The Tailors' Thread: Fit Feedback and Alteration Suggestions

[pgmetcalf]

Don't think that's to bad Blister except maybe the trousers are a little too long perhaps. I like no break, but that's just a personal thing. Thing the shirt sleeves are too long though

 

[ajc2162]

Should I size up on this SS havana blazer http://www.imgur.com/a/F72nk/. Mainly the shoulders. I have the larger size as well (no pics yet unfortunately) but that would need slimming from the waist and I'm not sure if the shoulders are better on it. I got good feedback here last time but have gotten different opinions as well. So what's your take on the shoulders?

I feel that you're standing too close to the mirror so, for me anyway, it's difficult to get the overall perspective. I'm sure it's not the case but initially it gives the impression of really sloping shoulders. If you were to stand further back, I'm sure that illusion would disappear. I know that taking selfies isn't easy but maybe you could ask a friend to take a few quick snaps and get all of you in the picture.

Having said that, from what I can see on my monitor, the fit seems quite acceptable. It buttons nicely with no noticeable tugging, the back seems smooth and your sleeve length seems OK (although I'm wondering if the left sleeve is a little longer than your left - although that could just be the way you're leaning).

 

[ajc2162]

Hello Isolation, I hope you're well on the other side of the world.

I thought it might make you feel better to know that you're not alone and I've been having the same thoughts about my own trousers. So I'm going to suggest that you pause for a moment before you rush off for very, very minor adjustments of fractions of an inch. I'm finding it a bit difficult to make informed comments because you've only posted the lower portions of your trousers rather than offering a full view from a distance.

But I've seen your great posts in WAYWN and I like your style. I reckon they fit you well and anybody can tell that there is a person who knows how to dress well. In your most recent post, there's one of you sitting down and another when you're not standing rigidly straight. The leg openings look fine there and no adjustment needed. So it seems to me that have that nagging doubt when you stand rigidly upright and are dissatisfied with the drape.

The photo at the bottom of your trousers resting on your shoes resembles the way mine look and is the same issue that's annoying me. I don't like the way my cuffs bunch up on the back of my shoes instead of falling in a nice clean line. And they tend to have the same ripples down the front (as in your photo just above) so that I also have been debating whether I should take them to my tailor to widen the openings.

But I've gradually begun to realise that a lot has to do with my posture. I've always though I was standing erect but actually I tend to hunch over a bit. So I've been practicing standing fully erect and looking to the horizon. Feels really weird and unnatural to begin with but gets more instinctive over time. Now the penny has dropped as I've looked at the way they hang with fresh eyes. They now seem to draping much better and I'm struggling to see anything I want to improve. Even the cuffs seem to fall better.

And yet, if I deliberately hunch over over the way I used to do, I get those ripples that were irritating me (and that appear to bug you the same way). Yet the minute I straighten,they hang much better and I can't see what I was bothered about.

Basically the penny has dropped for me that we move all the time and our clothes therefore move as well. So I'm beating myself over something that simply isn't feasible in the real world. How often do we really stand absolutely still? And do other people focus on individual items of your clothing. I doubt it - it's the overall effect that makes the impression. That doesn't mean that we don't keep pursuing perfection; but we can leave that for next time.

So I'm now quite happy with what I've got now and enjoy wearing them. I know they're not perfect but they're pretty good. So I've decided not to bother with the hassle of getting minor adjustments (with the added uncertainty of whether it will end up meeting my expectations anyway). I'm going to leave it to when I get my next pair and then I'll get my tailor to widen the openings an inch or so and see what the effect is. And I'll need to remember to get them fitted to suit the way I stand most of the time (hopefully nicely erect).

I hope you find it helps you to get somebody else's perspective.

 

[greger]



First post here. Bought this suit off the rack a few days ago, employee at the store told me only the pants needed to be altered so I had that done. Suit is a dark navy and I tried my best with the lighting/camera. Do you think I should take it to a tailor for further improvements?

When it is bunched up in the back waist it usually means the back length is to long. This can be adjusted on the side seams or lowering the neckline. If the Armholes are deep cut and you would like them smaller then the back side seams can be "slid" down on the front side seams. The excess along the bottom of back can be cut off, and the crown of the sleeves cut off. This is a job for someone who really knows how to put sleeves on. Now, how much back length is to much? With pins a tailor can pin out the exact amount. About half way down the armhole about mid back, lets say your wife, pinch out some cloth so it sits/hangs nicely in the small of the back. Use a pin to hold it. Work back and forth across the back and there will be a nice row of pins there. Tailors have used pins for hundreds of years because they are quick to pull out and readjust until perfect. When you are satisfied take it to a good tailor for further advice and to finish.

 

[greger]



Here are my trousers. I would like comments on length and opening. I am planing to keep length (change my other trousers to this length) and widen the opening by .75 or 1 inch. Opinions would be appreciated. Here are pictures with both chukkas (I wear boots 75%+ of the time) and a pair of shoes. Both seem okay to me here, and I am starting to doubt whether I need to widen them at all, but when standing straight, the trousers do not have a clean line which I think wider opening would allow.

Back in the sixties tailors made narrow pant legs by the millions. Most those tailors are dead. If you look at pictures of those days you will notice the pant legs are shorter. When pant legs got wider those still wearing the narrow ones were scoffed at. Didn't want to be caught with "high water pants". The "styles" moved right along in those days. Being "out of style" is what people avoided. Lapels could be made narrower, but not widen. The shape of the waistline could be changed and so on. When the garments couldn't be changed anymore it was given to Good Will or something like that. Bums always stood out wearing outdated clothes.

 

[flvinny521]

Quote: When it is bunched up in the back waist it usually means the back length is to long. This can be adjusted on the side seams or lowering the neckline. If the Armholes are deep cut and you would like them smaller then the back side seams can be "slid" down on the front side seams. The excess along the bottom of back can be cut off, and the crown of the sleeves cut off. This is a job for someone who really knows how to put sleeves on. Now, how much back length is to much? With pins a tailor can pin out the exact amount. About half way down the armhole about mid back, lets say your wife, pinch out some cloth so it sits/hangs nicely in the small of the back. Use a pin to hold it. Work back and forth across the back and there will be a nice row of pins there. Tailors have used pins for hundreds of years because they are quick to pull out and readjust until perfect. When you are satisfied take it to a good tailor for further advice and to finish.

I'm no expert, but I thought the bunching in the lower back was due to his exaggerated forward hips.

 

[Isolation]

Back in the sixties tailors made narrow pant legs by the millions. Most those tailors are dead. If you look at pictures of those days you will notice the pant legs are shorter. When pant legs got wider those still wearing the narrow ones were scoffed at. Didn't want to be caught with "high water pants". The "styles" moved right along in those days. Being "out of style" is what people avoided. Lapels could be made narrower, but not widen. The shape of the waistline could be changed and so on. When the garments couldn't be changed anymore it was given to Good Will or something like that. Bums always stood out wearing outdated clothes.

I see! Sounds right. That said, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to take from it

Quote:

Hello to you too! And thank you for your kind comment. I think you might be right. Still, I have one pair of trousers being altered right now that will be wider. I think I'm going to see if that improves things. If not, I will probably keep everything as is. I think you're right, there's a limit to what can be done. Hopefully this improves the issue somewhat. If not, I'll just have to live with slight bunching.

 

[msg]

Looking for some expert advice on how to find trousers that fit well. In the past, when I buy trousers I've had to have them altered significantly, either in the waist or in the seat. And, I'm rarely happy with the outcome of that process.

I'm 6' tall, 31" waist, and weight about 165. In theory, finding well-fitting trousers should be easy, but relative to people my size I think I tend to be more muscular than most - in particularly, I love the squat rack and have found that trousers with a 31" waist often don't have a thigh measurement large enough for me. But, even when I find trousers that have the right waist/thigh measurements, something else always seem off.

Here's an example - this is a pair of trousers from Partrik Ervell. 16" waist, 11" rise, and 11.5" thigh. On paper, the numbers look good, but when I try them on there's a lot of fabric bunching up through the crotch.

(The fabric is a black cotton, so I've tried to lighten the photos)

Here's another example, a pair of Margiela trousers

Any suggestions on what I should be looking? Is it the rise that's throwing off the fit? More room in the thigh?

 

[dalevy]

Looking for some expert advice on how to find trousers that fit well. In the past, when I buy trousers I've had to have them altered significantly, either in the waist or in the seat. And, I'm rarely happy with the outcome of that process.

I'm 6' tall, 31" waist, and weight about 165. In theory, finding well-fitting trousers should be easy, but relative to people my size I think I tend to be more muscular than most - in particularly, I love the squat rack and have found that trousers with a 31" waist often don't have a thigh measurement large enough for me. But, even when I find trousers that have the right waist/thigh measurements, something else always seem off.

Here's an example - this is a pair of trousers from Partrik Ervell. 16" waist, 11" rise, and 11.5" thigh. On paper, the numbers look good, but when I try them on there's a lot of fabric bunching up through the crotch.

(The fabric is a black cotton, so I've tried to lighten the photos)






Here's another example, a pair of Margiela trousers





Any suggestions on what I should be looking? Is it the rise that's throwing off the fit? More room in the thigh?

 

[msg]

Interesting. How do you asses the fit of hips from measurements?

 

[dalevy]

Heh. Unless it's stated or the salesperson measures for you, just eyeballing the shape and trying on. I generally try to look for pants that have more shape. But it's tough. This is why I generally buy pants from only a few places.

 

[flvinny521]

Heh. Unless it's stated or the salesperson measures for you, just eyeballing the shape and trying on. I generally try to look for pants that have more shape. But it's tough. This is why I generally buy pants from only a few places.

Mind sharing those brands? I have a similar problem.

 

[dalevy]



Mind sharing those brands? I have a similar problem.

I get chinos from unis, trousers from Howard Yount or epaulet. I have one pair of jeans from Gustin. You should be able to let out the seat on these brands quite a bit to get a good result. But like I said I usually buy something that fits in the seat and take in the waist. I do have an old pair of jcrew ludlow that are most comfortable in the seat just the legs are a bit wide. Like I said, it's tough. If you just start out going to a quality tailor or at least trying on trousers in store at a place like epaulet with knowledgeable and helpful sales people, you would probably end up spending less over time.

Just so we are clear, I don't work at any of these places

 

[dalevy]

And the waist is the easiest thing to fix. Given the choice you should definitely buy something that fits in the seat and thigh.

 

[dalevy]

Mind sharing those brands? I have a similar problem.

And I'm staying away from things that are low rise.