Bishop of Briggs wrote:

formby wrote:

Film Noir Buff wrote:

Really? take a closer look. The construction of the back of this suit is heavy, klunky, Especially, the upper back and rear sleeve area.

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/5597/aymahonsuit.jpg

All the Mahon's I've seen, up close and personal are like that, messy at the back, you can literally grab a fistful of cloth.

I don't mind the cloth, but nor does it excite me either.

I think he cuts a nice peaked lapel though.

Does Edwin de Boise cut a leaner coat?

I've never seen one up close, but the ones that Voxsartoria shown pictures of over on S.F have a cleaner back than the Mahon pictured here. What's interesting about DeBoise is that he apprenticed under Edward Sexton, an altogether more flamboyant character than A&S. My feeling is that DeBoise would and could cut a lean coat if that's what the customer requested.

Of one thing I'm sure, we aren't seeing the authentic thing. A lot of the suits posted on the clothing boards are of American men wearing English and/or Italian tailoring and in most cases  I don't think they are getting the authentic article, I think it's a 'sanitised' version.

Jeeves wrote:

formby wrote:

Of one thing I'm sure, we aren't seeing the authentic thing. A lot of the suits posted on the clothing boards are of American men wearing English and/or Italian tailoring and in most cases  I don't think they are getting the authentic article, I think it's a 'sanitised' version.

The waist suppression is the most obvious case. I have talked to UK tailors about this and they automatically soften the waist suppression for US customers because they know their normal cut won't go down well.

Well, sanitised was probably a bad choice of word. I agree that that they soften the waist suppression on English suits but conversely I think Italian tailors are exaggerating certain features of their tailoring for their American clients. The stuff we're seeing from the Italian tailors on American men, doesn't seem right, doesn't seem authentic to my eye.

Last edited by formby (2010-01-25 13:55:48)

AQG wrote:

Marc Grayson wrote:

formby wrote:

There was a chap on London Lounge who as one of his arguments against ticket pockets offered up was that they add asymmetry to the coat. I wonder if he removes the breast pocket as well. !!!!

I'm guessing he doesn't dress to the right or left.  Ouch!

I'm sure he dresses away from the window.

I've found the best way around this problem is to not wear trousers

Alden wrote:

Great DB suit. Though it is hard to tell from the pictures, it seems "neat" as compared to the other examples of TM's work I have seen.

"Neat" compared to the others?  Is this meant as a compliment? If true, just imagine the sloppiness of the other examples!

Tailoring Police wrote:

I believe this is Rubinacci's handiwork

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4131/p1010513z.jpg

He looks like he is ready for the mama cat to pick him up by the scruff in her teeth.

Film Noir Buff wrote:

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/8091/p1010498qe.jpg

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/9752/p1010499r.jpg

That suit would look pretty good without the highly contrasting lining.

One of the best ways to spot a badly cut suit is to look at the edges.

Do the stripes on both lapels match and not run off the edge



Is the pattern the same on both sides at the bottom



Is the cloth the right way up on all parts

Sadly my poster child for this one has disappeared, but look closely at houndstooth or POW jackets and every so often you will find one where the pattern is inverted on one of the parts (usually a sleeve).

Jeeves wrote:

One of the best ways to spot a badly cut suit is to look at the edges.

Do the stripes on both lapels match and not run off the edge

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/431 … 32ec_o.jpg

Is the pattern the same on both sides at the bottom

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/431 … 9f79_o.jpg

My semi-bespoke jackets are done correctly on those points (helped, I am told by a man who knows, by a computer / laser system used to mark out the cloth before cutting which can automatically pattern match). For it not to be done properly on a fully bespoke I would find surprising to say the least!

In fact I think my semi-bespoke jackets fit better than any of the suits shown on this thread, although I do prefer my bespoke ones!

g- wrote:

JohnL wrote:

Jeeves wrote:

One of the best ways to spot a badly cut suit is to look at the edges.

Do the stripes on both lapels match and not run off the edge

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/431 … 32ec_o.jpg

Is the pattern the same on both sides at the bottom

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4028/431 … 9f79_o.jpg

My semi-bespoke jackets are done correctly on those points (helped, I am told by a man who knows, by a computer / laser system used to mark out the cloth before cutting which can automatically pattern match). For it not to be done properly on a fully bespoke I would find surprising to say the least!

In fact I think my semi-bespoke jackets fit better than any of the suits shown on this thread, although I do prefer my bespoke ones!

Very good information, thanks!  I think sometimes people inappropriately view technology as "anti-craft" when it can clearly be an aid.

I don't think I would go as far as to say the technology is an aid to craft.

This explanation may be a little out being my interpretation (as an IT professional) of an explanation given to me by a cutter who has provided “blocks” for computerised systems and consulting to the manufacturer, but should give a reasonable idea of what is going on.

AIUI the computer has a view of a scalable "block" provided by the human cutter. From the measurements the system is given (including factors for bias etc) it creates a unique pattern for the garment for the individual.  The laser imaging system then scans the cloth and detects the pattern and matches TO THE PRESISION THE USER WANTS, so if for example the maker wants correct alignment of the pattern down the lapel (per the previous post) at the expense of the additional cloth required then this is what he will get.

The laser then marks the material so it can be cut by hand by relatively unskilled labour, so not that much craft is involved after the system is set up.

The last jacket I had made has a bold window pane and the system has done a terrific job in aligning the back seam, collar, lapels etc with only a slight wobble on the ticket pocket which being small and over two darts was always going to be difficult.


I don't have a picture of the back but here is the front of 2 semi bespoke jackets done by this system. And if anyone has sugestions of shirt tie combinations to go with the first, other than the obvious blue, then I would be interested!

Glenhunt homespun (the sleeve horizontal alignment is better than it looks on this pic, it's actually spot on):



Dormisport:

Last edited by JohnL (2010-01-28 15:38:16)

This is very bright and blue;

http://www.styleforum.net/showpost.php? … count=2622

Tailoring Police wrote:

It is hard to see what went wrong with this lovely suit.

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/1288/dscn2761.jpg

This is one of the ugliest suits I've ever seen, ever. I would offer a critique but it's hard to see where to start. It might be easier to say what went right with this suit. Dreadful. Assuming this is a custom suit and not a $169 jobbie from a discounter, the poor, unfortunate who spent money on that should get a refund. Probably, this was his first suit and he didn't know any better.

Film Noir Buff wrote:

Tailoring Police wrote:

I believe this is Rubinacci's handiwork

http://img192.imageshack.us/img192/4131/p1010513z.jpg

Be careful with this one, he threatened to sucker punch me; he's a baaad man. Although considering he comes up to about my knee caps, i shudder to think what he might suck-er punch.

I'd trade a few inches of height for those eyes.  Although he should be arrested for indecent use of suede shoes.

Last edited by ½+½ (2010-02-03 09:00:39)