(Here's 6 of the suits I've completed work on for 2 clients. I had to take in the shoulders, blade, sleeves and side for most of them. I had to also let out the sleeves for all but one of them. These are the most common alteration types!)
(Here's the inside look at the shoulder area. It's a little harder to structure then most realize and doing an alteration on this area can be tricky if you don't know what you're doing it. There's a pad and sleeve head in there in addition to the suit fabric and lining. There may even be a hair canvas to give body to the front of the jacket. You have to take everything apart, make your adjustment and reassemble. If you don't do it right then the suit won't go back together correctly. Trust me Women's jackets are WAY easier to construct/alter then Men's by far. I'm glad I had my Mentor, Mr. Jim (most of you know as Gentleman Jim) there to show me the ropes. He also demonstrates these alterations on his Basic Alterations DVD which was a great resource when he wasn't around!)
I'm excited to be developing the skills to help men get that tailored look and I look forward to doing some tailoring of my own this upcoming year. I truly am intrigued with mens suits and the structure and craftsmanship that goes into making them. I'm actually planning to take on the task of tailoring a Sports Coat for the Hubby. More on that to come. Maybe one day I can get to the point where I can make all of his Sports Coats. Anyhow, do you find yourself scrutinizing/analyzing men's suits??? I hope I'm not the only one out there! LOL!
While I don't analyze too many men's suits, I do enjoy tailoring. It can be quite fascinating to see how all the hidden structure works. I love it. Oh, I'd analyze Justins suits anytime!
ReplyDeleteI'm just taking the hems up on some of my father's trousers and the detailing inside, for even cheap shop pants, are many. I'm surprised how much goes into just a waistband and the adjusting back seam, along with other details. Traditionally suits were not bought off the rack, but made to your measurements and therefore should fit, weight fluctuations aside, but things are going RTW for everyone I guess.
ReplyDeleteI always figured if you could tailor a man's suit and do alterations on it...you could do anything! So many delightful layers and components hidden inside each jacket and even waistbands. Gentleman Jim is a treasure!
ReplyDeleteI'm seeing more male celebrities on the red carpet with too long pant legs. Such an easy fix.
ReplyDeleteMale celebrities have never been off-limits to me. I think celebrities both male and female should wear impeccably fitted clothing but we all know that isn't the case. I love westerns and most times my television is tuned into Encore Westerns. I'm always pointing out, to my husband, the fitting of both men and women. The corseted dresses don't seem to enable the women to draw the smallest of breaths but the men's coats almost always seem made for them!
ReplyDeleteWhoa. That shoulder work is the alteration that my spouse would love love love me to do for him. And I look at those shoulders and I KNOW what is in there, and I just ...say....no. Not unless you give me one that I can fail with first. Fit has changed so much since the purchase of these (waaaay too wide in the shoulders), they all make him look like a little boy trying on his dad's suits.
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