[sdwr99]

Hi all,

I recently did a closet reboot, and as part of that, ordered my first ever bespoke sport coats. I got the first one yesterday and everything about it is fantastic - but then I was trying it on and my wife mentioned that the pattern in the back is not aligned (see picture).

My question is - is this sort of thing normal for a bespoke piece of clothing? Or is this an egregious error that I should have fixed? For what it's worth, the rest of the jacket has good alignment (pockets, etc.)

Thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[JBierly]

That's awful. My first thought was I have never seen that large a mismatch. Sometimes you might see it off a millimeter or so. I just took a look at a couple of my jackets as a data point - one bespoke and another a Kiton OTR. They were pretty much perfect on the matching - the Kiton was perfect - as if there was no seam at all.

 

[Fading Fast]

I read your post quickly and, as I scrolled, I first thought you were complaining about how the collar lines up to the back of the jacket and thought - that's a pretty darn good alignment to be upset about.

Then I scrolled farther down and reread you post - that alignment in the back is terrible and unacceptable in a bespoke garment or any reasonably made garment.

 

[smmrfld]

Awful.

 

[sdwr99]

Sigh. Thanks for confirming - I hope this isn’t indicative of the quality of the rest of the pieces!

 

[Charles Dana]

Sigh. Thanks for confirming - I hope this isn't indicative of the quality of the rest of the pieces!

Sounds like you'd better get proactive; contact the tailor and discuss not only the finished sport coat, but the ones that are in the pipeline.

 

[SG_67]

Bespoke?

 

[winghus]

That's terrible, I've seen even cheap OTR stuff with better pattern matching.

 

[winghus]

Bespoke?

I won't second guess the OP but I'd like to know where/how he got it made.

 

[SG_67]

I won't second guess the OP but I'd like to know where/how he got it made.

My thoughts exactly. Not blaming him. Rather I'd consider it a public service if he revealed it so others could avoid.

 

[sdwr99]

I appreciate the feedback - I’m certainly going to take this up with him. I want to see how he handles it before publicly shaming. He came highly recommended by a personal stylist I used here, so I’m hoping this is just a one-time mistake.

 

[Fading Fast]

Old story that I've told many times, so I'll be brief. Ten-plus years ago at work, several of the guys got excited about a bespoke Hong Kong tailor who - working out of a hotel room - was selling custom-made suits for order for (I don't remember the exact number anymore) ~$400.

I had enough experience at that point to say no, but several guys bought them and, yes, they were bespoke, seemingly cut from a pattern based on the one (yes, one!) fitting they had, but the suits (made in Hong Kong, or who knows, mainland China) were awful - shoddy material and workmanship. They looked awful. A few of the guys never even wore theirs.

So, like everything else, there's bespoke and, then, there's bespoke.

 

[Flanderian]

I'm sorry that I have to agree with what others have written, that's very poor, and the bold pattern of the cloth emphasizes it. Matching cloth at seams is an art, not at all easy, and typically, the better the tailor, the better the match. I'm not quite as demanding as I suspect other members are, but I wouldn't find this jacket wearable because of this defect.

You should certainly do as you prefer, but I would not view naming the tailor responsible as shaming, as much as warning. The man made the jacket, he knows what he did, and if someone else made it for him (A fair probability.) it's still his work. It's not shaming, it's being held responsible for what you are responsible.

Concerning stylists, and many other professionals that recommend the goods and services of others, you are aware that a commercial arrangement between the involved parties is common, no?

 

[Peak and Pine]

Nice jacket. It's a no perspiration fix. Little need for the gasps of horror I'm reading here. Please douse the idea of publicly shaming the individual who made you an otherwise, you say, swell looking/fitting jacket. And great fabric. Has a milled in India look (which I like).

Know this, you don't try to align the verticals. That, after the raw cut, is how you shape a jacket, vertically, at the seams and with darts. A well tailored, patterned jacket will always be purposely wavy at the joints.

But the horozontals, these must align. And yours don't. Partially. If you look carefully near the collar you'll see the center seam aligns perfectly for about two blocks . Then everything goes nuts. And that's because the maker has decided to grant abrupt ease at the back, which you can do, but not that abruptly. An easing into the ease, about two more blocks worth would have prevented the misalignment. He can fix that. Tailoring, I hear, is a tough trade with a cornucopia of possible pit falls. Maybe ease up a little. Your swell looking jacket is almost all there.

 

[sdwr99]

Thanks, all, for your input - especially for a newbie!

Concerning stylists, and many other professionals that recommend the goods and services of others, you are aware that a commercial arrangement between the involved parties is common, no?

Of course - but the stylist has been fantastic, so I trusted her recommendation. We'll see how that pans out, I suppose.

Tailoring, I hear, is a tough trade with a cornucopia of possible pit falls. Maybe ease up a little. Your swell looking jacket is almost all there.

I appreciate the voice of moderation - I love pretty much everything about the jacket. I feel like this is as much about my education into the world of tailoring as this particular issue. TBH I probably would never have noticed it had my wife not pointed it out!

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

Do you have a picture when this jacket is on you? It seems that there was *some alteration* done to the center back seam at the upper back between the blades. Typically, if letting out is required, there should be equal amount left and right. However, it does not seems to be like that in this case. I wonder if this is to accommodate your particular built.

All the comments about how the plaids should align horizontally are correct, but since this picture shows the jacket on a hanger, not on the wearer, I would reserve my comments about the tailoring until I see how this jacket is worn to its owner.

 

[smmrfld]

Maybe ease up a little. Your swell looking jacket is almost all there.

Unless other corners were cut.

 

[Peak and Pine]

Searching Best Fit,

You make a good point (you always do) and I would have included similar in mine except it was mentioned that the wife - - - Trixie was it, no Hephzibah maybe, whatever - - - drew his attention to the descrepancy and I assumed she saw him in it.

 

[Searching_Best_Fit]

Searching Best Fit,

You make a good point (you always do) and I would have included similar in mine except it was mentioned that the wife - - - Trixie was it, no Hephzibah maybe, whatever - - - drew his attention to the descrepancy and I assumed she saw him in it.

Thanks, indeed you are correct and the wife noticed that mis-alignment while the jacket is on the body. However, there could be a case where the cloth is stretched or done some iron work for the fit. So even if the plaid was mal-aligned, maybe it provides a decent fit.

That can only be tested until we see such a picture.

 

[smmrfld]

unless the sleeve swastikas, which again we cannot see, are poorly embroidered and unless...

If that was supposed to be humorous, you failed epically.