The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[Kingston83]

I would really appreciate the professionals' opinions on this sport coat. It is a size 40R which is about what I normally take. My chest is closer to 41 but all of the suits that I have purchased have generally been a 40R. For reference the edge of my acromion process is right at the shoulder seam. I've never had the best of luck finding a perfect fit and "the shoulder's shouldn't extend past your natural shoulder" has never been of any real help to me. It seems to me that the width of the shoulder in regards to a good fit will also depend on how much room is in the sleeve to accommodate the size of someone's deltoids. I have a 42R in route and I plan on taking both to my tailor to get his opinion as well. I suppose that I should note that the thoracic portion of my spine is almost entirely straight and as a result I have very prominent shoulder blades. In addition a separated shoulder has resulted in a half-inch drop of my right arm. They aren't the best pictures so I will post better ones if needed.

 

[AndrewAndrejus]

I've got sleeves shortened and now the shirt cuffs are slanted/angled! Is this normal? Why the amount of shirt cuff exposed is uneven?

 

[brokencycle]

I had some linen pants made, and they don't fit quite right. They feel baggy in the seat, and they are based on the measurements of a good fitting pair of pants. What do you guys think I should fix on them?

I can take more pics. I also apologize for the wrinkles - they're linen and I wore them through the day first.

 

[gettoasty]

Should you always get the pants waist altered, try it on after alteration, then proceed with shortening the inseam?

Will this assure that the inseam is balanced especially for someone who has a higher right hip?

I'm a real stickler for pant length and I find it a problem still when getting new pants altered.

I think typically a tailor alterationist will do both the waist and inseam during first visit. Should one have the tailor pin the length and waist, then, proceed to walk around the room to let the pants naturally settle?

Will it help the tailor more accurately see how the trousers fit to your body, which would then help with a precise cut (not sure how tailors account for +/- difference).

edit:
Would getting the pants pressed after initially trying them on help with the overall alteration?

 

[Louis XIV]

I've got two more questions regarding shirts.
It has been discussed before that instead of adding darts one could also reduce the back of the waist to account for the S shape of the human body.
I would like to understand this method better.

1. How does one measure/determine how great a difference in balance of front and back waist is right for one's build and posture?

2. Imagine a client that has a drop of 5" between chest and waist as well as 3" between hips/seat and waist.
He has a pronounced hollow back.
Assuming the same amount of extra fabric is added to all three parameters.
Chest and bottom are balanced evenly.
Does the front waist measurement have to be smaller than both half chest and half waist?
This question stems from the following consideration:
Let's say half chest is 22", half bottom is 21", for a first iteration front waist was chosen to be 20".
This leave us with a back waist of 19".
What if 19" is still too much fabric and 17.5" is ideal?
Could the front waist be cut to be 21.5" and therefore greater than half bottom?
Or is this simply impossible/weird looking?
Should one always trade having more fabric in the back for the front waist properly laying in between the two measurements that are framing it?

 

[indigoroots]

Can I get some general feedback on this MTM shirt? And in particular - are the sleeves too short?

 

[ter1413]



Can I get some general feedback on this MTM shirt? And in particular - are the sleeves too short?

How would one be able to tell if the sleeves are too short without you having a jacket on? But by those pics, they look too short to me.

 

[indigoroots]

How would one be able to tell if the sleeves are too short without you having a jacket on?
But by those pics, they look too short to me.

I figure I'll get the shirt sleeve right first, buy a bunch of shirts with the same measurements, and then adjust the suit sleeve as necessary.

 

[ter1413]



I figure I'll get the shirt sleeve right first, buy a bunch of shirts with the same measurements, and then adjust the suit sleeve as necessary.

Huh? How will you know if the shirt sleeve if correct if you don't have a jacket on to begin with?

 

[markfjh]

Hi guys,

I was wondering if you could suggest improvements to this pair of pants? I reckon the seat and thighs need to be let out abit (not sure by how much) and the overall length needs about an inch or so..

 

[breakaway01]

Huh? How will you know if the shirt sleeve if correct if you don't have a jacket on to begin with?

Circular reasoning. How will he know what the correct jacket sleeve length is if he doesn't have a shirt with the correct sleeve length?
It's easier to know what the correct sleeve length is without a jacket than the other way around, IMO. Agree that the OP's shirt sleeves are too short. One guide that I've found helpful is that with the cuff unbuttoned, the end of the sleeve should reach the webbing between the thumb and first finger--personally I like the end of the sleeve to be a bit shorter than this but YMMV. The cuff diameter should be sized to keep the end of the sleeve just below the crease of the wrist. Having a little extra length in the sleeve helps to prevent the cuff from moving up your arm when you lift your arm.

 

[ter1413]



Circular reasoning. How will he know what the correct jacket sleeve length is if he doesn't have a shirt with the correct sleeve length?
It's easier to know what the correct sleeve length is without a jacket than the other way around, IMO. Agree that the OP's shirt sleeves are too short. One guide that I've found helpful is that with the cuff unbuttoned, the end of the sleeve should reach the webbing between the thumb and first finger--personally I like the end of the sleeve to be a bit shorter than this but YMMV. The cuff diameter should be sized to keep the end of the sleeve just below the crease of the wrist. Having a little extra length in the sleeve helps to prevent the cuff from moving up your arm when you lift your arm.

No. Try the shirt on with a suit jacket/sport coat/blazer. Then You will be able to gauge the sleeve length. Why guess when you can know for sure.

 

[breakaway01]

No. Try the shirt on with a suit jacket/sport coat/blazer. Then You will be able to gauge the sleeve length. Why guess when you can know for sure.

This only makes sense if he has a jacket with the correct sleeve length. It's not at all clear from the OP's response that this is the case. Either the shirt sleeve length or the jacket sleeve length has to be based on the wearer's anatomy--they cannot be sized solely with respect to one another without regard to actual arm length.

Imagine that you try on a jacket with sleeves that are 2 inches too short. Does that mean that the shirt sleeve length is "correct" if you are showing the SF-approved 1/4-1/2" inch of cuff, even if the shirt sleeve is also 2 inches too short?

 

[ter1413]



This only makes sense if he has a jacket with the correct sleeve length. It's not at all clear from the OP's response that this is the case. Either the shirt sleeve length or the jacket sleeve length has to be based on the wearer's anatomy--they cannot be sized solely with respect to one another without regard to actual arm length. 

Imagine that you try on a jacket with sleeves that are 2 inches too short. Does that mean that the shirt sleeve length is "correct" if you are showing the SF-approved 1/4-1/2" inch of cuff, even if the shirt sleeve is also 2 inches too short?

But that^^ only makes sense if the OP knows what he is doing. If he is not sure of his shirt sleeve length, he is not sure of his jacket sleeve length. So if he is getting shirts made, try it on with a jacket to gauge the sleeve length.

 

[breakaway01]

But that^^ only makes sense if the OP knows what he is doing. If he is not sure of his shirt sleeve length, he is not sure of his jacket sleeve length. So if he is getting shirts made, try it on with a jacket to gauge the sleeve length.

I hear what you're saying but your method depends on having a jacket with the correct sleeve length. I see people wearing suits with overly long sleeves (i.e. at the base of the thumb or lower) all the time. IMO it's really not that hard to use your own body's landmarks (just above webbing between thumb and first finger with cuff unbuttoned, base of thumb with cuff buttoned). Just did a search and at least one shirtmaker uses this method too.