Tailoring Linen Suit Advice

[PipersSon]

I'm looking at a few linen suits made to round off my summer wardrobe and having recently gained a sort of one-off access to some great linen fabrics at bargain prices, the tailoring options seems to be best (moreover I haven't found good off the rack options here in India).

However, I'm concerned about drape/ fall/ fit given that it is a fabric I've never had tailored before. While I get that linen has its own characteristics, finding decent tailors in india is a struggle (for me). The admittedly worst examples I see are folks whose linen trousers look like voluminous sacks falling from their waist. As a side note, I'm not looking for advice on color, weight of material etc, as I've already purchased the cloth.

So, understanding that linen wrinkles/ falls in a different way, I'm looking for best practices to get a good long term fit. For example, I've read that linen will shrink a little so best to keep sleeves and pant lengths a little long. Then some people advice to start with a tight fit for both shirts, trousers and jacket because again they loosen up after a while.

My preference is to get a 'loose-ish' fit (but not a baggy fit; push comes to shove I'd prefer a tight fit over a really baggy fit, if I don't have any other options)

Advice/ suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

 

[chobochobo]

If you are concerned about shrinkage then pre-wash the fabric. Linen can be a bit soft and the crotch area of my pants wore through fairly quickly, so make sure you get your tailor to do the appropriate and also keep some bits of fabric, just in case.

 

[PipersSon]



If you are concerned about shrinkage then pre-wash the fabric. Linen can be a bit soft and the crotch area of my pants wore through fairly quickly, so make sure you get your tailor to do the appropriate and also keep some bits of fabric, just in case.

Whoops.

Thanks, will let him know.

 

[GBR]

If you can find a decent tailor he will know how to deal with the cloth - if you are intent on finding one in |India, I doubt that you will have much luck.

 

[PipersSon]

Yeah the last bit I don't disagree. The high priced fellows I tried all turned out to be mediocre or worse.

 

[archibaldleach]

Linen is going to wrinkle and this will make jackets and trousers appear a bit shorter. I would get linen jackets and trousers at least 1/2 inch longer than you would normally get. You do not want to start with a tight fit with linen; it will only get tighter. If you have a suit that fits you well, I would simply base your linen suits off that but make the length adjustment. I think one can get away with linen trousers with a wider leg opening due to their casual nature, but if you are wearing it as part of a suit, I would keep the same leg opening you normally use.