Question:
As I have discussed in my previous posts, I am planning on ordering my first custom suit to wear at my wedding. I'm still not sure whether I'm better off ordering from WW Chan (will I still be able to get an appointment at this late date?) or the local tailor I visited, but I suppose that's not really the point of this thread.
I'd like to talk about silhouette. I think I'm going to order a charcoal suit with a single breasted notch lapel coat, and a double breasted waistcoat with either peaked or shawl lapels (opinions?) with some belly to them. I'm thinking of a 6 button keystone stance.
I quite like the suit pictured below, lifted from Manton's Wedding Attire article, and was wondering what the forum could tell me about it. I'm particularly interested in the silhouette in relation to my build. I'm about 6'3" tall and weigh somewhere between 185-200lbs, depending on how hard I've been hitting the weights. Although I'm certainly not Mr. Universe, I have a slender reasonably athletic build with roughly an 8 inch drop.
In reference to the picture below, would you say the coat is clean or has drape? It appears to me the shoulders are pretty natural. Would you agree? What about the lapels? Would I do well to widen or narrow them, or raise the gorge? Maybe roll them through to a 3 roll 2 or 2 1/2 button (is there a difference?), or will this add too much to my height? Do you think my build works better with a true 3 button coat?
As for the trousers, they appear to be reasonably slim. would I benefit from a fuller cut as shown in the Apparel Arts illustrations?
I realize some of the questions I'm asking are matters of personal style and preference, but I respect and value the opinions of forum members and I'm trying to decide what works with my body type.
A few things about this suit I really like are the wider than usual coat collar and trouser cuffs, and of course the balmoral boots.
Answer:
The drape cut was popularized by Scholte after this image was taken. The coat pictured doesn't appear particularly drape-y to me, and I wouldn't suggest you get a drape cut unless you know, for sure, that's what you want and have a tailor who knows how to do it properly. Here, I'd suggest you go with a fairly clean chest and natural shoulders. Both are modern yet timeless, and you won't run the risk of looking like you're in vintage costume. And if you're fairly muscular, as it sounds like, you don't need excess padding. That's just gilding the lily.
The lapel width, as you mention, is going to be personal preference. I have a small frame and tend to prefer smaller lapels. But I like the look of the ones in the image, too. They're not outrageous enough to look out of place today, and there's no point in going with, say, a 3 roll 2 if that's not what you want. If you want a three, get a three, or at most a 3 roll 2.5. Just bear in mind that at your height, a very high three will make you look quite buttoned up. But the coat in the picture isn't what I'd describe as very high, so it shouldn't be a significant problem. (One other thing I'd note is that the lovely lapel roll in the picture is partly due to the heaviness of the cloth.)
Similarly, I think the trousers in the picture are pretty well proportioned, from what we can see. I wouldn't go for a full cut unless it will match the style of suit you select.
One thing to consider is the style of your tailor. If you have a local guy who does one look and does it well, asking for something totally foreign to him might be a gamble. I'd check in with him, and see what he thinks of the picture, and if his work will be compatible with your goals.
Anyway, that's just my take on it. There are members with much more wisdom on this front than I have. So take my opinions with a grain of salt.
Good luck with the wedding!
Answer:
I do like the suit in the picture. It is difficult to see the silhouette with the stance the gentleman is in. If I had to venture a guess though, I think he is shorter than you and what appears to be a 3 button suit would look differently on you.
I have ordered a few suits from Chan and only have positive things to say about the process and finished product. Certainly for the price there is little competition for their suits and shirts. I had my suit and shirts made in a bespoke process that allowed for a basted fitting before a final product was sent to me. Unless you have 6+ months to wait or are planning a trip to Hong Kong, this would be difficult. You could also do what I believe most do with Chan, and that is get measured, pick a fabric and wait about 2-3 months for delivery of your garment(s). His appointments are coming up in November so I would think you could have a suit by late January or February.
My preference because of my stature has always been a tighter, 2 button or 3 to 2 cut for my coats. I am 6'6" and 220lbs and have an 8-10in drop. I have always identified with the intended design of an Aston Martin "looking like an athlete in a tuxedo." Since I can suppress the waist, I do. And it sounds as if you can too.
I also favor proportion in my decision for stripes, amount of shirt cuff showing, pant cuff, and the V opening of my jacket. A 2 button coat allows a deeper V that doesn't make me look quite as long in my opinion. If I allow the coat to be cut higher I end up with a long section of suit material from the third button all the way to my shoes. I think a wider pant cuff seems more proportionate on larger people as well. Your pants will look long enough already, you should have a strong line to end the vertical movement. I have heard that taller people should show less shirt cuff. I don't see how that does anything except make us look taller and with longer arms. But I digress.
I think typical rules on lapel width still follow. If you are bigger/wider than normal, your tailor will provide a wider lapel to keep the proportion the same. The lapel in the picture is about as wide as I'd go.
Good luck and congratulations on the upcoming wedding.
Answer:
Thanks very much for the replies. Your comments are helping solidify in my mind the silhouette I desire and what I will ask for when I visit the tailor.
If you don't mind, I'd like to ask several more questions:
How wide would you say the cuffs in the pictured suit are?
I'm thinking I'll go with 1 3/4", but with my height might 2" be a better choice?
I'm also curious about whether I should specify a collar width. I'd like the collar of my suit to sit a little higher on my shirt collar.
It's difficult to tell, but is that a double breasted vest?
I'd still very much like to hear opinions on peaked vs. shawl collar for the vest I plan on ordering.
The suit is only showing three sleeve buttons. Surely the wearer did not unbutton the last button for bragging rights. Seriously though, if it really is only three buttons what do you think about that?
I agree the material is heavy. Might it be a flannel?
I'm also curious about anything anyone here might know about the maker of this suit, the wearer, the date and purpose of the photograph etc.
Lastly, I'm a fan of the balmoral boots. After following the recent balmoral boot thread, I wonder if anyone has a guess as to what the color of the uppers may be as they appear to be slightly lighter. Would a dark gray color have been most likely?
Answer:
If it were me:
Raise the gorge, smaller notch, lower the button stance a bit and remove some of the belly on those lapels.
The suit looks to be either a woollen flannel or some sort of tweed; I would guess the weight to be somewhere between 14-16 oz. Also, it looks as though the front of the coat is cut very straight, (the bottom and the front seem to be at almost a right angle).
It looks like there are only three buttons on the cuffs - nothing too strange about that - and in regards to the vest; I have no idea.
For more info on the shoes, ask Iammatt, he has a huge collection of balmoral boots. ;)
