shoulders/chest/lapels a lot, and for good reason, but I think another aspect here is how differently the two jackets fit through the hips. Often people make the mistake of thinking only about waist suppression to create shape, but then one possible consequence is the hips looking too prominent. The second jacket seems to fit more closely in the hips and gives you more contrast with the extended shoulders and wider lapels, without having to make the waist too shapely.

I can appreciate why RTW makers might have to cut a little more room in the hips to accommodate a wider range of body shapes, but you are pretty trim so I think that works against your figure.

 

[othertravel]

Agreed if that didn’t come through in the post.

In trying to keep with @breakaway01 ground rules from when he started this thread, first one is a high end Neapolitan RTW, 2nd is Neapolitan bespoke.

The wider lapel on the second one also improves the silhouette.

On a related note, if you're interested in selling the first one, please PM me!

 

[JohnMRobie]

We talk about shoulders/chest/lapels a lot, and for good reason, but I think another aspect here is how differently the two jackets fit through the hips. Often people make the mistake of thinking only about waist suppression to create shape, but then one possible consequence is the hips looking too prominent. The second jacket seems to fit more closely in the hips and gives you more contrast with the extended shoulders and wider lapels, without having to make the waist too shapely.

I can appreciate why RTW makers might have to cut a little more room in the hips to accommodate a wider range of body shapes, but you are pretty trim so I think that works against your figure.

Interesting theory. I’d have to double check but I think the RTW actually may be cut closer but have balance issues resulting in the issue. I’m not a tailor so I have no idea if this is accurate but it feels like the RTW is cut closer anyways and when looking from the side seems to have less space in the seat resulting in it kicking out around my seat and hip bones whereas the bespoke has some shaping and extra fabric so it can rest over my seat and hips more naturally.

But that’s sort of what I found interesting and worthy of a side by side was how some small tweaks can make a fairly (at least to me) big difference.

 

[breakaway01]

Interesting theory. I’d have to double check but I think the RTW actually may be cut closer but have balance issues resulting in the issue. I’m not a tailor so I have no idea if this is accurate but it feels like the RTW is cut closer anyways and when looking from the side seems to have less space in the seat resulting in it kicking out around my seat and hip bones whereas the bespoke has some shaping and extra fabric so it can rest over my seat and hips more naturally.

But that’s sort of what I found interesting and worthy of a side by side was how some small tweaks can make a fairly (at least to me) big difference.

I am glad I consider myself relatively well-adjusted but this is the pleasure and pain inherent to clothing -- I am generally pleased with how my clothes fit me but there is always the niggling question of whether 'some small tweaks' would improve things even more, and whether the cost in time & $$$ to seek out those tweaks would be worth it.