A suit fits a person, not a set of measurements.
Measurements describe dimensions. They do not describe the whole frame.
Measurements are fundamental to tailoring. They tell us length, width and circumference, but they cannot completely describe the three-dimensional structure of the person standing in front of us.
Posture matters. Shoulder height matters. The position of the chest, shoulder blades and pelvis matters. So does the way a person naturally stands.
Two people can have remarkably similar measurements and require very different fitting solutions.
Put the same jacket on both and it may hang cleanly on one while pulling, collapsing or appearing unbalanced on the other.
The frame is not.
Fit is a question of balance.
When a jacket does not sit correctly, the obvious response is often to ask where it should be made larger or smaller.
Sometimes that is exactly what is required.
But more complex fitting problems demand a different question.
Where does the garment need to change so that it sits correctly on this particular frame?
A tailored jacket is a three-dimensional structure. Its shoulders, chest, fronts, back, waist, sleeves and internal construction interact with one another.
Changing one area can influence another.
This is why good fitting involves more than matching a garment to a collection of measurements. It requires understanding the relationship between the garment and the body beneath it.
Construction determines what is possible.
An existing garment has already been cut and constructed. Unlike a new pattern, we cannot simply start again.
Before recommending an alteration, we therefore need to understand what the garment will allow us to do.
Its construction matters. Its seam allowances matter. Its internal structure matters. The original cut matters.
Some garments provide considerable scope for reshaping. Others provide very little.
And occasionally a technically possible alteration is still not a sensible alteration.
Knowing the difference is part of the tailor's responsibility.
Price and fit are different questions.
Fine cloth, careful construction, skilled handwork and a well-developed house pattern all have genuine value.
But price alone cannot determine how well a particular garment will work with a particular body.
A beautifully made suit can still be unsuitable for the person wearing it. Likewise, a more modest garment with suitable proportions and sound construction can sometimes fit remarkably well.
The label cannot change your posture. It cannot change the height of your shoulders or the way you naturally stand.
Ultimately, the garment still has to meet the person.
What should you look for when trying on a suit?
Before concentrating on the label, look at yourself.
Then move.
Sit down. Walk. Button the jacket. Allow your arms to fall naturally.
A suit is not worn standing perfectly still in front of a mirror. It has to work with you.
Sometimes the right alteration is no alteration at all.
There are garments that can be transformed through careful alteration.
There are others where a few considered adjustments are enough.
And there are garments where extensive intervention would cost a great deal while still failing to produce a result we would be comfortable recommending.
In those circumstances, the responsible advice may simply be to leave the garment alone.
That is not a failure of tailoring. It is an understanding of its limits.
Good tailoring begins with understanding the garment, understanding the frame, and giving the client the right advice.
ESTABLISHED 1982 · PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA