Great video as always Chris. I have two jackets with shoulders that are a little bit too wide. I figured out I can eliminate it by wearing a sweater or sleeveless sweater over the dress shirt. I use the wall test when I buy a sports coat or suit jacket. I put on the jacket, and with the outside of my shoulder I face a wall. I slowly lean into the wall. If the shoulder pad strikes first then scrunches up before my shoulder gets there, the jacket is too big. I would go one size down in such a case. Normally, you want a jacket where your shoulder, and the pad strike the wall at almost the exact same time. This test works for me really well.
Hi Kay, glad you enjoyed the video. Using a jumper is a good idea, and the wall test is a good method for checking out the shoulder length, if you are unsure and easily done at the time of purchase or trying an item on in store . thanks for sharing with us your experience👍🙂
The shoulder on a jacket is almost as complicated as a proper fitting shoe. I have had a few MTM jackets where the shoulder was a problem area. Funny though that I have one off the rack jacket that is a perfect fit in every way. I made note of the brand and cut for future purchases. Great talk!
Hi Arthur, glad you enjoyed the video and you are correct the fit of a jacket is complex on, especially if you have an unusual posture or shoulder or chest measurements. MTM is not dissimilar to off the rack, in that the measures that are asked for or taken, are to fit their suit template. With bespoke you are the template, therefore more precise measurements and with good first, second and final fitting sessions those problems tend to be taken out in the earlier stages of the process, rather than after the suit is made or received by the client. In truth you cannot beat a good bespoke tailor , MTM whilst a good service can still have issues with the slope of ones shoulders and the pitch of your shoulders, (forward facing, neutral or shoulders back) and the same can be said for off the peg. Hunt the brands that give you the best fit or better still save your money and buy a bespoke suit from an established tailor, you won't regret it. 👍🙂
Excellent advice, Chris. Oh, the problems of clothing the human body! Unless your body shape contours with the tailor's dummy used for the original cutting pattern (dream on), we are always going to have an issue of one kind or another. Unable, for most of my life, to afford bespoke, I have generally been lucky when buying `off the peg'. To add to the pearls of wisdom elsewhere in the comments section, from my own experience, the better the brand of suit or jacket, the better the fit is likely to be. I always try on more than one jacket / suit of the same size - or even a size up or down - as there can be variations of `cut' that make one a better fit than others on the same rail. Does it both look right and feel right in the fit when viewed from different angles in the mirror? Instinct usually signals the answer as we have all seen jackets on others - or in photographs - that either fit well, or just don't look right. All garments have to make allowances for natural body movement, let alone the many other elements of dealing with individual body shape... and I wonder how many tailors have customers whose weight yo-yo's in between fittings! I can only bow to their patience as well as their truly gifted skill!
Hi John, glad you enjoyed the video and it was great to catch up with your recently👍🙂Thank you for your thoughtful response to the video content. I completely agree with your point about the challenges of finding the perfect fit off the peg. It's a real art to balance personal body shape with standardised cuts. Your advice to try on multiple sizes or cuts of the same garment is spot on. I've also found that even within the same brand, slight variations in cut can make a big difference. And you're right, it's not just about how something looks but also how it feels when moving around. As for tailors handling clients with fluctuating weight, what patience and skill they must have! Truly, tailoring is an underappreciated craft and just spending a little time with one (catching up with Thom Bennett at the event on the 4th) is such a privilege, one of the few truly masterful tailors. Take care dear friend and speak soon👍🙂
Thanks for the suggestions in this video, this is a frustrating problem. I've tried sizing down, classic fits and slimmer cuts, yet still have this problem. My experience is that it could be a function of brand, as some brands have more shoulder padding and structure which take away the natural draping of one's shoulders.
Hi Mike, glad you enjoyed the video, unfortunately many people experience difficulties with the fit of their shoulders, you will only truly get that glove like fit by going bespoke. If you can't afford that then it comes down to compromise, the more padding and structure in the shoulder area can be a bonus to maintain the shape of the shoulder, but the compromise might be to live with a slight divot or get the shoulders adjusted to give you a better fit - reduce or remove the divot effect 👍 thanks for sharing your experiences and I feel your frustration, but persevere 🙂
@@TheBritishDapper yes I have a linen suit double breasted pea club pal colour close to white and I think maybe even without a tie it would combine marvellously
Hi Kenny, glad you enjoyed the video. Collar gap occurs when there is too much space between a man's suit jacket collar and the dress shirt collar worn underneath. Collar gap can come from a number of things, such as an imperfect fit on the chest or shoulders, incorrect posture in the shoulders or in the angle of the neck for the cut of the jacket. A good test of this is the shrug test, raising the shoulders will create a collar gap, but when the shoulders are relaxed again the jacket should fail back on the line of the shoulders with no collar gap visible. Be mindful that collar gap can be created by the way one seats in a chair, as opposed to when one is standing naturally. That collar gap can be caused by your elbows on the arms of the chair creating that shrug effect or due to the jacket being artificially raised by the back of the chair pushing the jacket fabric upwards. Essentially it tends to come down to the slope of your shoulders and their pitch (forward, neutral or backward position) opposing the cut and shape of the jacket's, adjustments can be made to resolve this. I Hope that helps 👍🙂
For off the peg suits, I’ve found the problem is typically owing to chest drape or to the armholes being too low. Unfortunately, these are issues that are too expensive to be addressed by a tailor, if they’re correctable at all. As always, the answer is - save your money and commission a true bespoke suit.
Hi Michael, a bow tie is a great look, with a suit or jacket and who cares what others think, if you like the look and are comfortable wearing it, then don't be put off about what others may or may not be thinking, it is a cool look and makes a style statement. Wear it with pride dear friend👍🙂
Thanks so much for some great advice and observations. One thing I do find on my jackets or suit jackets which otherwise fit well (these are off the peg) is that they pull on the triceps when I raise my arms. I only noticed this really when I was driving in my suit jacket recently. Is this normal Chris with off the peg and would it be avoided with bespoke? Thanks in advance.
Hi Bernard, great point you raise, in short I would always advise a person to remove there jacket when driving, but is it not uncommon for a jacket whether off the peg or bespoke to pull a little in the tricep area, this is because of the position the arms are in, is more than anything else an abnormal range of movement. This position is not one that a suit or separate jacket is designed to be in, sometimes if the jacket is tight across the shoulders/back area this can cause additional issues as well, hope this helps
