Suit Fit/Tailoring

[AedanM]

Hey guys, a couple months ago I bought this great John Varvatos Delancey 36R suit for pretty cheap. It's been sitting in my closet and I planned on getting it tailored to wear to interviews as I'm looking for a new job. However, since I bought it I've started working out and now I think the chest might be a little too tight. As you can see in the (crappy) pictures, the lapel doesn't lay perfectly flat against my chest when it's buttoned and I have my arms at my sides.


Is this something a tailor can fix? Or is it a deal breaker? I really don't want to have to buy another since my budget is a bit tight right now.


Any advice would be awesome. I'm a total novice at this stuff. Thanks

[alan]

Fixing a jacket that's too small in the chest would likely require letting out the shoulders (which is pretty much not possible). Are you having a difficult time moving in it now or are you just concerned for the look? For what it's worth, it LOOKS hardly noticeable.


And as an aside, it's generally not customary to leave the bottom button undone. I'm skeptical that will somehow affect the fit, but you can try it for free.

[alan]

And for what it's worth, it's not particularly important for the lapel to lay flat against the jacket. Just so long as the jacket is laying flat against you. if it has more of a "roll" than a "crease", that's fine.


It's honestly difficult to see a problem from these pics. Just so long as it fits ok to you.

[AedanM]

Thanks Alan. I can move fine in the jacket. Just concerned with it looking messy but I guess I'm just being really picky. Glad to hear you don't see a problem. I was afraid I'd have to go and buy a another new one.


I'll head to the tailor in the next few days and see what he says.

[alan]

I don't think it looks messy at all.

[jason_carreira]

I'd say hold your shoulders back a little more


Really, the sleeves are about 1/2 - 3/4 of an inch too long but otherwise it looks pretty good. Actually, opening up the bottom button might help more than you expect since it will let the front quarters open up below the top button and let the lapes lay down more.

[AedanM]

Thanks Jason. Holding my shoulders back seems to make the problem worse as it pushes out my chest. lol But I am going to have the sleeves taken up a little and I'll try opening the top button as well.

[alan]

Open the bottom button. And just a stupid question, but have you snipped the threads on the vent(s) in the back yet? If not, open them up. It can definitely affect the fit - even in the chest.

[hornsup84]

Second everything said above -- a good amount of my jackets do that a little bit, depending on how frequently I've been to the gym (or Chipotle) in the last week or three. However, I imagine you're the only one who will notice at all, from the looks of the picture. Opening up the _bottom_ button (top is always buttoned on a two-button suit; bottom is never) and clip the vents and it should help the jacket lay more natural naturally.

[taz20075]

The Alfani Red jackets do that to me. Which is why I haven't bought an Alfani Red suit. I'm not sure it looks bad from head on, but from any other angle, it looks like the jacket is too big.

[mario]

For be of the rack suit looks ok, but you can always look better in a custom made suit.

www.mariorojas.us