Drape and extended shoulders: The Disguisery

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Last year I got to know a group called The Disguisery, based in Fitzrovia. (‘Disguisery’ is a collective noun for tailors.)

A trouser workshop for many houses on Savile Row, they have been branching out into jackets and suiting, and creating their own brand.

We made the navy-tweed jacket and grey trousers shown here, experimenting in the process with a jacket that is particularly strong in the upper body - with extended shoulders and generous drape in the chest.

An extended shoulder uses a pad that is slightly longer than the person’s shoulder underneath.

It creates an impression of breadth in the upper body, but without the padding of traditional military tailoring.

Anderson & Sheppard and Florentine tailors like Liverano are the biggest proponents of the extended shoulder. It is the antithesis of the Neapolitan cut, which often has the upper arm pushing out into the top of the sleeve.

Drape, meanwhile, throws excess fabric across the chest and top of the back, to add to that impression of a large upper body.

It also has the advantage of being more comfortable than a closely fitting chest.

If you look carefully, you can see the chest of the jacket swelling outwards (trust me, my chest can’t do that on its own): either just next to the sleeve, in the front-on images, or in the profile of the chest in the three-quarters shots.

Indeed, such is the shape of the chest and breadth of the shoulders, that you could argue I need a tie with a larger knot. This slim knit from Shibumi is a little out of proportion. (Although a lovely coppery colour.)

It’s also interesting to note how sloped my shoulders are without any padding (which I don’t mind) but how they still give an impression of size because of the extended shoulder line.

These effects are accentuated, of course, by the two-button style and peak lapels, both of which create a stronger diagonal from shoulder to waist.

The Disguisery are Giles, Rebecca and Edita, plus the makers they manage in their workshop.

Giles’s aesthetic, and that of the house as a whole, is American modernism, with plenty of Ivy style, penny loafers and high-buttoned jackets.

But this is merely a personal tendency - they are open to any style, which is what led to our experimentation with shoulder and drape.

We had a couple of issues with the jacket, around the balance and proportions of the drape, but got to a strong result in the end.

I’m not sure I can unreservedly recommend it to readers, but at their price point (£1800 inc. VAT for a jacket, £2500 for a suit), it may well be worth a try for someone that is keen to try a particular style.

The trousers, on the other hand, were faultless, and again at the price point (£700) they are a good option for anyone wanting a Savile Row trouser at a lower price.

The finishing on both jackets and trousers was also good: fine, Savile Row-quality stitching and workmanship, without ascending to the levels of a Cifonelli or Chittleborough & Morgan.

I should also add that I have found the jacket (in W Bill tweed, WB12123 12/13oz from the Classic Shetland bunch) extremely useful.

It’s not quite navy in colour, but it’s dark enough to have the versatility of a navy blazer, with the tweed drastically reducing its formality.

For a guy that wants something to wear with casual trousers and light-coloured jeans, but also grey flannels, it’s a great option.

The trousers we made, by the way, were Holland & Sherry Crispaire, 9/10oz number 337052 CP.  

  • Copper-coloured zig-zag knit tie from Shibumi.
  • Striped bespoke shirt from Charvet.
  • Brown alligator shoes from Gaziano & Girling.

 

Photography: Jamie Ferguson @jkf_man

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Anonymous

How much can one extend a shoulder before it goes from aesthetically pleasing to overly wide?

Matt

I see that they also offer M2M chinos – do you know how much these cost?

Anonymous

Simon, Any experience with their chinos? I believe you’ve said in the past that getting bespoke casual trousers never come out quite right.

Burt

I have had 2 pairs made. Lovely cotton fabric, good sewing, fine construction. Also one can customize each pair, e.g. as too how many pockets and where.
However there were issues with both pairs, more specifically with the length, both were too short). Also the first pair was too wide around the waist, this was altered subsequently.
The chino business seems to be Giles’ corner. This is also the weakness of the model. While the contact with him is pleasant, Giles is not a tailor as Rebecca is, he does not have a tailor’s eyes and will let you leave The Disguisery with a pair that is not 100%.
The problem then is that you as a customer are supposed to notice all issues during the one and only fitting, in other words you’re supposed to act as the cutter/tailor with the critical eyes.
In my case the fitting in 2017 was not really worth its name since the trousers seemed so wide, they almost looked like a tent. The 2nd pair turned out much better, but they’re still too short.
I’d love to order a 3rd pair, but as the model is now, the process is not optimal. At the end of the day, you want a chino that fits better than one you can buy in a high street store and what’s the point of having good tailors sew you a beautiful pair if the fit is not right and no cutter/tailor to control that fit?

Burt

Current price (June ’18) is £395 for a pair btw 🙂

Sam

Simon,
Do you think there jackets are likely to improve? It’s hardly suprising that, given their background in trouser making, their tousers are better than their jackets. It would be interesting to hear you views on them in a couple of years (though I can see why you might not wish to me another commision).

Anonymous

Why do you mix a 13 oz tweed with Crispaire?

Nick Inkster

Very nice looking coat, and the extended shoulder works well on you.

My only style change would have been slanted pockets as I think they help a lot in elongating the torso, but that’s just a matter of taste.

As you say, a very versatile piece.

Jackson Hart

Notwithstanding the open weave of Crispaire, I find them to be quite heavy and capable of being worn comfortably through much of the winter. To my experience, it’s not the summer material alleged by many. Crispaire may be fine when it’s breezy outside; but otherwise, you’ll feel the slightly scratchy heaviness on a warm day. In other words, I don’t find the tweed and Crispaire inconsistent at all.

Jan

Agree – Crispaire is pretty much all seasons for me – very different from Fresco which is too open for anything but summer

David McQ

Very flattering cut for you, Simon.

S

Simon,

Could we get a photo of the back?

Tailoring is in the end all about the fit of the back, so would be good to see. (As they say anyone can make a nice front)

Thanks,
S

rups

Simon this issue has come up with my tailor and I, he cuts a close back usually but this seemed to restrict movement of the arms as well as cause lot of pulling around the torso under the armholes. As a result I had the coat taken out slightly, talking 0.5 inches each side if that. It lost that clean back, there is mess around the side of the torso and even the front of the chest became a little messy (that excess cloth at the back creates more space which transfers to the front I assume). Im not sure how to resolve this problem. It seems you can have a clean back (and a totally clean side and front as a result) but not without sacrificing comfort. What can a tailoring aesthete do?

S

Simon,

I think this is where the talent of the cutter really shows. It is quite possible to have a back that looks clean but also being comfortable. A small excess at each side of the upper back achieves this.

Hence my point yesterday that tailors really should be judged on how the back of the coat is. Getting the front, and front / back balance is a de minimis that any tailor worth his salt can do, but the back is where the “talent” is shown.

If you have a look at the old tailoring handbooks (such as those on the cutter and tailor forum) they echo the same sentiment.

Hence I would love to see more “back photos” on this blog when you review tailors. It would be great if the iGents of Instagram started posting such too, would be interesting to see if some of these new “internet favorites” among tailors really measure up.

S

S

Thanks Simon. I think we agree.

Photos can be deceiving, and lighting plays a big part. Indoors with down lights (ie light source from directly above) will make any back look bad (exagarate each tiny wrinkle), but natural light outdoors is usually is preferable.

And completely agree as regards cloth weight, a heavy tweed is much easier to “get right” as opposed to some paper thin 8 oz Italian cloth. Hence why it is recommended that one should wear as heavy a cloth as one can bear, and for warmer weather go for a more porous weave rather than a lower weight. I have a suit made out of 13 -14 oz LL Brisa which is eminently wearable in hot weather, and indeed cooler than some 9 oz suits I have, due to the loose Fresco-like weave.

S

Anonymous

Getting the back of a coat right is much harder than the front. Neck, shoulder, shoulder blade, curvature of the spine, small of back, seat, vent are way more complex than getting a clean front. And if they are off, it will blow the front, particularly if it impacts how a coat stays up on the neck.

Matt

Sounds like you need a tailor/cutter that better suits you i’m afraid – no pun intended

MD

Simon,

I’m considering having some trousers made, but want to choose a cloth that does ‘shine’ quickly as it wears. For example, two worsted suits I have are now noticeable shiny on the elbows and seat.

Which clothes resist shine?

Regards,

MD

Anonymous

Simon
What is the house style of disguisery, is this unusual for them? Hard to appraise if I would go there if this is an experiment for them

Andrew

Hi Simon,
The trousers look fantastic.How do they stack up against W & S Classic Bespoke or Cerrato?
Which has the best fit? Which has the best finishing?
Thanks.

Andrew

Many Thanks for the information Simon!Appreciate it!

Mansy

Could I ask if the trousers are lined please Simon? In your guide to summer trouser cloths (invaluable) you mention that some people half-line Fresco trousers to guard against the “roughness” of the fabric which comprises the cooling effect of the fabric. However, from what I understand, Crispaire is a little softer to wear.

Thanks so much

Mansy

Thank you Simon

Dan Ippolito

Very nice! It creates an athletic silhouette without any conspicuous padding. You look like a well-dressed decathlete!

Carmelo Pugliatti

Hello Simon,
Is this “drape and extended shoulders” the heir of 30s style?

Gonzague

Very interesting topic, thank you.
Drape: would have been nice to show a pic of you in a suit without drape. As it is, I can’t really see it despite your indications. Is Drape just about a louser chest or is there more fabric to allow for more breast padding and so inflate the breast?
Shoulders: on some english bespoke suits, maybe more so those with concave shoulders (which I like, D Taub, E Sexton,…), one issue is that there is often a gap between the shoulder padding and the upper arm side, esp when one raises ones arm. Is this due to an elongated shoulder, a thick concave padding or only when both are combined?
Trousers: the side tab adjusters seem unsually close to the pockets, which is pretty nice.
Last: even though you don’t mind I think you shld always look for shoulder padding and avoid sloping shoulders.

Anonymous

The “chinos” I have had made at The Disguisery are superb. The quality and fit are outstanding, but they are definitely not “khakis”. They are probably closer to dress cotton trouser but could certainly be worn more casually if you chose too.

Ben

Jacket looks too big to me. The thickness of the torso is proportionate to that of the neck, which the jacket leaves exposed (duh).

Also not a big fan of worsted with tweed.

Appreciate the informative post!

Michael

Extremely flattering cut. I prefer this to your Neapolitan jackets.

Can someone please explain where the shoulder line of jacket should end? Should the sleevehead sit on the bone at the top of one’s shoulder, or should it protrude out so as to cover the adjacent muscular bulge at the top of one’s arm?

P.S. – Couldn’t agree more that a draped chest is far more comfortable than a fitted chest.

Andy

Hi Simon, I recently had a suit made with extended, roped shoulder and moderate padding. The width of the shoulder does not extend past the outermost part of my deltoid, however, and this seems to be causing a slight divot to form at the top of the sleeve. Your DB Edward Sexton was the type of look I was going for, but did not achieve the same clean line. I understand there could be numerous reasons, but would appreciate any insight. My shoulders are quite sloped and slightly foreword – less padding was used at the front of the shoulder to accommodate this. Andy

Andy

Thanks, I’ve raised the issue and made an appointment. My only concern is that you mentioned before, I think anyway, that you shouldn’t try adjust the shoulders of a finished jacket. Generally speaking, would you just note the issues for the next suit or would you ever try to fix? Have you ever made adjustments to the shoulders?

John

Hi Simon,
Eventually, we’ve got the post devoted to your experience with Disguisery. Thank you! The jacket is a bit rakish, but I find it really lovely.
It’s therefore surprising to me as you state that you are “not sure [whether you] can unreservedly recommend it to readers”. From what I’ve read and seen from the posted pics, I don’t think I have really grasped what you meant by that.
John

Jackson Hart

With the fullness in the chest and peaked lapels, did you consider a ticket pocket? Notwithstanding your answer either way, it looks great as is.

Simon

Simon – an unrelated question if I may. I’ve recently bought a couple of Boglioli suits in cotton/ cotton/linen blend in the Mr Porter sale.

I have shortish arms and all my other RTW suits have needed alteration, which I prefer to have done from the shoulder as it leaves the cuff as it was intended to be.

I don’t have the option of using the services of the tailor where I bought the suits (unless I’m mistaken Boglioli don’t have a London store) and I am concerned that a ‘regular’ alterations tailor (which I have used in the past) won’t be able to replicate the finish on the shoulder, which is quite different from say a Richard James or Thom Sweeney RTW suit.

I noticed that you have said in past post that you use Graham Browne for all of your alterations. Is this still the case and if so do you think that they will be able to achieve an alteration like this without changing the look of the shoulder?

Thank you.

Simon

Thank you Simon, much appreciated

Temple Eagle

I am surprised you say Anderson & Sheppard specialise in the extended shoulder. It is a long time since I had a suit made there (I followed their cutter, the late Brian Russell, when he set up on his own), however, they were always famous for their “Scholte shoulder”, which was especially soft and draped. Has that now stopped?

Kayde's Boy

I think you look better in that cut rather than the skinny look of jackets today. That’s why Scholte was a genius. It was a timeless creation.

K K

Can I make a slightly flippant point, prompted by the last photograph? There was a time when a coat made a bespoke tailor would never have any label visible on the lining; instead there would be a discreet label inside the inner breast pocket with the client’s name and the date of manufacture. I recently asked a tailor I had not used previously to do this only and he was offended! Frankly, I find labels a slight vulgarity, rather like leaving working cuff buttons undone. But it is amazing how many people expect them with such prominence, as if it were a reassurance that the provenance was more important than the craftsmanship or fit, and that others should get a flash of the name when reaching for a pen.

Jonathan M

Lovely trousers (sorry, I realise this article was more about the jacket)! Would you wear the opposite colour combination (i.e. navy trousers and grey jacket)?

What colour jackets would you recommend with navy trousers? I struggle as I prefer darker colours, especially for relaxed business dinners (so couldn’t pull off a cream jacket for example).

Anonymous

I think dark blue trousers are easy to wear; any mid to dark olive or brown glen check, dark brown suede, white, blue or cream shirt. Easy and stylish. Spend some time in Italy Simon; you will see this a lot.

Anonymous

We’ll have to agree to disagree then.

Hopsack, cord, bamboo all work perfectly well.

Jonathan M

Thank you Simon. I understand what you are saying about navy trousers potentially looking like half a suit. I do wear chinos when travelling as I find them easy to dress up or down and they work well in many climates. A lightweight jacket is great as it acts for me as a “man-bag”, holding passports, pens, notepad, business cards etc. I realise that this can be difficult to hear for anyone with tailoring in their blood! My current go-to is a navy Mersolair linen (with mohair I think). Very versatile but not great with navy chinos…

Daniel

Mildly tangential, Simon: Do you typically keep your jetted and flapped pockets stitched up or do you use them?

Anonymous

Have you had bespoke coats delivered with pockets stitched shut? I thought that was strictly for the mass produced.

Rups

This is a subject not covered by much of the clothing fora or blogs. It’s not even talked about outside a small band of cognoscenti who are aware of beautiful artisanal details in bespoke clothing. A bespoke tailor stitches pockets shut not only to prevent bits of dust and fluff from entering the said pocket but to display his skill and mastery with a needle and thread. It is to make a statement analogous to “this thread will be plucked out without a care by the owner but for its short life this piece of tacking will be a work of art”. Look for at least 3 stitches per inch to sow each pocket shut. This is the mark of a true master at work. If you find such a man he is worth his weight in gold.

J

It’s possible to have a clean back and not feel uncomfortable. You should check out the Korean Tailors

John

Could one contend that the color and style of this jacket lend to it the highest level of formality one could get with tweed? Something quite close to a navy blazer, that is.
John

george

Simon: would you say that the drape cut/extended shoulder would work better on someone taller/leaner?

If someone is on the shorter side, with narrower shoulders, would a more structured suit w/ roped shoulders be more flattering?

George

Hi Simon, thanks for the reply, I guess the effect I’m looking for is,

1. build up volume to compensate for narrow/sloping shoulders
2. minimize an overly large/wide head
3. create the illusion of height

I was under the impression that while an extended shoulder/drape cut may be effective in adding volume to the shoulders/chest, it might not be the best option for a shorter man; and that the best cut would be a cleaner, more structured jacket with stronger shoulders like dege skinner or cifonelli

what are your thoughts?

George

Thanks so much Simon!

one last question: any recommendations on house styles that might be in the range of what I’m looking for? Reading your articles makes me think that Dege/Cifonelli/Camps de Luca/Huntsman might work?

Noel

Hi Simon,

Fantastic post. Very interesting discussion of how small changes can have quite an effect on the overall look.

The internal pocket shown in the picture doesn’t have the strip (made of the same fabric as the jacket) around it like many of your other jackets. I’ve read that this ‘lining only’ pocket is weaker and it also makes the lining harder to replace. Is there any veracity to these claims?

Anonymous

Its a good look, though the jacket looks a little off in silhouette. I think the mix of peaked lapel and flapped pockets (vs. welted or besom) to be slightly incongruous eps. given the weight of fabric. I agree with Inkster, slanted pockets would have lengthened as well as adding a touch of sportif – the pockets would have to be matched with notched lapels. Thank you for the detail shot of the trousers – they look to be be very well cut. However its the Shibumi tie that gives the outfit elan – beautiful. Overall an excellent look, thank you for featuring this collective.

Stuart Paton

Hi Simon, I’ve made myself a couple of peak lapel tweed’s in the past & have often felt as though notch lapels would have worked better or indeed been more appropriate. Intrigued to hear why, in this instance you chose peaked. Thanks

Anonymous

Notch lapels on a single breated sit best with a Dinner jacket.

On tweed they are a laughable nonsense from somebody who suggests he knows a lot but who seemingly knows very little.

Anonymous

Typo.
Meant to say peak lapels for a DJ.

Peak on an SB suit or jacket looks more like Reiss or Next.

Anonymous

Simon, I really admire the courtesy and “coolheadedness” with which you respond to some frankly obnoxious comments (I also remember a few nasty ones following your review of P. Johnson). I’d really like to know what your philosophy is on that matter. Thank you, David.

David

Yet sometimes you allow what I feel are very rude comments, even personal attacks, and still take time to address the questions they contain while remaining courteous. That says a lot about a person. So I guess my question was more about your philosophy in life, how you deal with rude people, harsh criticism etc. Anyway, cheers!

Anonymous

….On second look I can see why you went for peaked lapels, they lead the eye up and give width to the shoulders, so the experiment worked. I still would have gone for besom pockets, but understand that they may have been too formal for the style and cloth. All the same it is one of your best combination outfits.

John

This jacket with jeans?

John

Let’s say if it’s stylishly made by Caliendo. Would the texture, colour etc go with jeans?

Martin

A question about the tweed: isn´t herringbone tweed (beautiful as it can be) so extremely classical that it has less potential for a contemporary look (just like corduroy)? Last year Drake´s used a non-herringbone tweed for a navy jacket. Wasn´t that to avoid the clichè?

JH

Two questions:
1) What prompted you to favor the peak lapel in this instance, as I know you have been loath to employ it on SB in the past.
2) The padded shoulder versus drape debate seems endless, does it not? I’ve had one tailoring house denounce it while another swears by it. My own shoulders slope but the drape cut does seem more “natural,” if that is a fair word to use.

JJ.

Hi Simon

Would you recommend this tweed for an casual patch pocket jacket to be worn just on weekends?

In these pictures it looks great but in the manufacturers web looks really dark…

Thanks in advance

JJ.

Is it that formal due to the colour? Pattern?

I imagine that patch pockets, soft shoulders and Neapolitan style would reduce that formality…

JJ.

You just convinced me. I am going to comission a bespoke jacket.
Considering that most of my casual trousers are really casual ( burnt orange, red…) the formality of this tweed can match it perfectly well.

Thanks very much!

Hugh

Would you recommend their mtm option as a cheap source for odd trousers, Simon?

James Dalessandro

Your tie knot doesn’t have to be bigger. Everything in proportion. Four-in-hand just fine. Allan Flusser is a proponent of this look modeled after Anderson and Shepherd. Look at his designs for the movie Wall Street with Michael Douglas. Everything in proportion

Anonymous

Thank you Simon.
It is very hot where I live and the dress code is extremely casual. This is part of the reason there aren’t many tailors here. The ones that are around are old, and mid to low range. They do not make a distinction between Made-to-Measure and bespoke. That also means lack of cloths: I couldn’t find Hopsack here. So my first question would be: what could act as a substitute for hopsack to create a casual unstructured blazer?
Regarding fit: I am a tall (1.90+), wide, rather fit man. I work hard at developing a natural impressive silhouette. But the fact that I am considered an overdressed person here combined with my larger than average physique presents a dilemma: should one emphasize one’s natural physical traits with a structured suit jacket, or should one try to downplay them to be less conspicuous than one already is? I understand this is a matter of preference and of specific circumstances, but since tailors here offer little to no advice and since there is very little variety to begin with, I turn to your thought on the matter.

Many thanks,
OP

Omri

Thank you so much for your answer – it helps me out a lot.
I spend most of my days reading (academia), and your site is an oasis of fine and precise writing. While I cannot afford most of the items you review (again, academia), I learn a lot about the principles of style. The total lack of sartorial tradition where I live, leaves this kind of knowledge out of reach through the traditional channels (parents, tailors, salesmen), and most sites discuss these matters in a shallow ‘how to…’ format.
Your writing and reviews are intelligent and I enjoy PS immensely. I would love to see, however, more ‘philosophical’ writing – i.e. discussing the principles of style rather than their practical aspects. While they are certainly in extant within your pieces, a more methodological post will be fascinating to me.

Thank you again,
Omri

Rups

If I could give you my two cents I’d avoid structured tailoring if it’s hot where you live. Reason being heavy canvassing and padding creates more insulation which makes it wear warmer. A structured jacket is like wearing two unstructured jackets on top of one another.

Omri

Thank you so much for your reply. Your two cents are dollars to me.
This is a wonderful piece of advice. Unfortunately, tailoring here is so bad, when I try to describe canvassing to tailors the know not what I mean. They (the few that are still alive) create fused jackets. This does solve the question of ordering MtM suits online vs. having them made here.

Best wishes,
Omri

Rups

If I were you I’d go abroad then, online is a disaster waiting to happen, commission perhaps just one piece like a sportsjacket then start wearing to see if it works in the hot climate and in a very casual society. I love tailoring and started having structured English garments made but to be honest it doesn’t fit my current lifestyle well at all now as I go to very informal places socially and my work doesn’t require a dress code. You have to balance what you like with what actually works for your lifestyle. It’s tricky as in the modern world our lives are often in flux with changes of career and different social venues we may stop or start visiting. If you’re not careful though you’ll end up with white elephants in your closet that you hardly wear!

Will

Hello Simon,
As a fellow cyclist I had the misfortune to come off my bike a few years ago and do a grade 3 AC separation (the ‘bump’ is very noticeable). In regards to having my first MTM suit (I am 26), what would you suggest I do in regards to shoulder padding? Do I embrace the bump or opt for some thicker padding to hide it?

sargon

Hi Simon,

Quick question. In regards to the extended shoulder, I was wondering what is the difference in shoulder measurement from your Neapolitan jackets to jackets with an extended shoulder i.e. this one or Vestrucci or Liverano? Thanks in advance (PS – can’t wait for the Vestrucci review).

Oskar

Hello Simon, could this perhaps be WB12123? WB12124 doesn’t look like it’s Herringbone from Harrisons’ online bunch. Danke

Tom

Hi Simon,
Thank you for your swift and helpful responses in the past – definitely the first I’ve come to about the following!
I’m a young guy starting to delve into the bespoke world, thus have made a few mistakes up to this point! I have a suit made a few years back in a lovely solaro fabric, yet the shoulders are too bulky for my liking – too much padding etc. Would you recommend a London-based tailor who could see to making the shoulders more natural? I spoke to the original tailor (Bookster’s) but they turned me away, claiming it was too difficult and recommended I simply start again. What are your thoughts on this?
Many thanks for your time, I know it is limited.
Tom

Rajesh Bohra

Hi you can get in touch with us for custom fitting casual clothing. We can do your Chinos. We are the worlds first brand (Roasted Sand,India)started in 2011 that even custom fits a washed casual garment

CMW

Hi Simon. Would this type of blazer (navy, tweed) but in a Neapolitan style, be a good choice to wear with grey flannel trousers?

Juan Miguel

Mr Crompton, in terms of a well made construction, should mtm and bespoke coats raise the shoulder more than normal when the wearer raises the arm? In my hometown, where tailoring was much much better in the past than now, I have noticed that most mtm or presumable bespoke coats develop a kind of stiff, raising bridge on the shoulder when the arm is being raised, perhaps because the shoulder structure is made out from a kind of sponge foam. Is this material a good choice for a shoulder structure if I want the coat to be made the English cut style? Thank you very much.

Scott

Is it the size of the armhole or its height? I thought that having a high armhole was better for improved movement? What width do you consider to be small?

Tomas

Hi Simon,

Slightly different question about shoulder balance – how much should tailor fix different sloping of shoulders by adding additional padding? Especially, how much this can be remediated in soft Neapolitan construction?
Also, have you ever noticed that looking for balance in mirror seems ok, but checking on photos balance seems to be still off? Or is just visual trickery and you should trust live view instead?

Thanks,
Tomas

Haackk

Hi!

I recently commissioned a jacket from a Neapolitan tailor making jackets in a traditional Neapolitan cut: Soft construction with a light canvas, and henceforth a slim chest with little drape. The jacket was commissioned remotely, with no fitting. So it’s not bespoke, but has all the hand work of bespoke.

For my next jacket I would like more drape in the chest. I am unsure, however, if the light Neapolitan construction would look good with more drape in the chest. Do you have experience with a light chest construction looking good with drape?

Thanks

Haackk

Thanks.

As the jacket is commissioned remotely with a slight language barrier, quantifying the changes is a little challenging. Would you think that saying I want the chest one size up, i.e. approximately from a size 54 to a 56, would be a good way to explain to the tailor that I want more drape in the chest?

And, with the rest of the jacket being approximately size 54, do you think a size 56 chest would look proportionate and give the impression of drape?

Hard for you to say, of course…

Michel

Amazing jacket Simon. Would it work just as well with patch pockets, a little bit of roping in the shoulders, and made by (Northern) Italians? For casual use with chinos and jeans in particular.

Michel

It seems from the pictures there is a little bit of roping in the shoulders already?Wouldn’t the patch pockets and Italian cut make it (even) more casual than it is in your version? In your article above you write “For a guy that wants something to wear with casual trousers and light-coloured jeans, but also grey flannels, it’s a great option.” – so I’m not sure if understand if chinos are casual trousers in your view, or where you draw the line for wearing a jacket with chinos instead of light-coloured jeans?

Michel

Got it, thank you Simon.

Michel

Simon, do you think this jacket, as you made it, would have worked with peak lapels and patch hip pockets? Or would it not have worked at all given the tweed?

Michel

Makes sense. Thank you Simon

Michel

Appreciated Simon. I’m wondering if the X shape on this jacket would be the same with a 3-roll-2 as compared to a 2-button one? I read your guide to single breasted suits but could not find if the “button that you close” is exactly at the same height in both cases, and if the lapel angle is the same as well i.e. the same X shape.

Michel

Cheers. If it’s helpful for others to read, here’s another and hopefully the last question, if going for a more casual version with patch pockets and a notched lapel (and 2 buttons): if you have narrow shoulders and want to broaden the shoulders visually, would you go for a wide notch lapel or rather a normal one, or even a narrow one? Is the impression of breadth increased or decreased by wider lapels?

IT

Hi Simon,
I was wondering why The Disguisery don’t feature on your article ‘The (55) bespoke tailors I have known’. Would you not consider this suit as bespoke, or was it an oversight ?
Thanks ?

IT

Hi Simon,
Unfortunately it looks like you’re right, according to Companies House they ceased trading in April 2019.

Lindsay McKee

Although this post is some years old can you recommend The Disguisery for that extra spare jacket or trousers in the same vain as say Whitcombe & Shaftsbury but at a cheaper price?

Damian Viccars

Hi Simon, I’ve always understood the rule that if the shoulders don’t fit, don’t buy the garment because asking a tailor to narrow the shoulders is so difficult (if not impossible) and costly that it’s not worth the effort. But what if you’ve bought an expensive bespoke garment with an extended shoulder that is just far too large? Should you raise it in the hope of a fix, or will the tailor simply raise their eyebrows? In short does bespoke change the metric on shoulder alterations? Many thanks for your thoughts!

Lindsay McKee

This may sound naive, but can you recommend the disguisery today for say, odd trousers or a suit, jacket,given their price point.
How, in your opinion, would they compare in value and standard of workmanship to say Whitcomb & Shaftesbury Classic (Indian) made tailoring ?
Thanks
Lindsay

Lindsay McKee

OK… Strangely their Web page is still there….
Thanks anyway…. My heart says to try W&S one day… for a nice pair of FOX MID-GREY flannels or DRAPERS 12oz Ascot 4-PLY high twist for Summer!

Jack

Hi Simon, is it possible to determine whether the drape is large or small by the measurements of the jackets and those of the actual wearer? For instance, if jacket A’s half-chest measures 52cm when the wearer’s chest is 50cm, could I say there is no/low drape? And if jacket B’s half-chest measures 56cm for the same wearer, a large drape? 
I have only commissioned jackets/suits that offer drapes, such as Ciardi, The Anthology, and Whitcomb & Shaftesbury, so I have no idea what jackets without low drapes would feel or look like.

Many thanks,
Jack