This might be the best time of year when it comes to retail. Almost everyone has broken sale by now and the price cuts are steep this year for some reason. The only problem we all face is size availability when it comes down to this time of year. This is a little tale of one of my recent purchases from J. Crew, my first Ludlow Suit in a classic olive cotton, which I some how managed to swindle down from an original suggested retail of $650 to an exact $99.09; I laughed at the Stylist there as I walked out of the store with my new digs.
Lucky for me, the store had just received a consolidation from another store and had my sizes for the suit separates (a 42R jacket and 33x32 pants). Even still, the suit as a whole is going to need a few tweaks if I have any aspirations at turning heads for being on point as opposed to on par; read Average Joeish. So off to the tailors we go, but first, have an idea of what needs to be done and what doesn't!
The Pants
The pants should break right at the top of the shoe, or in this case right over my high-tops!
All in all, most of society isn't aware of how a jacket should fit or what a proper fit even looks like on a man, but the first thing that can be spotted as ill-fitting by any average joe or jane are the pants. Too short leaves us looking like Pharrell at the Grammy's and too long hints at some sort of hand-me-down arrangement from your bigger brother. When you head into the tailors dojo, bring a pair of shoes you will most likely wear with this specific suit to get just the right break, right on the top of the vamp.
Next comes the waist and taper, which in my book, go unnoticed by others, but can really dig at you if they aren't just right. The waist should be tight enough to hold your shirt in when it's tucked, but the pockets shouldn't flare out at the sides either; tailors know this and will find that perfect balance for you, all you have to do is ask! The taper is a personal preference, but rule of thumb says that the fabric should look controlled, unlike that of a sail or woman's blouse. With that in mind, a taper that leaves a leg opening with enough room to easily slide your feet through, yet still slim and crisp will be ideal.
The Jacket
Having a jacket taken in is the difference between boxy banker and swanky stylist.
Although the pants are the most noticeable in terms of error when it comes to fit, the jacket is the hardest of the two to fix up just right. The fact that a 42R was on the rack when I walked in was an absolute miracle, but not all of us are that lucky, so when your faced with the decision of what to buy, its better to go bigger than smaller. More fabric means the tailor has more to work with, and he can act more like a butcher than brain surgeon, which he'd have to be to let out a 40L enough to make it fit.
Most times, especially for me, my jackets need to be taken in which can be done from the front, sides, and center-back seams of the jacket to get an optimal fit that won't snag or fall unnaturally on the body; again, this is where the tailors expertise takes over, just advise on how you like the fit. The next issue with anything off-the-rack will be the sleeve length, the easiest of alteration decisions! See the part of my wrist that adjoins with the bottom of my thumb, thats the length sweet spot for showing off some sleeve or wearing casually.
We have found the sweet spot folks. Oh, and the pick stitching is a nice touch too.
When all was said and done, the alterations bill for this specific visit came to a whopping $75, and for those of you unfamiliar with suit alterations, that's more than worth it. Bringing the overall investment of the suit to $175 for a suit that has become a wardrobe staple and absolutely one of my new favorites! Fit is king in this fickle style game, so make sure its always on point with everything you own, and as always, be dapper and different!
The end result: A perfect fit for a perfect price!