I have a Veeky Forums emergency. I'm getting fitted for a bespoke suit tomorrow

Because it's my first and only bespoke suit and it seems a waste to make it anything other than versatile.

Even if I get a waistcoat, I am by no means obligated to wear it.

Double breasted is too Nick Wooster for me. Remember him? Yeah, nobody else does either.

So? Get two waistcoats, one of which double breasted. Or add any other twist to it.

The suit renaissance ended, I am fairly certain that tailoring as we know it will die by the time we do. Even the differences between evening and day wear are being swept slowly. Therefore I value some creativity in modern suiting, before it becomes common.

...

>I don't know what this means.
Semi-solid is a solid coloured fabric but with a little texture that's visible up close, like birdseye, sharkskin or herringbone. I think they look really good in navy, but it's not exactly a good choice for a special-occasion formal suit. If it's your only bespoke, I'd go for regular twill.

Thread count is important too: everything above S120 is starting to look a bit too soft and floaty to my tastes and cost a lot more than regular S100-120.

>How does that impact lapel choice?
>I have pretty narrow/sloping shoulders so it gives me a not very masculine/broad look.
Definitely get 3,5" lapels and lightly roped shoulders to widen your torso visually. Single vent in the back might be better in case of dat ass.

>Wasn't planning on it, looks too old-timey Boardwalk Empire for me.
Cool, it basically renders the pants braces-only anyway.

>I may get flap pockets + ticket pocket

>what's wrong with you
Nothing, it's dope if done properly and I despise people who don't agree with me on this matter.

Sorry, missed that post.

>Do you think a tailor could make adjustments to prevent the double vented jacket from flaring out due to hips/ads?
It's doable, but he'd basically have to widen the entire lover back area and that involves ripping out the entire lining and stuff - lots of work.

>peacock coloured felt on the back of the lapel
Holy shit plz no. Better to get some wacky fabric for the back of the waistcoat or the jacket lining.

And avoid coloured details like contrasting thread on the buttons or anything like that.

Narrow lapels are for faggots.

And unless you tell us which tailor you're going to and what their house style is, it's hard to give any good input.

Well, it's not like I haven't considered it myself more than once after seeing pic related (ignore the cast, it's from a themed photoshoot), so I get where you're coming from - but it will look out of place and autistic as hell nearly everywhere aside from a wedding or a fashion show. A bespoke item that one wears maybe once a year is just a waste.

Thanks again. Will probably go with regular twill. Planning on Super 120s for that balance between quality and durability. Don't want a poncy, shiny, silky suit.

>3.5 inch lapels
Sounds big when I try to picture it in my head button starting to trust your judgement based on all the other advice. Got a representative pic?

>lightly roped shoulders
I also don't know what this means. I'm a bit ignorant in this world.

>

>out of place
It won't, at least not anywhere where a suit wouldn't. This thinking seems like borderline insecurity tbqh.

This ain't Saville row.

Sorry to let you guys down but I'm in Hoi An, Vietnam. Don't worry, my expectations for quality have lowered alon with the price tag.

How do you feel about surgeon's cuffs? I'm a pretty hard no on these. Seems like one area where extra expense and extra function actually doesn't make the jacket any better.

Then again, I could see how it would be fun to roll up the sleeves for a post-wedding dance.

You'd be surprised how good no-name Asian tailors are at their game sometimes!

Dude, I wear white-on-navy windowpanes, purple tweed, wide peak-lapeled jackets and those goofy-ass renaissance silk scarves, but I think a db waistcoat would look mad stupid on me and anyone who's not a model or doesn't make six figures daily. More power to you if you can / think you can pull it off, though!

>surgeon's cuffs
This is THE non-tacky tell-tale sign of bespoke tailoring you need. Does the tailor really charge extra for that? Mine always considered it standard service.

>on the lapels and shoulders
I took the 3,5" based on your height, but then again you also mention narrow shoulders. What's your jacket / chest size, for reference?

Pic related shows a jacket with what I consider to be the ideal and most timeless lapel width (3,25"-3,5"), as well as roped shoulders: see how the sleeve is set in with a slight 'bump' at the top? It makes your shoulders appear a tad bigger and taller with no need for excessive padding.

>half break
Great! Now... pleats or no pleats?

Quoted myself by accident, see my reply above

I have to admit those lapels seem huge to me. I'm stuck in 2011 and I can't get out. I'll make sure to push my comfort zone on these a little to avoid dating myself.

I don't know about surgeon's cuffs yet. Meeting three tailors tomorrow.

Dig the roped shoulders.

No pleats. Not about that life.

Well, the three button, rolled to two is currently the most common way to go, and looks really good if its a good fit, but you can never go wrong with 2 buttons.

Pic is probably my ideal suit.

Also I'm a 38R.

Long legs, short-ish torso for my height.

Lapel width is the easiest thing to change when you go to fittings, so I'd really ask the dude to cut the canvas a bit wider at first. You can fold it however you want when you return for the first fitting and decide then.

No pleats is cool, but since you've mentioned lifting and thigs and dat ass, I'd seriously consider a single pleat that follows the crease as in the pic. It will be nearly invisible, but a little more thigh room is a godsend. Also, if you end up getting braces for times when you wear a waistcoat, you will have a laser-cut straight line from the waist right down to the ankle. Looks great and mighty dignified with black shoes.

While on the topic of shoes: $600, you say? Greens, Lobbs, G&G?

Upon further reflection that is an exaggeration. $550 Canadian. Retail. So less than that in USD by quite a bit.

I actually only paid about $260 USD in the Mr. Porter sale.

Grenson G-One Moorgate cap toe oxfords. They're from the line that's actually handmade in Northamptonshire. Not the fast-fashion line.

Pic. Super boring but classically everything I'm looking for.

Shieet, that's primo taste right there OP. Perfect match for how you want to wear the suit. Great deal too!

However they cement the fact that you just can't go with any flashy 'look it's tailor-made' details at all. Surgeon's cuffs or ticket pocket are functional additions, so I wouldn't consider it flashy at all (esp. if the pocket is jetted - on a navy suit it would just disappear completely). I get it if you don't want to spend extra for working sleeve buttons, though. All of my jackets have them and I only used them once.

Anything immediately visible would not only look gaudy as hell, but also clash with the understated aesthetic you're going on. Colourful lining is a different beast, though, since it's hidden 99% of the time. Then when you go to a wedding or a cocktail party you take off the jacket and bam - orange / purple / paisley back.

One more important thing, though - I take it that Vietnam's climate is a bit on the warmer side, so what about the jacket lining?

I live in the frigid 6ix, home of Drake, Biebs, and the Weekend. Just visiting Hoi An and taking advantage of the heavy discount on tailoring while passing through a town that's legendary for it (400+ tailors in a small area)

I'll get a mid-weight wool, probably with silk lining. Depends on the options.

I can see what you mean about something flashy not going well with the shoes though. Will definitely take that into consideration.

How long are you staying in Hoi An, then? I know tailors can work lightning fast, but you still need to go for at least the first fitting to work out the details. If you're taking the suit home with you, then all's good, but if you're just there to order it and then it's mailed to you, it's kind of a gamble. Especially since it's a one shot/one opportunity/palms are sweaty/mom's spaghetti kind of deal.

you know your tailor will know these things, yes? ask him

As long as I need to get the fittings done.

They work crazy hours to meet tourist demand. The storefronts are open until 10PM and the near-sweatshops are open overnight too. Someone told me they do a first fitting the next morning, even if you come in the evening. There will be two fittings and a third of you're still unsatisfied.

The place I intend to go with is very reputable, but I'll check out two others along the way.

I don't want to turn this into a discussion on Labour conditions, but the reality is that if you were to close these places down or enforce western labour standards, they go out of business and there's be a huge spike in poverty and sex trafficking. Sad but true.

Although I can trust my tailor with a lot of things, this IS Asia so two things:
1) At these prices they'll be looking to screw you if they can, they're tourist traps. You have to bargain hard.
2) I don't trust their sense of style to fit with mine. I live in a city 14,000 km away And I want my suit to be stylish there.

This would apply in most situations, but not the one OP's in. Most likely the tailor will only write stuff down like a waiter, give the paper to his legion of seamstresses and only do the finishing touches himself. I don't think the usual 'bring in a stack of photos' approach will work here.

Actually this makes pick-stitching a risky as fuck move. There's a risk they'll do it by machine and make the jacket look cheaper to anyone who's in the know. Normies of course pay no mind.

On the same note, insist they don't do any fusing with glue / ask them innocently what canvases they use and steer the conversation that way. With such fast turnaround times not many people will bother stitching the canvas by hand. Full canvas construction is one of the main reasons to go bespoke, quality-wise.

The shop I'm going to is known for having great English-speaking staff and their workshop is attached. You are welcome to visit it.

I will accept half canvas if the price is right but I have no intention of buying a fused suit.

I'll skip the pick stitching.

Cheers, thanks for the advice

Cool, good luck! Would love to see a pic of the finished thing if it goes well.

Going bespoke is a great experience, even when the results differ from what one's imagined (and they always do). I'm kind of envious of you, OP, since I don't need any more suits and my tailor retired. Cheers!

If you ever need another suit made, the savings can pretty much cover the cost of the plane ticket. Makes for a good excuse to travel to Asia.

I'll post pics, probably in late August or early September. In meantime I'll be living in suspense. Will probably have to ship it home before the final alterations.

Thanks to everyone for your help. Probably the most troll-free experience I've had on Veeky Forums.

Feel free to keep posting advice and comments. Bespoke tailoring is an interesting topic and there's pretty much no limit to how deep you can dive.

Worth a shot.

Db waistcoat guy, if you don't despise me yet and didn't fuck off somewhere, do you have any more inspo?

Lovely cut. I especially like the slightly lower gorge, makes for a more timeless look.

Isaia used to be my favorite, extremely laid-back cut, but Orazio Luciano is growing on me.

>insist they don't do any fusing with glue / ask them innocently what canvases they use and steer the conversation that way.

If they'd have the skill to do half/full-canvassing, they would. You just won't find many good tailors in Asia, save for a few houses like WW Chang, B&Tailor etc.

Damn that's a comfy looking jacket. I'm not big on how unstructured it is (coming from the polar opposite with angular and structural cuts being my game), but the fabric is pure awesome.

I've heard far more good stories about Asian and Indian niche / sweatshop tailors than nightmare stories and I assume that the situation's similar to the one with older tailors in Poland: the talent is there, but you specifically have to ask for canvas and whatnot. Show them you actually give a fuck and they will too - for some it's actually a welcome change.

You are thinking about bespoke tailoring the most boring average suit in the world that you could easily just buy from any suit store

But that's how it's supposed to be done.

It does look comfortable. And yeah, I'm more into neapolitan cuts with spalla camicia, natural shoulders, barchetta pockets etc.

The little experience I have with tailors in Asia is that they're mostly crap, but I wouldn't be too surprised if you could find some good ones in the bigger cities.

It'll still most likely fit better and unless he's already spending a ridiculous amount of money, going bespoke allows you to get details like shallow armholes so that you can move around in it like it's a comfy sweater.

Did you have anything made or didn't take the plunge yet?

I dig the aesthetic a lot, but platonically for now. I know for sure that I'm going full Simone Righi when I get older, though. Dude's the only #menswear 'celeb' I can think of who does the whole sprezzatura 'Give a fuck but look like you don't' thing really well.

Haven't had anything made in Asia, but I've had an overcoat made here in Sweden from a relatively new atelier.

Will be ordering 2-3 suits, a few shirts and 1-2 pairs of pants before Christmas if I manage to land a job before that.

You might perhaps think that, however; most people can tell between an OTR suit and a bespoke one. Often its very easy.

I have a very OTR body, so they tend to fit me very well, but the difference is still miles apart.

pic somewhat related, not me though. Just because that guy mentioned Sweden, this guy has nice taste

>most people can tell between an OTR suit and a bespoke one

I don't believe this is the case. If you had said this 50 years ago, I'd be inclined to agree. However, the average person just doesn't see suits that much anymore, and as a result haven't learned the subtle differences that make out a quality suit.

Cool, what kind of overcoat exactly?

I've had three suits in total made here by a tailor in Warsaw around five years ago, but the man retired recently and I still have a few cuts of fabric left over for when I'm old and loaded enough to take them to somebody else.

The difference is obvious where I live since the the average white collar joes wear either baggy shit that's two sizes two big or a skintight spray-on shiny stuff you can't lace your shoes in without the seams breaking. I've only ever seen one dude on the street with a properly fitted suit and later found out he was a #menswear blogger, so...

>Cool, what kind of overcoat exactly?
Pic related - a relatively thin 3/2 overcoat for use during fall and spring, wanted something that was quite informal that I could use together with suits and more casual clothing.

I'd someday like to visit Poland and order something from Zaremba bespoke.

Here in Sweden you rarely see people in suits, and even when you do, most people have crappy suits (even ones with relatively well-paid jobs). The few people who can tell the difference between a good suit and a bad one are ones who are interested in these kinds of things.

Another common sight is people with expensive suits but shoes that cost

cool, i almost went to the saman amal trunk show in Gothenburg (not sure it was a trunk show, but whatever). Did i miss anything?

If you dig their style, I think you did.

Nice guys, great philosophy and a sweet cut. Not to mention their prices are very reasonable.

Dope, digging the fabric and lapel roll/shape a lot. Great shape on the breast pocket too.

From what I've heard, Zaremba had at least two trunk shows in Sweden this year. Check their website, maybe you won't have to visit Warsaw to get a hold of them.

Thanks mane, appreciate it.

I saw this picture and just knew I needed an overcoat from them.

I know Zaremba occasionally visits Sweden, but they're still a little bit out of my price-range, especially now that I'm working on gaining weight. It'd be a bitch shelling out that much money on suits that won't fit in 6-12 months.

Not to mention how my tiny experience with MTM has made me hate waiting even more than I thought was possible. Jesus fucking Christ.

honestly, zaremba isnt all that more expensive than saman amel, and for the price you get a lot (from both of them). Something like 2000 dollars for a bespoke suit?

Dayum. I know how you feel - I had a weekly supply of shirts made in HK many years ago based on my then emaciated frame (everything off the rack was a tent) and now it feels like every seam is pulling and I can't even button the collar on them. I'm kind of lucky (and sad) that I don't need to wear a tie as often as I used to, but it still blows. Only thing I can salvage are the buttons. Good thing the tailor had the suits made more drapey and they still fit well.

HNNNNNNNG

Sure, but I'm currently unemployed having just graduated and saving up for an apartment, so gotta prioritize right now kek

Exactly, but I'm kinda thinking fuck it. I really want to order something. I don't know why, but it's really fucking satisfying.

You could try ringing up fabric dealers or digging around online, then getting just the cloth for now. That way you not only satisfy the craving for a while, but also when you finally go to the tailors with your own cloth it will be a lot cheaper than ordering it through them - I've sourced my flannels from a dealer and online and it was nearly half price than what my tailor quoted.

That. Is. Genius.

Going to be spending the next weeks window-shopping flannels on the interwebs now.

You know Fox Bros., right? The mill that kind of invented flannel cloth for suiting in the first place?

themerchantfox.co.uk/cat/54/fox-brothers-cloth

I'm familiar with them. Did not know that though. Thanks for the tip, senpai!

Any other suppliers you can recommend for someone living in Euroland?

shop.hfwltd.com/ used to have a bigger selection than what they have now, but it's still comprehensive.

sklep.szarmant.pl/kategoria/tkaniny is a store of one of my old dealers, but it's in Polish only - you'll have to google translate the gibberish. He has some super-nice flannels from Harrisons (picrel) amongst other things. The guy speaks English fluently so e-mail away.

Okay, regarding the Polish store: I've just gone and selected Sweden as the destination and apparently you can't order anything that way, but I think if you talk to the guy he could set you up.

(I swear it's not me shilling my own polack store, so help me jesus)

Much appreciated, m'man!

Have taken a quick look and seen some interesting fabrics. Maybe I'll find something for a winter coat!

Cheers, glad to help. I'm fucking off now so happy hunting. Just don't end up with ten metres of fabrics like I have.

Bump for opinions on lapel width.

J Crew is still making them pretty narrow.

Is this a bad idea for a suit I want to wear for 10+ years?

>Is this a bad idea for a suit I want to wear for 10+ years?

Yes.

Not only does it make you look like a flaming, flamboyant pop-star, the trend even within fashion suits is moving towards wider lapels. If you want a suit that you can wear for a long time, go for one with wider lapels, longer length (so you can grab the end of the jacket when your hands are pointing straight down), slightly lower gorget than in your picture, shoulders either fully unconstructed or very lightly strengthened.

Take inspiration from this jacket, though the gorget might be raised ~2 cm for a slightly more contemporary look that'll still look good for ages.