A GOOD FIT Few men can afford a custom-made jacket tailored to every inch of their bodies. So it’s off the rack we go, and that’s OK as long as you use a tailor for alterations. Though jackets are sized from a man’s chest, they’re built from the shoulders, and that’s where a jacket should fit best. (A man’s height determines whether he needs a regular, short or long jacket.) The shoulder’s fit should be in proportion with your body, with generous armholes that allow you to wrap your arms around a trophy without lifting up the jacket. When buttoned, there should be enough room for a sweater or an extra five pounds.

TO THE TOUCH Fabrics to consider when buying a sport coat are winter, summer or 10 months. The latter is a jacket made from light, yet sturdy, wool in solids or classic menswear patterns suitable to wear 10 months of the year. It’s a good buy if you have to wear a jacket now and then. Cashmeres and other wools lend themselves to great patterns–like glenplaid, houndstooth and checks–that are easy to layer with shirts and sweaters. Summer jackets usually are made from fine wool, which is lighter than cotton and is blended with fibers such as linen, silk or nylon.

THE LITTLE THINGS Details like lapel and collar width, pocket and button types define the latest styles. To play it safe, choose lapels with classic widths between three and four inches and with the tip of the lapel reaching about halfway between the collar and the shoulder. Pockets, too, should be kept simple. Vents, the slits on the back of the jacket, are meant for ease of movement. An “American” jacket has a single vent in the middle of the garment. The “British” has one at each hip. A ventless sport coat, that hugs the body, is called a “Continental” jacket. As for buttons: two-and three-button jackets are the norm these days.

THE FINER POINTS Why does one jacket cost $200 and another $3,000? It’s the sum of the parts–better fabric, lining and buttons, a more intricate pattern and the amount of work done by hand. A designer’s name adds value as well.

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For the optimum fit and comfort, undoubtedly a custom-made suit is the first choice. But, if you’re short on time or simply have a body type that doesn’t require special-fit needs, a made-to-measure suit is another option. For even some well-heeled gentlemen, the difference between bespoke and made-to-measure can be confusing. Here are details to help you make the best wardrobe decision.

Made-to-measure clothing was first created three decades ago as a hybrid style of suit making that is a notch above ready-to-wear, but not as pricey and time consuming as a bespoke suit. Rather than creating a suit from scratch, clients are fitted from a selection of sample suit jackets and slacks that are tailored for their body type and then are given fabric and detail options. In contrast, a custom-made suit is measured and made for a client’s specific body type, taking many nuances into consideration as well as personalizing the fabrics and all the details.

A true bespoke suit is constructed by hand by one tailor using measurements and patterns taken from a client’s physical form. Oftentimes, the tailor will visit a client’s home or office if an in-store visit isn’t convenient. Since the tailor taking the measurements is the same person making the suit, every idiosyncratic nuance of a person’s body is considered in the construction of the garment. After the initial measurements, it will take six to eight weeks for a prototype and the first fitting, and as long as six months to receive the final suit.

For made-to-measure suits, a client typically visits the store and selects a suit that is then tailored to suit his body type. The suit is produced in a factory and then customized by a team of tailors specializing in one component: the sleeve, the buttonholes, the pockets. The final suit is delivered, usually within six to eight weeks, and any adjustments are made by the in-store tailor.

With factory-made clothing, machines are computerized to sew the same stitch with the same tension throughout the garment. “With a custom suit, the tailor is able to adjust the tension in the seams where the body moves the most.”

Price shouldn’t be a determining factor when choosing between custom and made-to-measure clothing because the costs are often comparable, depending upon the manufacturer. For example, a typical Kiton made-to-measure suit is a 50-hour labor of love and starts at about $5,000, whereas a bespoke suit from New York tailor Leonard Logsdail requires about 48 hours of work with a price of about $5,500. However, it’s possible to get a well-constructed made-to-measure garment from Ravazzolo for as little as $2,000.

Not all custom tailors are created equal. A private tailor in your hometown may offer the same services of a Savile Row suit maker, from taking measurements and cutting the cloth to fitting the final garment. But technically capable doesn’t mean he’s trend savvy. Some tailors never leave their workshops to see how men’s clothing has changed over the years. As Italian clothing maker Luciano Barbera points out, “It is possible to get a fantastically made suit that is ugly because the person who made it has no style or sense of proportion.”

With a customized suit, the fabric and style options are limitless. With made-to-measure suits, clients are provided with a selection of fabrics to choose from. With bespoke clothing you can request any extravagant detail you desire, from cashmere under the collar and personalized linings to mother-of-pearl buttons and unlimited pockets inside and outside of the garment. You can even alter the shape of the shoulder and the cut of the armhole to your liking.

Made-to-measure suits typically come with a preset list of options: working or nonworking buttonholes; flap, patch, or besom pockets; pleated or non-pleated trousers. However, there are different levels of made-to-measure clothing. Some suit makers will lengthen the jacket, shorten the sleeve, and narrow the waist and call it made-to-measure. Others go much further, taking extra measurements to create clothing that disguises physical shortcomings such as lowered shoulders, high waists, and extended bellies. Some made-to-measure is only 5 percent handmade; others can be as much as 60 percent. Always ask how each maker defines made-to-measure.

Both custom and made-to-measure are obviously more expensive compared with the standard off-the-rack suit, as it’s a time-consuming proposition requiring the service of seasoned tailors. Aside from labor, the cost is based on the fabric selection and the number of special-request details. With so many options, it’s important to determine your wardrobe needs before engaging a tailor in the process, be it bespoke or made-to-measure.

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The Importance of Proper Fit

Dress clothes should always be comfortable. If they are not, it is the fault of the clothes’ fit, and not of their nature. If the fit of a garment makes its wearer uncomfortable, he will look it; indeed a man looks his best when his clothes fit so well he barely notices them. The clothes send a message to the world about you, and if they fit is well, then it will always make a good impression.

Unfortunately most men today wear poorly fitting clothes; it’s not their fault though, as that the clothing sold in stores is cut to fit as many people as possible. When buying a garment the retailer is often of little help, as that the department stores rarely have a salesman on staff that has a deep understanding of fit. Thus as in so many things it falls to each person to take responsibility for the fit of his own clothes and not to be swayed by the prolific selection of poor choices or the dubious influence of models or salesmen.

Proper Fit – Dress Shirt

A dress shirt’s yoke or shoulders should cover the shoulders and nothing more; the shoulder point should not extend down his sleeves. As for the sleeves, you want a shirt with enough fabric so that when you rotate your arms and hold them out from your sides all of your arm remains covered; close fitting cuffs will help with this. You want anywhere from 3 to 6 inches of play in both your stomach and chest areas, and the shirt should be long enough so that when you bend over it doesn’t un-tuck from the back or sides. Finally, the neck collar, when buttoned, should be tight enough to fit no more than two fingers in the space between collar and skin.

 Proper Fit – Suit Jacket

A jacket must fit correctly in the chest and shoulders, as that these are very difficult to alter and in some situations downright impossible to adjust. When you stand with your jacket buttoned and arms hanging at your sides, the jacket’s lapels should lie flat against the front panels, the buttons should hang close to or rest lightly on your stomach, and your biceps should just barely break the drape of sleeve from shoulder. If you tug on the top button, you should have enough room to easily slide your hand in between your lapels and chest, but not enough room so you can slide in your fist. As for your stomach, you should not be able to see it pull more than 3 inches from your belly. Of course, all of this depends on the fit you feel comfortable with. Sleeve length should end at about the wrist, although the exact point is also a matter of taste. As for the relationship between the shirt and the jacket: The shirt’s cuffs should protrude approximately ½ inch from the jacket’s sleeves when you stand with arms hanging. The shirt’s collar should protrude about ½ -1 inch above the jacket collar, with both of them slightly touching.

Proper Fit – Trousers

Pants or trousers should be worn at the natural waist, near the navel. Young people with flat stomachs may choose to wear them lower but they gain little in doing so. The man with a belly, on the other hand, looks much better with high-rise trousers draping from his middle than with his stomach spilling over a low-rise waistband; for this he should consider suspenders. Trouser bottoms should touch the upper part of the front of the shoes and should brush the top edge of the sole at the shoe back; a single break in the front is considered perfect by most, but shorter pant legs that just brush the tops of the shoes can look better on the shorter person.
Shorter men tend to do better without cuffs on their trousers, but should they want them they should be in proportion to their stature.

How to get the perfect fit?

Off-the-rack clothing is designed for the hypothetical model – for each brand, this person’s dimensions change a bit, but unfortunately these measurements are never very close to yours. How can you get a proper fit?

Your alteration specialist – A good alteration specialist can do wonders for clothing that somewhat fits you. They can bring in waists, shorten sleeves, and open up room in the stomach after the holidays. The limit here is that they can often only alter an imperfect garment; in the end it is still imperfect.

Invest in Custom Clothing – Notice I use the term invest; this is because owning clothing that is made to compliment your features is a smart move for anyone. The beauty of custom clothing is that it is designed with your measurements; by its very nature it fits you better than anything else in your closet, and as a result will look better than anything you’ve ever worn.

It is a wonderful feeling to wear garments that fit you perfectly. One feels light and comfortable as the clothes seem to float around the body, neither heavy nor tight anywhere but rather resting evenly throughout. A person in clothing that fits feels confident and free to focus on the task at hand.

From – Ezine Articles

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Is there a cause/effect in how we are treated by the world? Does it make a difference in getting someone to help you in a Department store, or being seated at a good table in a restaurant? Can’t people look through all the superficial and see the real us? Fortunately, guys, we have some scientific evidence to support what you wear does make a difference in how you influence the world around you. Maybe we didn’t want to believe (but suspected) the real reason that guy down the hall who always dressed great, but didn’t know poop is now a vice president! When your credibility is crucial, in situations such as job interviews, court testimony, sales presentations and first dates (or even second and third dates) it is important to made a “good” first impression.“You never get a second chance to make a first impression ” — Will Rogers

Behavioral scientists tell us that this “first impression” is a strong one. And the process of sizing you up is on a subconscious/emotional level of the brain. Your evaluation by a stranger takes 30 seconds or less and can be so strong that it could take as much as five years to erase. Don’t you think it’s easier to make a great first impression with you appearance and then follow up by showing what a capable, impressive and trustworthy person you are with a winning performance? We’ve all heard the expression ” You can’t judge a book by its cover”. If you agree, it’s a good thing you’re not in publishing. Publishing houses have long since proven that a cover may not tell you what’s inside a book, but the cover is the reason that we pick up one or the other off the rack. Until a book is picked up, no sale is made!

A good example of “how you look being more important than what you say” is the first Kennedy-Nixon presidential debate. Radio listeners thought that Nixon had won while TV watchers gave Kennedy the win. Kennedy looked great, fresh and vigorous while Nixon appeared tired and rumpled. The TV audience gave more credibility to what they saw than what they heard. When I describe someone as an assistant manger at a fast food restaurant you immediately conjure an image of that person, maybe without much conscious thought. When I mention a high level executive you get another, different image in your mind. There is a definite picture of a person with credibility, authority and power – a professional image. Why not take advantage of the research on human nature and utilize the knowledge to enhance and control how you are accepted? A research reports that people notice the following about another human being and in this order.

Remember this is a prehistoric/subliminal evaluation:

1.Skin color

2.Sex

3. Age

We can do nothing about the first three, but we can work on the next four factors.

4. Bearing This includes height (taller people receive higher starting salaries), head movement (nodding is negative with regard to perception of authority) and body language (smiling is perceived as weakness if over done).

5. Appearance Since about 90% of you is covered by apparel, the clothing you choose makes a significant impact. This is such an important area, and on in which you can effect the greatest impression we’ll discuss it detail below.

6. Direct Eye Contact Don’t stare, but look others in the eye 40 – 60% of the time, otherwise you’ll be perceived as having something to hide or that you don’t know what you are talking about.

7. Speech 55% of communication is non-verbal. It’s not what you say, but how you say it.
“What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson What you wear makes a difference in how you influence the world. Why not take advantage of this. Since 90% of us is covered with clothing, the clothing you choose makes a significant impact and one area where we can effect the greatest impression. Dressing badly can be taken as contempt for other people or the situation you are in. Clothing is a way to show others that you have respect and consideration for the situation. If you have respect for the theatre, you don’t show up in shorts and a T-shirt to a Broadway play. (The same goes for church, a job interview, etc.).So it’s not a question of being judged. We are judged thousands of times everyday. It’s a question of whether we want to have an affect on that judging or not. Are we ready to see what we can do to present ourselves in the best package to project a credible, professional image?

Here are some basic tips, and faux pas to avoid in order to look your best:

1. Never wear a short sleeve shirt with a tie. Short sleeve shirts are perceived as lower class apparel. Fine as part of a uniform or if you aspire to be a fast-food manager, not if you want to project a professional image.

2. Shoes are one of the most evaluated elements of men’s wardrobes. Your shoes should be clean, shined, in good repair and appropriate for the occasion. If you are wearing a suit, wear lace-up shoes. Don’t wear the same shoe on consecutive days and keep shoetrees in your shoes when you’re not wearing them.

3. Trousers should be long enough to cover your socks, and socks should cover your shins even when you cross you legs. Pants are long enough if they have a slight break in the front. Pleats and cuffs are traditional and functional. Pleats let you sit down comfortably and cuffs add weight to the bottoms allowing for proper drape.

4. Wearing both a belt and braces (suspenders) make you look insecure. One or the other please. And if you opt for the braces, please make certain they are the kind that fasten inside your trousers with buttons. It’s very easy to have a tailor or the alterations person at your dry cleaners put brace buttons on your pants if they don’t already have them. The metal clip-ons are for the guys who wear short sleeve shirts with ties.

5. Socks should match your trousers.

6. Belts should match your shoes in color and texture.

7. Ties should reach your belt line. This is neither arbitrary nor negotiable. Too short of a tie makes you look like a rube.

8. Properly knotted ties have a “dimple” under the knot. Clips and tacks are out of date.

9. Suit and Sports jackets are symbols of authority. However the bottom buttons of men’s jackets are not designed to be buttoned, since King Edward VII gained weight, and started a fashion trend (see detail below). Single Breasted suits can have one, two, three or more buttons. Two and three button jackets are classic, one or more than three get you into the fashion forward arena, which is more suitable for social events than business. With two button jackets only the top button is fastened.With three button jackets, you can close the middle, or middle and top button. Some suits are made so that the lapels roll to the middle button. On those suits you leave the top button unfastened. Some East Coast hipsters fasten only the top of three buttons! Four or more button jackets may be designed to fasten all the buttons, even the bottom. If the bottom button of a four button can be closed without a noticeable pulling of the fabric, it’s ok to close or leave it open. Double Breasted suits are the more formal of the two styles and can have four to six buttons with one or two “to button”. They are often identified by a two-number designation such as 4/2, 4/1 or 6/2 (also “four to two”). Translated, the first number gives the total number of front buttons and the second is the number of functioning buttonholes. It doesn’t always mean that all the buttons have to be fastened. Often only the middle or upper button is secured on a 4/2 or 6/2, but the Duke of Kent started buttoning only his lower button creating a longer diagonal line across his chest giving the wearer a thinner, more dynamic look. Why do men never button the bottom button of your suit, sports jacket, vest or Cardigan sweater? King Edward VII, “Bertie”, son of Victoria (1841 – 1910, King 1901 – 1910) was so heavy that he could not get the bottom button fastened on his vest or to be more historically kind, maybe he just forgot. His subjects taking it as a fashion statement followed his lead and today most men’s suits, sports jackets or vests are not designed to button the bottom button. The tradition of not buttoning the bottom button may have also come from the early waistcoats, which were very long. It may have been out of necessity of being able to walk that the bottom buttons were left undone.

10. Suit and Sports jackets should fit properly which includes showing ½” of “linen” or shirtsleeve at the jacket sleeve.

11. No pens or pocket protectors in your shirt pocket. Pens go in your suit coat inside pocket, out of sight.

12. Hair longer than shoulder length for women and over the ears for men diminishes perception of authority, but increases accessibility. We live in a complex, crowded society where considerate people dress appropriately for various places and occasions. Dressing appropriately is about respect for your fellow humans and our institutions. “Do the clothes suit you? Do the clothes suit the occasion? Do the clothes suit each other?” — Richard Plourde “Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society” — Mark Twain Why even be concerned with “fashion”? “Fashion passes, style remains.” — Coco Chanel (1883-1971), founder of Chanel Men’s clothing, unlike women’s, is more traditional and less fashion oriented. It takes several seasons for men’s designers to change even slightly the width of a necktie. The male business suit is virtually unchanged in 70 years! Part of that is the progression to perfection that has resulted in attire that looks great on most men. The theory is once you reach perfection, don’t mess with it! “I’m interested in longevity, timelessness, style – not fashion.”– Ralph Lauren, fashion designer. So why even bother with fashion? Why not choose acceptable classic clothing items and just stick with those?

“Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months” — Oscar Wilde It’s important to know what the trends are, so you can update your wardrobe periodically with the fashion items IF they fit your own style and body type. You don’t want to still be wearing a light blue member’s only jacket and red polyester Sansabelt pants, do you? “The only moral one can draw from history is that it is much better to invent a new fashion than a new social theory. The fist may improve the appearance of men; the latter will only bring about a revolution” — Carlo Maria Franzero the biography, Beau Brummell

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Qiviuk: The most expensive wool in the world.

The MUSKOX is a shaggy, big-shouldered, almost prehistoric-looking beasts. At a distance they appear to be relatives of the buffalo, with their long, dark coats and curving horns. But here’s the first surprise: they stand only chest high to a human. What’s even more amazing is that beneath the hairy exterior is a layer of fleece so luxurious, it’s eight times warmer than wool and keeps its occupants warm even at minus-50 degrees C (-58 degrees F).

No wonder that qiviuk (kee-vee-ook), as the Inuvialuit of the Northwest Territories call it, is one of the knitwear world’s most expensive raw ingredients, selling for three times the price of cashmere. Supply is extremely limited, since wild Arctic muskox shed their undercoats just once a year — in May, when warmer temperatures arrive and the tundra becomes littered with tufts of grey-brown fleece. It’s harvested sustainably — by hand, the old way. Hunter-gatherers for centuries, the Inuit collect it where it falls or strip it from hides during hunting season. (Inuvialuit officials say it’s sustainable because the population is large and healthy, and native hunters slaughter only a fraction of the herd each year.) Inuvialuit hunters in Sachs Harbour on Banks Island, NWT, keep some of the wool for their families. Mittens made of 100% qiviuk can sell for up to $250 a pair in Yellowknife.

More Information on the MUSKOX

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Physical Characteristics
Quality of wool depends on the fiber fineness, length, scale structure, color, and cleanliness. The most sought after wools are very thin in diameter (10 to 20 micrometers), long in length (at least 2 to 5 inches), and the fibers themselves are free from defects. Here is where the term raw wool comes into play; oftentimes wool is recycled, and although this may lower the cost it also increases the likeliness of damage to the wool’s structure. Raw wool is the industry’s way of saying it has never been used before.

Properties

Appearance
Wool appears lofty, and even a small amount in a blend can give a fabric an appearance of body. Wool is the “look” other fibers are measured by and compared to. Drape, luster, and the fabrics hand depend on what type of wool we use and the percentage of that wool in the fabric, but it is safe to say that when it comes to looks, wool sets the standard.

Absorbency
Wool can absorb almost 20% of its weight in water before reaching saturation. In inclement moist weather it does an excellent job of keeping its wearer warm and dry, a great combination when it is raining and the temperature falls.

Heat Conduction
Wool is a poor conductor of heat, so it does an excellent job of keeping its wearer warm in cold weather. It traps still air, which when heated by the body amplifies the wools heat conduction qualities. A thin wool garment will often do a better job than a much thicker cotton one of keeping its owner warm on a brisk fall evening.

Resiliency
As mentioned earlier, wool does an excellent job retaining its shape. Fabrics made from wool tend to resist wrinkling and hold their shape well; this doesn’t mean you can just wad your suit jacket into a ball and throw it in your suitcase, but you should ensure wool is in your wardrobe if you travel often.

Durability
Although wool fibers can be bent as many as 20 thousand times without breaking (7 times cottons ability), wool is overall fragile fabric. Here are the things to watch out for:

Heat – Be very careful with heat. The safest way to pull out wrinkles is with steam, not an iron. The hot steam breaks down the hydrogen bonds, allowing the wool to relax and take on the desired shape. Ironing introduces a heat source that is too strong, and can cause irrevocable damage by denaturing the proteins (think of cooking an egg, you can’t un-cook it!)

Weak when wet – wool loses 1/3 of it fiber strength when soaked in water. Be very careful with wool when it is wet, and let it dry on a flat surface that does not create stress points that can leave permanent deformation.

A need for some moisture – Too much moisture is bad, but a wool garment needs at least some in the air will or it will become brittle. Not a problem if visiting the desert, but if you are moving to a very dry climate you may want to consider leaving your suits at your summer home up north.

Bleaches – Chlorine bleach is an oxidizing agent, and wool is very sensitive to it and alkalis such as strong detergents. Dry clean only or you may destroy the wool completely.

Insects – Moths and their larvae are just one of many insects that attack wool. It’s imperative that you invest in proper storage for your wool garments, or your investment will be literally eaten over the period of one summer. Mothballs are toxic, but there are many effective natural alternatives such as lavender and cedar. Remember to have your wool items professionally cleaned before storing them, or you may seal them with the moth eggs still alive.

Environmental Impact
Overall wool leans towards being a green choice. Most modern facilities treat the animals humanely (longevity and a healthy coat is in their best interests), and the price commanded by it in turn encourages the consumer to take better care of the garment thus extending it’s life. Although large farms may use substantial amounts of energy, water, and chemicals to bring the fiber to market, you have to weigh the alternatives.

- Ezine Articles

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